So I’ve been more of a science geek than ever before. Thankfully there seems to be a proliferation of books on geeky stuff and how to use that in psychology and life.
I’ve compiled a list of tips that might interest and help you. 
- Nature heals. There was a study done on people recovering in hospital. People either had a view of trees, park etc or of a brick wall. The brick wall people took twice as long to recover, were in loads more pain and took more medication than the nature look-out people. So if you’re feeling miserable, cranky, or out-of-sorts in general try getting out in nature. If you work in an office or other environment that doesn’t have a view of nature, make sure you get out on your lunch break and be amongst trees. You’ll recharge your batteries much quicker.
- Your brain can change. There’s so much stuff on neuroplasticity (how your brain changes) and how we can do stuff to change our unhelpful beliefs, behaviours and relationships. Brains change slowly. It helps to know that all we need to start with is changing our behaviours and our brains will eventually catch up. That means when we’re trying to do new things, we don’t have to expect that we’ll feel different right away. We can still feel anxious, unhappy or scared when doing something new until our brain starts to recognise that this new is the way to be. Lower your expectations for immediate change and be patient with your brain.
- Believing your brain can change makes you persevere. People who believe their brains can change and that they can learn to be more intelligent will persevere more than people who think that intelligence is set in concrete. If you believe your intelligence can grow too, think of how much more you might do before you give up on something. And how much more you might persevere with any personal changes you want to make.
- Safety first. Fear overrides just about anything in our brain. If we’re not feeling safe (unsettled, anxious, depressed) that will take priority in our brains. When we feel like this, change is really hard to do. Before you try to implement any new behaviours or new ways of thinking, make sure you create a sense of safety – turn to friends or family, find ways to reassure yourself and soothe your fears. Then change will be so much easier.
- Brains love company. When we’re around people who love us, who are compassionate to us, and who genuinely care, our brains and bodies go into a state of healing. Make sure you spend some time with people who demonstrate those qualities when you’re feeling stressed, anxious or low and suck up the good healing vibes.
I hope that helps.
See you soon.
