Rewire Your Thoughts for Health & Happiness
Dear Friend,
We don’t tend to consider our thoughts as a habit, but mostly they are.
About 90% of the thoughts we think each day are the same as those we thought the previous day, and the day before that.
Rewiring our habitual thoughts is important because our thoughts create our emotions, and our emotions create the chemistry in our bodies that directly impacts our health and happiness.
For example, imagine that you are thinking a self-critical thought, maybe one that you think often.
When you think that thought, what emotions do you feel?
Survival emotions such as shame, guilt, fear, and anger cause our bodies to release stress hormones such as cortisol.
There’s no problem with stress hormones for brief periods, but constantly being in stress chemistry is very hard on our physical and emotional health.
The good news is, like any habit, we can rewire our brains to think thoughts that create emotions that improve our health.
The beneficial chemistry our bodies create when we’re feeling uplifting emotions such as love, joy, gratitude, and connection is well-documented.
Here’s an easy way to start experimenting with rewiring your brain to create more health-enhancing thoughts:
Start paying attention to your thoughts, especially those that you think often. How do they make you feel?
Choose one thought to work on rewiring. Write it down.
Create a more health-enhancing thought to replace it with. Write it down and put it in places you’ll see it often, such as on your computer screen, mirror, etc.
When you notice yourself thinking the old thought, say “Stop” to your brain. Say the new thought inside your head (and out loud if you can).
Repeat throughout the day - the more often, the faster your brain will rewire!
Tip: If you’re getting a lot of resistance to your new thought, choose a thought that is easier for your brain to accept. For example, if you’re working on changing a self-critical thought, and you’re getting a lot of resistance to a new thought such as “I love myself unconditionally,” choose a thought that is easier for your brain to accept such as “I’m learning to be kinder to myself.”
Like changing any habit, rewiring thoughts takes time and effort, but it’s one of the most powerful things you can do for your physical and mental health.
For more tips on rewiring your brain for health and happiness, sign up for my free biweekly newsletter at www.happybrainlife.substack.com.
Love,
Liz
P.S. If you’re dealing with a chronic physical or mental health challenge, it can be helpful to be in a structured brain rewiring program.
The teachers/programs that have made a huge difference for my health and happiness are:
Dynamic Neural Retraining System: www.retrainingthebrain.com
Primal Trust: www.primaltrust.org
Dr. Joe Dispenza: www.drjoedispenza.com
I don’t receive a commission from these programs, I just want everyone to know about them because of the groundbreaking work they are doing!
