Hi,
This is Dr.
Adam Bledsoe and today's talk is called Leaning into the Good.
This is all about how to rewire your brain away from pain and symptoms and towards connection and feeling good.
The brain's negative bias tends to lend us towards noticing the negative sensations and experiences in and around us.
That is,
Our brain is designed to protect us,
To notice threats and things that could harm us.
So it is highly programmed to notice them more often than we notice the good.
When we're in pain or have chronic symptoms,
Those become the threat.
They're frustrating,
Aggravating,
And uncomfortable,
And our brain can really latch onto them and pull them in closely.
Sometimes,
Like with chronic pain or lasting symptoms,
This negative bias can go a little too far.
It's not intended to wire more and more pain into us.
You see,
Pain is a very strong and distracting signal and our brains are designed to notice the pain to help us avoid further harm or threat.
So that pain and other symptoms are so strong and such an attractor that it can actually rewire our brain around it.
The pain will begin to color our beliefs,
Our experiences,
And they will inform our body's physiology.
This will lead us to making choices and taking behaviors that further strengthen the brain circuits around the pain and eventually possibly even creating more pain and symptoms.
It's a vicious cycle.
To stop this cycle,
We have to recognize one fact.
That is,
There's no such thing as an absence of sensation.
There are only different types of sensations.
So we have to choose the sensations that we want to pay attention to.
You see,
The brain wires and rewires itself based on our experiences and our experiences are guided by our awareness.
Awareness is almost like a flashlight.
Wherever you point it,
That's what's drawn into the brain.
So the more we pay attention to something,
The stronger it becomes.
You see,
In any given situation,
Depending on where we point our flashlight of awareness,
We can notice something we may consider good or something we may consider bad.
And this will color that experience for us.
One strategy for helping the brain rewire in a more positive way is to lean into the good.
That is,
To guide our attention towards more and more positive or good sensations and experiences around us.
This will help balance out the brain's natural awareness and over time,
As more positive sensations come into the brain on a more regular and consistent basis,
The brain will begin to rewire around that.
As our brain changes,
So do your bodily responses.
Our physiology begins to match the positive sensations and experiences we are noticing.
Our beliefs,
Our feelings,
Our choices,
And behaviors will follow soon in a more congruent and positive and functional way for our lives.
Here's four ways of many to lean into the good.
Number one,
Positive sensations in the body.
Now,
It may be hard to believe,
And it may have struck you as it struck me once,
That when we're experiencing chronic pain or symptoms,
There's actually probably some positive sensations hidden somewhere in the body that we haven't even noticed.
I'd like you to evaluate your beliefs a little bit.
Take a look around.
Maybe use your memory or go outside.
Feel the sun on your skin.
Feel the breeze on your cheek.
Maybe you take particular small joy in feeling the breath coming in and out of your body,
Or the gentle movement of a part of your body that feels good,
Or the sensation of clothing on your skin.
As we can notice these small little positive sensations in the body,
We can start to move our attention flashlight elsewhere,
And we can start to draw more of that positivity into the brain and rewire the circuits.
You can use a meditation that focuses on positive sensations in the body to help that process for you.
Number two,
Positive actions and learning.
You may already have a hobby.
You may have something that when you participate in it,
You fall into flow.
The more you spend time in flow,
Or enjoying particular activities,
The more your nervous system will organize itself around it.
So choosing to fall into flow around an established or beloved hobby or skill is a great way to lean into the good.
On the other hand,
You might not have a hobby,
Or you might be looking for something new.
Learning things that you enjoy and that attract you is a great way to rewire the brain around that.
Maybe you'd like to learn a new language.
Maybe you'd like to pick up a new sport or activity,
Or take up puzzles,
Or play cards.
But some action or new hobby or skill will cause the brain to focus,
Have to rewire to learn that skill,
And that gets wrapped up in the good sensations that come with it.
We'll start to tip the scales towards the good.
Also,
Positive experiences around us is number three.
This might be art,
A flower,
A smile on someone that's passing by,
Or the taste of a wonderful meal.
I remember one particular dark or down time in my life when I exited.
It was springtime.
I left the house for a walk and I noticed the greenery starting to spring up between the sidewalk cracks.
And I just took a moment to just enjoy and absorb that bright green color of spring.
And I remember so distinctly how it changed my entire physiology.
It changed my outlook and my attitude.
And I hold on to that little memory as I move forward in life.
And number four,
Positive and supportive connection.
Going off and finding or connecting with individuals in your life who are safe for you.
They're good listeners and you for them.
They're supportive of your journey,
Your process,
And what you do.
And they're non-judgmental.
Feeling the warm,
Kind connection that comes with a good friend,
Partner,
Colleague can really fill you up with the good and help you lean more in that direction.
Take an active process in looking for the good,
Finding the good,
And observing it for a while.
Allow it to sink into your body.
And slowly,
Consistently,
Over time,
It will begin to rewire your brain away from the negativity or from the pain and symptom and towards that positive physiology,
Positive outlook that you're looking for.
Thanks so much for listening.
My name is Dr.
Adam Bledsoe,
And I'll see you soon.
