Neuroplasticity – in practice

If you’ve been to therapy, you may understand this term.  It’s maybe the basic brain function that gives us all hope that we can change or help others to change.  It relates to the fact the brain can learn new things and change your experience of memories.

Thinking and talking about your experience creates different connections between neurons all over the body and accessing this very powerful agent for change is one of my goals.

There are many ways to achieve this and some of these centre around positive psychology exercises such as keeping a journal of the good things that happen or doing something small for someone else every day.

I thought it was time I tried the one that appealed to me the least. Do something new and scary as much as possible, every day if you can.

For me, that was drawing.  Here is the first drawing I have done since art classes at school when I was 14.  It was a scary experience creating something that I would find embarrassing however I already have a small sense of achievement that I did it…. after all it has been over 20 years since putting pencil to paper.  I have no idea how many new connections that made in my brain, I only know that I will maybe care a little less about being good at things.

Just in case you don’t recognise it – it’s a spider plant in my consulting room.