Rewire Your Brain E-Book

John B. Arden

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Seitenzahl: 380

Beschreibung

How to Rewire Your Brain to improve virtually every aspect of your life-based on the latest research in neuroscience and psychology on neuroplasticity and evidence-based practices Not long ago, it was thought that the brain you were born with was the brain you would die with, and that the brain cells you had at birth were the most you would ever possess. Your brain was thought to be "hardwired" to function in predetermined ways. It turns out that's not true. Your brain is not hardwired, it's "softwired" by experience. This book shows you how you can rewire parts of the brain to feel more positive about your life, remain calm during stressful times, and improve your social relationships. Written by a leader in the field of Brain-Based Therapy, it teaches you how to activate the parts of your brain that have been underactivated and calm down those areas that have been hyperactivated so that you feel positive about your life and remain calm during stressful times. You will also learn to improve your memory, boost your mood, have better relationships, and get a good night sleep. * Reveals how cutting-edge developments in neuroscience, and evidence-based practices can be used to improve your everyday life * Other titles by Dr. Arden include: Brain-Based Therapy-Adult, Brain-Based Therapy-Child, Improving Your Memory For Dummies and Heal Your Anxiety Workbook * Dr. Arden is a leader in integrating the new developments in neuroscience with psychotherapy and Director of Training in Mental Health for Kaiser Permanente for the Northern California Region Explaining exciting new developments in neuroscience and their applications to daily living, Rewire Your Brain will guide you through the process of changing your brain so you can change your life and be free of self-imposed limitations.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Preface

Chapter 1 - Firing the Right Cells Together

Nurtured Nature

Neurons and Their Messengers

Cells That Fire Together Wire Together

How Neuroplasticity Occurs

Snap Judgments

FEED Your Brain

Marlee Feeds Her Brain

Test Yourself

Chapter 2 - Taming Your Amygdala

Stress and False Alarms

Moderating Anxiety

Activating Your Parasympathetic Nervous System

Challenging the Paradox

Activating the Frontal Lobe and Changing Your Narrative

Chapter 3 - Shifting Left

Priming Positive Moods

Constructing Narratives

The Power of Belief

Wiring Positive Thinking

Social Connecting

Brenda’s Bumps

Taking Action

Chapter 4 - Cultivating Memory

Attention: The Gateway to Memory

The Types of Memory

Associations and Mnemonic Tricks

Eduardo’s Tables

How to Improve Your Memory

Chapter 5 - Fueling Your Brain

Breaking a Fast

Sugar Factors

The Amino Acid Cornucopia

Vitamins and Minerals

Minerals and Phytonutrients

Nancy’s Fat Problem

Diet, Fats, and Depression

Chapter 6 - Healthy Habits: Exercise and Sleep

Exercise and the Brain

Exercise Medicine

Regulating Your Sleep

Chapter 7 - Social Medicine

Touch

The Effects of Nurturance and Its Deprivation

Bonding and Attachment

Mirror Neurons and Empathy

Love

Chapter 8 - Resiliency and Wisdom

Attitude and Resiliency

Aging Youthfully

Resiliency and Social Support

Chapter 9 - The Mindful Attitude

Awakening from Sleepwalking

Focused Attention

Parasympathetic Meditation

Mindfulness

The Mindful Brain

References

Index

About the Author

Copyright © 2010 by John B. Arden. All rights reserved

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Arden, John B., date.

Rewire your brain / John B. Arden.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

eISBN : 978-0-470-56984-9

1. Memory. 2. Neurosciences. 3. Brain. I. Title.

BF371.A595 2010

153—dc22 2009028771

Preface

In the last few years, both Time and Newsweek magazines have published feature articles on the new advances in neuroscience. The concepts of neuroplasticity, mirror cells, neurogenesis, and the social brain have all been discussed on radio shows and in newspaper articles. The advances in neuroscience have dramatically affected our understanding of what occurs in psychotherapy. If you’re like most people, you’ll want to learn more about how these developments can be applied to your practical life.

This book is based on recent developments in neuroscience and evidence-based treatment (the types of treatment that have been found to work best). It is a less technical companion to my professional books Brain-Based Therapy with Adults and Brain-Based Therapy with Children and Adolescents. Those two books, written with my friend and colleague Lloyd Linford, address how the developments in neuroscience and evidence-based treatment can be applied to therapy. Rewire Your Brain is meant to be a practical resource book that describes how to actually change your brain based on well-researched principles that work. The book will guide you through the process of rewiring your brain so that you can change your life. You cannot change how you think and feel without changing your brain.

We all feel a little anxious or down in the dumps at times. You’ll learn how to deal with normal levels of these feelings, how to minimize such periods, and how to get the most out of life. You’ll also learn healthy habits to enhance your brain’s longevity and to maximize a vibrant life free of self-imposed limitations.

Each chapter in this book addresses key components of the new developments in neuroscience and describes how to apply them to specific areas of your life in order to help you thrive.

In chapter 1, you’ll learn about the major changes that have occurred in the field of neuroscience, including the discovery of neuroplasticity, which has been described by the saying “Cells that fire together, wire together.” You’ll learn how habits are formed and how to increase good habits and end bad ones. Since your brain is always developing new connections between neurons and killing off old connections that are not being used, you’ll learn how to develop connections that promote good habits and shut off those that support bad habits. You’ll learn the acronym FEED to help you remember the steps to rewire your brain: Focus, Effort, Effortlessness, and Determination. Through the practice of these steps, you can feed your brain to make the rewiring changes described in the rest of the book.

In chapter 2, you’ll learn that the part of your brain called the amygdala can needlessly create fear. Since the amygdala can trigger a false alarm, it needs to be put in check by the frontal lobes. You’ll also learn about the balance between the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous systems, which help you to become active when you need to be and to calm down afterward. I’ll explain the concept of exposure from evidence-based treatment and the idea of a slow track versus a fast track and then make practical suggestions of how you can turn off a false alarm. You’ll learn how to calm down your amygdala so that you can approach life courageously and with a sense of vitality.

In chapter 3, you’ll learn that underactivation of the left frontal lobe has been associated with depression and that activation of this lobe is associated with the alleviation of depression and the promotion of positive feelings. I will explain how the techniques of behavioral activation (borrowed from evidence-based treatment) and cognitive restructuring (borrowed from cognitive-behavioral therapy) can shift your brain to a different attractor state (borrowed from neurodynamics) in your left frontal lobe. I’ll also explain how light affects your biochemistry and your mood. You’ll learn how to stay positive and enjoy life with optimism.

In chapter 4, you’ll learn about memory skills that you can cultivate by wiring your brain to improve your memory. Various memory techniques have been used for thousands of years, and you can refashion them to enhance your memory capacity. You’ll learn mnemonic devices to make your memory skills work optimally.

In chapter 5, you’ll learn how to ensure that your brain creates the right biochemistry for making your brain cells communicate with one another so that you can be calm, energized, and focused. In addition to consuming the right amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, you’ll need the correct essential fatty acids to ensure that your cell membranes are supple and flexible, enabling neuroplasticity to occur.

In chapter 6, you’ll learn that exercise and sleep play a significant role in how your brain rewires and creates new neurons. Exercise is one of the most powerful ways to jump-start the neurochemical mechanisms of neuroplasticity and neurogenesis. You’ll learn about the role of sleep in memory and how to achieve a healthy sleep cycle. The exciting field of psychoneuroimmunology (the links among the mind, the brain, and the immune system) is explained, and suggestions are made to achieve healthy and vibrant living.

In chapter 7, you’ll learn about the research on the brain systems that are collectively referred to as the social brain. This system includes mirror neurons, spindle cells, the orbital frontal cortex, and the anterior cingulate. I’ll describe how these neural systems help to build relationships and empathy. You’ll read about research that has shown that people who maintain positive social relationships live longer and feel more satisfied with their lives. You’ll learn how to expand and vitalize your relationships.

In chapter 8, you’ll learn what factors increase your ability to be resilient and to approach life with vitality despite obstacles. You’ll also learn how to make aging a gain instead of a loss. You can acquire wisdom by maximizing your brain’s capacity to see the bigger picture and thus make your later years wise ones. Concepts from positive psychology, such as optimism and a positive focus on healthy ambition, offer an antidote to the passive and material focus that is endemic in contemporary society. In addition, the practice of compassion and nonattachment provides an antidote to needless tension and suffering. Since there are always bumps on the road of life, resiliency and openness allow you to rewire your brain to be flexible and accepting of the rich complexity of life.

In chapter 9, you’ll learn about the calming yet vitalizing role of attention, your prefrontal cortex, and attitude. The subtle power of parasympathetic meditation can increase your tolerance of stress and your sense of peace. You’ll learn how to increase your ability to be mindfully present and to maintain a sense of connectivity with others and the world you inhabit.

1

Firing the Right Cells Together

There is a revolution occurring in brain science. Not long ago it was thought that the brain you were born with was the brain you would die with and that the brain cells you had at birth were the maximum number you would ever possess. The brain was thought to be hardwired to function in predetermined ways. It turns out that this is not true. The brain is not hardwired; it’s “soft-wired” by experience.

It has been a common belief that our genes dictate our thoughts, our emotions, and our behavior. Throughout the 1980s and the 1990s, the press was filled with stories on how genetics predetermine everything we experience. There were also stories about identical twins who were raised apart but who nevertheless had the same mannerisms or favored the same color. Popular culture saw these stories as evidence of the power of genetic hardwiring.

Neuroscientific research is now telling us that the brain is quite plastic. The brain you were born with is actually modified by your experiences throughout your life. Your brain is changing all the time. In fact, new brain cells can be born. Genes lay out potential and vulnerabilities, but they do not dictate your thoughts, your feelings, or your behavior. It turns out that behavior is not rigidly determined. You can even turn genes on or off with your behavior.

Two of my books, Brain-Based Therapy: Adult and Brain-Based Therapy: Child, were written for professionals to help them teach their patients to rewire their brains, and they were based on these new discoveries. Rewire Your Brain explains how this information can be used directly by you. This book tells you how you can make use of the new discoveries in neuroscience. I will define and describe the following areas and explain how they can be relevant to your life:

• Neuroplasticity

• Neurogenesis

• Social systems, such as mirror neurons