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Brain Exercises, Positive Thinking & Law of Attraction. Self Help for Depression?
Depression in children is rare.
Brain exercises and positive thinking are a normal and constant element in a happy childhood. Many women and most men will seek self help for depression before going the professional route. This is human nature as well. After all, doesn’t law of attraction theory tell us that thinking more positive will make us so? Not so fast. Our brain needs exercise, especially if we intend to pull it out of a slump.
Research on Brain Exercises. The following are just a few of the myriad research projects and discoveries, focused on the amazing effects of exercising our brain by thinking certain thoughts. (A few of my personal favorite exercises to try today, lower down on page... )
1. Cleveland Clinic. Discovery
Muscle strength increases simply by thinking about exercising it. 30 healthy people were instructed to imagine either (a) flexing their little finger or (b) flexing their elbow. Participants were told to think as strongly as possible about moving the muscle and to visualize the imaginary movement as realistically as possible. There was a control group, instructed to do no imaginary exercises. That group had no increase in muscle strength. The little finger visualization group increased pinky muscle strength by 35 per cent. The elbow visualization group increased strength by 13.4 per cent.
2. In The Brain That Changes Itself, Dr. Norman Doidge presents page after page of amazing research showing that the brain has the capacity to literally change itself at a cellular level, and help or heal many serious and challenging conditions including depression. The term brain plasticity is often used to describe this phenomenon.
In my ongoing research into clinical, popular modern psychology and current trends in popular culture, it is clear that the core strategies taught by law of attraction coaches and the teaching of brain exercises is strikingly similar. As a moderate in the field of positive change strategy, I always promote the necessity to engage in parallel positive action in order to create major life change.
Some Brain Exercises to Try for Depressed Mood. The idea behind using brain exercises to outsmart feelings of depression is twofold:
Short Term. You a more likely to trigger a feeling of well being by focus on pleasant thoughts than negative thinking.
Long Term. New neurological pathways are formed by repetitive thoughts (brain plasticity), and you have significant control over the direction of this life changing phenomenon.
Please consult your health care provider about any depressed mood. These exercises are not a replacement for professional help. Also of note: brain exercises work best when you are learning something new. If you always played bridge, playing that game will not do it for you. Learning to play a musical instrument, ballroom dancing, skate, drafting architectural plans… it has to be something totally new to you for the exercise to have the effect researchers are reporting.
Brain Exercises to Try
1. Feeling down? It is easy to get stuck on a treadmill of depressing thoughts, and even, to begin creating an inner life of depressed thoughts and visualizations. Make it a point to seek out something, anything to feel slightly happier about.(1) It can be as simple or seemingly insignificant as the view out your window, or a pleasant memory. The idea is to pull your thought pattern away from repetitive negative ideas to thoughts that can become a healthier habit. One more pleasant thought can attract another, and another.
2. Practice new ways of doing old things. Right handed? Start using your left hand to work your computer mouse for 10-30 minutes a day. This is difficult, yet satisfying, as your brain slowly learns and creates new pathways to make it work. Amaze yourself!
3. Start walking. Walking is a powerful exercise for the body and the brain. Studies are showing it may even decrease the risk of stroke. It is well known to lift mood on an immediate and longer term basis.
This is only a taste of the profound and life changing discoveries being made in the field. Whether you feel comfortable with the lingo used in law of attraction theory, positive psychology or brain plasticity, I encourage you to do your own research and start practicing brain exercises today. Let me know how it goes!
Sources:(1) Most law of attraction coaches teach a form of this pivoting method.
- Society for Neuroscience, Annual Meeting, November 11, 2001
- The Brain That Changes Itself, Dr. Norman Doidge
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Helping women solve problems with Einstein's philosophy: The only way to solve a problem is to change the thinking that created it.
