I’m right handed. I write with my right hand. My teeth are brushed with my right hand. I eat with my right hand. My left hand usually is assisting my right hand. Doing the same thing the same way, creates a rut in your brain. Yes, it’s easier to do the same thing the same way each time. However, your brain is rutted with the same pathways being used in the same way. For instance, your brain looks like a well worn road. The road is depressed from the wheels rolling over the same spot. So, how do you get off the treadmill?

Making a new pathway

I’m easily bored. Doing the same thing in the same way really has no interest for me. Therefore, I continue to research new ideas. As I try new ideas out, I learn new perspectives. Move forward in your growth daily! Make sure you learn a new skill or see life from a new point of view.

The brain resist creating new neutral pathways. I know that the brain will resist new ideas. Hypnosis works around this problem by bypassing the ‘gate keeper’. However, this article isn’t about hypnosis. This article is about expanding your brain and keeping it active.

What is a neural pathway?

For instance, instead of doing activities the same way, step off the well known path. Brush your teeth with your left hand if you’re right handed. Yes, it’s actually hard to do and it takes longer. However, the more often you change hands the easier it becomes.

Every thought you think, each feeling you have, and every action you take can either deepen the furrow in the brain or create a new one. Neural pathways are the basis for your habits of thinking, feeling, and acting. These pathways are what you believe to be true. This is why you do what you do.

How do you make a new path?

Every time you learn a new song or focus your attention on new information, you make a new pathway in the mind. In other words, how do we keep our mind alert?

1. The brain’s ability to change itself constantly by creating new neural pathways and losing those which are no longer used is called neuroplasticity. The process of creating new neural pathways and losing the ones no longer needed will help the brain remain open-minded, intuitive and able to overcome biases throughout adulthood. For the brain to rewire itself it requires practice of a new behavior.  The continued practice will sufficiently challenge the brain to think in a new way.
2. Rethinking how you do things develops the brain’s functions that are currently underutilize. This helps to maximize the brain’s performance across diverse and unfamiliar tasks. Developing an agile brain is more important than you think. Thinking outside the box, keeps our mind active and young.
3. A recent theory developed by Stanford professor Carol Dweck suggests that most people’s brains are fixed or stagnated in a growth mindset. As we age, it seems it’s harder to learn something new. In reality, we’re resistant to change. You are surprised how easy it is to learn a new skill once you let your guard down.
4. Remember the KISS approach. (Keep It Simple Stupid) Focus on what’s in front of you. By doing this, the act of mindfulness has both a long and short term physical benefits on the brain.

Stay young at heart and in the mind as well

Do new activities. Having said that, do them in a way that you normally won’t attempt. Life is about change, embrace change! Change isn’t bad! Without change in our life, we would become stagnate! After that, grow and learn as much as possible. Keep making new pathways!