Neuroplasticity is what allows us to learn and grow – to develop new skills and strengthen our knowledge. Different neural pathways – the way our brain communicates between one part of the nervous system and another – become stronger with repetition. Conversely, if they remain dormant, they become less defined. We can use this knowledge to our advantage when trying to set – or break – a habit.
The understanding that our brain evolves and grows is a relatively new one. It’s somewhat related to the idea of a fixed mindset (‘I’m born with this brain and have set capabilities that can’t be changed’) versus a growth mindset (‘My brain and my capabilities will grow if I invest time and effort into this awesome organ’) – which I've spoken about previously.
Clearing the scrub
I like to think of our neural pathways as a bushwalk. The first time you trek down a path, it might be overgrown with scrub and feel a bit daunting. You might even pick up some scratches or trip over. But the more often you walk that path, the clearer it becomes. Until suddenly, you’ve got a well-defined trail you can follow without giving it a second thought. However, if you were to go away for a while and then come back – the path isn’t going to be as defined. Nature would start to take it over.
We see how the brain operates this way if you think about those who know a second language. The more often you use it, the easier it comes to you. If you take a long break from speaking it, the knowledge is still there – but it might be harder to retrieve. The neural pathways you use to access those parts of your brain have weakened over time, so they’re no longer clear.
Use it or lose it
Culturally, we have a sophisticated understanding of exercise and its impacts on the body. We know that if we don’t use our muscles, they weaken and atrophy. But we don’t apply the same understanding to our brains. We need challenge and stimulation – not just by doing a crossword puzzle – through social interactions, practising empathy and engaging meaningfully with others.
There’s a widespread misconception that our brains are only malleable when we’re young (think of the adage ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks’). This simply isn’t true. Research shows older brains are still ‘plastic’ (able to be shaped). I learnt to ski at 19 years old and won Olympic Gold. More recently, I took up the piano at 39. We need to stimulate and sustain ourselves by investing in a lifestyle that promotes a full and active brain.
Much of the cognitive decline we associate with age – memory loss and general mental ‘fogginess’ – aren’t actually related to aging at all. Instead, it’s lifestyle factors that drive these changes (for more on how lifestyle choices can impact our health, look to the recent 5590+ insight).
How can we use neuroplasticity?
There are ways we can ‘hack’ neuroplasticity to create the outcomes we want. Let’s say, for example, you want to make healthier eating choices more often. When ordering a meal, you might currently have a default reaction to choose junk food – because that ‘path’ in your brain is well-trodden. Now, the first thing you need to do is become aware of this pattern – which you’ve already done in the form of recognising you have a goal to be healthier.
From here, you can interrupt your default thought pattern to try and break this habit and replace the thought pattern with a better one. This sounds easy, but it’s not always easy to put into practise – especially when other things are vying for your attention, like when you’re out at a restaurant and chatting with people.
Let’s say you’re looking at the menu and you’re tossing up between a healthy choice and an unhealthy one. One technique you can use is mental and verbal affirmations – saying to yourself, “I’m the kind of person who picks the healthy option.” Then, maybe you turn to who you’re eating with and say, “You know, normally I order junk – but today I’m going to go with something nutritious.” By verbalising the thought, you’re doubling down and helping to wire that choice into your brain. You could even ask the wait staff what they recommend in terms of healthy options, as hearing them describe it will help you internalise the better choice. I’ve even made a healthy habit hack of proactively saying, ‘Thanks, that sounds yum and good for me’ in response.
All these little triggers and tricks can work together to affect your behavioural outcome. This is the cognitive bush-bashing that’s clearing a new path in your brain – one that points to your desired outcome. When the food arrives, you can again affirm that you made the right choice. Say to yourself, “Wow, this looks delicious. I’m so glad I didn’t order junk food.” By this point, you’ve got your mental machete out and you’re clearing out all the scrub in your new path.
We can borrow from the sporting world
It’s funny; athletes use these tools all the time. You’ve probably heard of ‘visualisation’, the technique many elite sportspeople use. Essentially, they hone in mentally on every detail of what they’re aiming to achieve. What the weather is like, what they’re wearing, what different parts of their body are doing and how it feels, even what they can smell, hear and taste – all of it. This mental rehearsal ingrains desirable patterns of thought and behaviour and makes it easier to execute correctly when the pressure is on. They’re creating their optimum pathways through the wilderness.
Take your time
Altering these mental processes takes awareness, quality repetition, and time – just like any skill. Remember, be kind to yourself, because change doesn’t happen overnight. But rest assured, with the right tools and some perseverance – it will happen.
