What are thoughts and how can we use them to our benefit?

While neurons and synapses provide the biological “hardware” of the brain, a thought is more accurately described as the “software” or the specific pattern of activity moving through that network. While a synapse acts as the physical bridge where chemical messengers allow neurons to communicate, a single connection does not constitute a thought on its own. Instead, thoughts emerge from the simultaneous firing of millions of neurons across vast networks, creating a unique trajectory of electrical and chemical activity. Essentially, if the 86 billion neurons and their 100 trillion synapses are the infrastructure of a city, a thought is the complex flow of traffic moving through it—a fleeting but organised event made possible by the underlying physical structure.

“Thoughts are real, physical things that occupy mental real estate. Moment by moment, every day, you are changing the structure of your brain through your thinking. When we hope, it is an activity of the mind that changes the structure of our brain in a positive and normal direction.”

Dr Caroline Leaf

Everyone has a choice

One of the most powerful things we can train a child in is their understanding of choice.

As parents, teachers, coaches or mentors, if we can teach a child in their understanding of their personal choices, and how choices have an impact, we have the opportunity to empower them with a foundational tool that will touch every area of their life.

As everyone knows, we can’t control everything that happens, but we can control our choice of what we think about a certain situation, and therefore we can control how we react.

Our thoughts have a far greater impact than we imagine

What is a child thinking when he/she loses the game, misses the goal, makes a critical mistake in the game, or can’t achieve the skill you’re showing them?

If they are going down the path of negative, self-abusing thoughts, their thoughts are not only hindering them from achieving what they want to achieve (by debilitating their prefrontal cortex), they are also building negative but powerful memories about their competence.

Instead, if they chose to let their thoughts focus on continuing the game with their best effort, thinking of themselves as capable of pulling the game back, believing that they are capable of mastering the skill you’re showing them, they will enable their brain to work at an optimum level.

How do our thoughts affect our brain?

A child is more likely to focus and think deeply during an activity that they have set out to achieve if their thought life is positive. When they have positive thoughts, they are therefore improving their (1) cognitive skills, (2) the football goal they are working on, (3) their self-confidence and (4) their growth mindset. They will be impacting their present circumstances, but they will also be building new positive and powerful memories in their brain that will help them in the future. Positive memories will be developed about their resilience, competence and perseverance.

Your brain is thus malleable and has the ability to change throughout your life…through your choices.

“The correct view is that the mind is designed to control the body, of which the brain is a part, not the other way around.”

Dr Caroline Leaf

The important tip to learn this month is to realise the power of your choices so that you can begin making choices that will positively impact your life. Why not have a conversation with your child about the process you’re on, and go on the journey together?

References:

1. The Human Memory