Recall the thoughts you have been having today. While you’re there, recall your thoughts from yesterday, and the day before, and the week before, and even the month or the year before that. Are there patterns? Or more pointedly – are there negative patterns? Can you see any repetition of thoughts that are negative, or unhelpful? Are you having them a lot? Are you then getting complaints from people that you are a bit of a whinger? A moaning Mandy?
Science allows us a deeper insight into the brain. It can show us the functions of our neurological transmitters and exactly what might be the reason behind such thought repetition – particularly where bad thoughts are concerned. We can begin to understand why we might be stuck in this cycle of negativity.
The question then remains, can we stop these bad thoughts? And if so, how?
What Happens When We Vent Negative Thoughts
It isn’t just a process of getting thoughts out by verbalizing them, though this is a common belief held by many. In fact saying negative things, as we probably know by experiencing this, makes us feel generally worse. It also makes those listening to our incessant moaning feel bad too. And so the cycle continues.
Science picks up on this flaw, however, and allows us insight to the problem, and therefore denotes a more positive solution. Because negative thought patterns can also be negative for your health — the mental kind.
How Negative Thoughts Affect Our Brains
Your brain is a collection of Synapses, surrounded by empty space that is called the synapses cleft. When thoughts arise in our brains, they send a chemical from one synapse over to another (through the cleft). This builds a bridge of sorts between the two synapses where the electrical charge crosses, and the charge is carried across this bridge with all the information involved in this one thought. Each time this electrical charge is “triggered” by the thought, the synapses involved move closer together so there is less distance for the charge to travel.
In essence, the brain is shifting, rewiring to eventually allow the two synapses to spark together. The brain is making the thought come more easily, by allowing the trigger to be sparked simultaneously by the chemical sparking together as one. It is allowing your mind to have that same thought again, but quicker.
How This Hurts
What this means is that if you are having negative thoughts, they’re going to come more frequently. You’ll be going about your day and that same thought pattern is going to continue to rear it’s ugly head. In other words, your negative thoughts may very well result in a pretty negative personality.
What To Do
The flip side of this – as is the flip side of negative – is positive! And positivity. The exact same process can occur with positive thoughts. We can ‘train our brains’ to begin to perpetuate positive thoughts rather than negative ones, in the exact same way we would experience the negative thought cycle. This will render us “Happy as Larry” and propel to a positive and healthy personality.
Avoiding Negativity
Many things can inspire positivity, and there are steps you can take to ensure you are leaning toward positive charges through your synapse cleft! Aim for stress-free living as much as is possible. When you’re depressed or down the hormone Cortisol is released, and can lead to problems with your health, which in turn effects this whole cycle. Approach life the way that makes you the most happy.
And remember that the company you keep can make the biggest of difference. If you are constantly surrounded by negativity and negative people, you can catch that drift! Don’t let it seep in and start messing with your Cortisol. Surround yourself with positivity, light, and good thoughts, and you will succeed in training your brain with happiness.
