The power of positivity

POSITIVITY

IS POWERFUL

BY GARETT DICKINSON

Professional support can boost success with lifestyle changes

American neurobiologist Carla Shatz famously says “neurons wire together, if they fire together.” So when a person has thought or acted a certain way over long periods of time, it could have neurological effects that make behavior change more difficult. This can leave people knowingly or unwittingly stuck in a rut. But reprogramming the way we think with the power of positive affirmations and healthy routines can have profound effects propelling us forward.

Speaking of ruts, it’s been said that if it’s not necessary then don’t try to reinvent the wheel. When implementing lifestyle improvements, professional guidance can be invaluable. Professionals often provide accountability and support, in addition to evidence-based solutions for success. For example, life coaches, therapists and personal trainers can help us attain our goals in a safe, realistic fashion.

SUPPORT

Melaney Sreenan, clinical psychologist and an internationally Board Certified Coach, firmly believes in the diverse benefits of partnering with a professional to support personal progress.

“There’s a real science and a real chemical response that automatically lifts us when we know that we’ve aligned with someone that has the tools and the skills or has the level of mastery that will support us,” she said.

Chris Grotefend, a fitness and wellness health promotion specialist with Total Life Concepts in Durango, has been coaching others to improve fitness habits for many years and is acutely aware of the complexity of progress.

“Ideally there’s about four to five phases to move through, and each phase is usually about six to eight weeks,” he said. “A lot of times people get injured and things like that because they don’t learn some of the basic fundamentals and the foundation work that it requires, mostly in the muscles around your spine.”

Utilizing professionally guided exercise and therapy can have profound long-term benefits, especially if coupled with affirmations.

“Reaching out and partnering with someone in whatever your goal is, fast forwards you, body, mind and spirit,” Sreenan said.

SCIENCE

Many scientific studies dive into the perks of positive affirmations, exercise and therapy. To further understand the science behind Schatz’s mnemonic catchphrase, it’s worth looking at the foundational work of Donald Hebb, which led to a greater study of neural plasticity.

Hebb saw that causality and consistency were critical for developing the connections between neurons. When one neuron that has a relationship with another fires, especially repeatedly within a short amount of time, the signal connection strengthens leading to a stronger neural pathway. Through this, we can see how we all have the ability to change our lives by intentionally reconfiguring the brain.

In addition to building and strengthening new neural pathways, activities like exercise and therapy can have other beneficial effects on our wellbeing. It is well documented that exercise boosts overall serotonin levels in the brain and stimulates neurogenesis (new brain cell growth), especially in the hippocampus, which is the center of memory and learning.

Therapy can lead to forgiveness of ourselves and others which has been shown to reduce overall stress hormones in the body, reduce risk factors of anxiety and depression and increase the likelihood of creating more positive relationships in the future.

IMPLEMENTATION

Sreenan recommends embracing emotions and visualizing goal attainment so one can experience the true sense of their desire rather than just reciting it, to thereby “feel it as if it were so,” she said.

“An affirmation is worthless if it’s just words,” Sreenan said. “An affirmation is not words, it is incorporating (a goal) body, mind and spirit and then projecting it into your external environment.”

When it comes to health and lifestyle changes, “It’s never too late to start,” Grotefend says, “especially as you get along in years, it becomes more and more important.”

A key part of your affirmation practice, as well as therapy, exercise or anything else, will be combining intention with consistency. A recurring routine is crucial to reaping the benefits of neural plasticity and the general effects of any activity that you might engage in.

By combining the power of self-affirmation with support from professionals, it becomes possible, day by day, to realize positive change. Whether your personal goal includes writing a novel, running a marathon, acing an interview or living a life of joy and gratitude, a pathway to success exists.

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