A friend shared an interesting TED talk by neuroscientist up in Vancouver, B.C. Her work in neuroplasticity is very inspiring in that it confirms that what we presume and work on so often in therapy in fact has a clear biological basis. In therapy there are often small assignments to try this or try that. They sometimes seem insignificant, easy to do for a moment, but tedious to continue doing over the course of a week or two. This research makes clear the value of keeping at it, even when it’s uncertain what the effects are yet. Here are some quotes from the talk…
“The primary driver of change in your brain is your behavior. Nothing is more effective than practice, and the bottom line is you have to do the work.
Your brain is tremendously plastic. It’s being shaped structurally and functionally by everything that you do, and everything that you don’t do.
Behaviors that you do in your everyday life are important. Each of them are changing your brain.
Repeat those behaviors that are healthy for your brain, and break those habits and behaviors that are not. Practice. Learning is about doing the work that your brain requires.”
So when you decide to try out a behavior, a thought, a new way of looking at things…be patient and persistent. Remember how all the folks got to Carnegie Hall!
Here’s the full talk: