Brain Fitness Exercises

Positive thoughts and action have great impact on your brain!

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. We’ve all chanted this silently in our heads at one point or another. Your mom or dad probably first taught you this phrase when a kid in school or one of your siblings said something mean to you. Although the saying is meant to comfort and empower us, it is actually entirely false. Words can and do hurt us; they actually negatively affect our brain.

Sometimes I find myself remembering situations in my life when someone’s words and/or actions really, really hurt me. I can’t forget those moments even if I try. Returning to those moments in my mind almost instantly bring back the feelings of anger, embarrassment and sadness that I felt as it was taking place. Why is it that I can so vividly remember those moments? How does a minute moment from my life stay with me for years and years?

Just like our feelings are sensitive to malicious and cruel situations, so are our brains. Wickedness seems to have a great impact on our brains. This has been proven through studies conducted by leading scientists of this field. Through these studies, scientists have found that our brains react at a higher level of electrical activity when presented with bad images or statements rather than good ones. Our sensitivity to negativity can be detected at the very start of any type of brain processing. Interesting, right?

This is why bringing positive images, news, relationships and statements into your life can largely improve the health of your brain. You need to ensure that the positive aspects of your life far outweigh the negative ones. According to scientists, it should be about a five to one ratio. Make it your goal to keep a consistent flow of positive acts in your life.

You need to implement positive thoughts and actions into your daily life. The more you practice this, the more it will become a habit. Think of every day as a new opportunity for you to reach your goals. Become a forward-thinking person. Help those around you. There is nothing sweeter for your brain than the positive feelings that arise from helping those in need. Distance yourself from negative people and surround yourself with people who make you feel positive. Unfortunately, we are adept to experience emotional contagion. We are easily influenced by the feelings and actions of those around us. You have probably experienced this before. You’re in a fantastic mood but your girlfriend or boyfriend is in a terrible mood, and slowly but surely it starts to rub off on you. So do your best to distance yourself from emotional contagion situations.  Also, learn how to manage your stress, so no matter what the circumstance you are not negatively affected by a situation.  Not only is this impacting your brain through positive behavior, but you are also learning something which is another great way to strengthen your brain.

Obviously, none of us will ever be able to completely master this type of behavior. It’s practically impossible. But we should still strive to be positive thinkers and doers.

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