Understanding Your Brain 101: Neuroplasticity

blog written by Abby Jo Vanderfin, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo undergraduate intern, supervised by Dr. Hannah Roberts

Have you ever wished that you could change the way you think, break old habits, or build healthier ones? The good news is-you can! Your brain is far more adaptable than you might think, and understanding neuroplasticity can help you take charge of your mental well-being, habits and personal growth.  

What Is Neuroplasticity? 

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and rewire itself throughout life. It allows your brain to create new neural pathways and strengthen existing ones in response to learning, experiences, and even healing. Whether you're trying to form new habits or shifting a mindset, your brain is always adapting. The more you practice something—whether it’s a skill, habit, or thought pattern—the stronger the corresponding neural connections become (Pascual-Leone et al., 2005). 

While researchers and scientists originally thought to the brain was "hardwired" after childhood, research now confirms that the brain remains moldable well into adulthood. This means you have the power to reshape your thoughts, behaviors, and emotional patterns-just like strengthening a muscle with consistent exercise. 

How Neuroplasticity Affects Your Life 

Neuroplasticity plays a role in every aspect of our lives, from mental health and emotional resilience to learning and memory. Understanding how it works, and harnessing its power can help you: 

• Break unhelpful thought patterns (like self-doubt or negative self-talk) 
• Reinforce positive habits and build healthier routines 
• Recover from setbacks and develop emotional resilience 
• Improve learning and memory by strengthening neural pathways 
• Enhance your cognitive function (better decision-making, problem-solving, and reasoning abilities) 

The best part? YOU can harness the concept of neuroplasticity to serve yourself and your life. You don’t need to be a neuroscientist to understand this concept or apply small, intentional challenges to reshape your brain for better well-being. 

How to Harness Neuroplasticity for Personal Growth 

1. Rewire Negative Thought Patterns

Have you heard the phrase “fake it till you make it”? Well, this has some truth to it. Your

brain organizes itself through neural pathways. These pathways can grow, diminish, and change over time based on your thought patterns. When you repeat certain thoughts or patterns of thinking many times, these neural pathways become the “go-to” circuits. 

Think of it like a hiking trail. When people use a trail a lot, it is very prominent and easy to follow. If a trail has not been used much, it might take more effort to see and follow. In this way, the same is true for your brain. 

If you tend to ruminate a lot, have negative self-talk, catastrophize, or any other thinking pattern that is not serving you, it can be changed! It has likely become your ‘default’ neural pathway. By telling yourself a different story, you can develop and expand the ‘trails’ in your brain that are more positive, healthier, and growth focused. 

So HOW can you change it? 

Talk back to it! Notice it and try to change the narrative.

Be intentional about the story you tell yourself.  

• When you catch yourself thinking something like 
• “I can’t do anything right” TRY “I didn’t do that perfectly and that’s okay, mistakes are opportunities for growth.” 
• "I'll never change" TRY "I am always learning and evolving. Just by paying attention, I can begin to create change." 
• ”I’m bad at this” TRY “I’m learning and I will improve with practice” 
• “I don’t matter” TRY “I am important and worthy of love” 

These things may not feel natural at first, or even true. They take effort, but just as you train your muscles and slowly it becomes easier to lift that weight, it will become easier and more natural to think those thoughts. 

Try Gratitude! 

Gratitude is another great way to rewire your brain. It can be boiled down to noticing and feeling appreciation for the good things in your life. Spending a minute or two each day making a mental list about a few things you’re grateful for can make a much bigger difference than you may expect! Research shows that consistent gratitude practice strengthens neural pathways associated with optimism and well-being (Fox et al., 2015). In other words, by adding gratitude to your daily routine, it will become easier to see possibility, boosting your mindset and mental health. 

2. Move Your Body to Strengthen Your Mind

Physical movement isn’t just good for your body-it’s essential for brain plasticity. Exercise increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that promotes brain cell growth and enhances learning and memory (Cotman et al., 2007). 

Brain-Boosting Activities: 

• Go for a brisk walk in nature: A study by Berman et al., (2008) found that walking in green spaces enhances attention and working memory. 
• Try yoga! It’s a great way to engage in a form of mindful movement. 
• Dance - It’s one of the best activities for neuroplasticity! 

Even 10 minutes of movement a day can boost cognitive function and mood. 

3. Prioritize Deep, Restorative Sleep 

Your brain does most of its rewiring while you sleep. During deep sleep, neural pathways are strengthened, toxins are flushed out, and new memories are consolidated (Walker, 2017). Lack of quality sleep can impair neuroplasticity and cognitive function, making it harder to retain information and regulate emotions (Kruetzmann et al., 2015). 

Tips for Neuroplastic Sleep: 

• Set a consistent bedtime: Keeping a regular sleep schedule reinforces circadian rhythms, optimizing cognitive function and mood stability (Czeisler & Gooley, 2007).  
• Avoid screens 30-60 minutes before bed: Blue light exposure can suppress melatonin production, delaying when you fall asleep and reducing sleep quality (Chang et all., 2015).
• Try sleep meditations to relax your brain:  Studies suggest that mindfulness meditation before bed increases slow-wave sleep, the most restorative sleep phase for neuroplasticity (Rusch et al., 2019). 

4. Engage in Mindful Practices 

Meditation and mindfulness can literally rewire your brain to reduce stress and increase emotional resilience. Studies show that just a few minutes of mindfulness daily can strengthen connections in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for emotional regulation (Tang et al., 2015). 

How to Start Incorporating Mindful Practices In Your Life: 

• Try a 2 minute mindfulness practice each morning - this could be a guided meditation or silence 
• Use breathwork when feeling stressed
• Try zentangle - a form of mindfulness through simple art doodles!  
• Incorporate body scans to reconnect with the present moment 

By making mindfulness a habit, you can train your brain to become less reactive and more adaptable. 

Final Thoughts: The Power Is In Your Hands 

Neuroplasticity proves that change is always possible. No matter where you are in life, your brain has the capacity to learn, adapt, and grow. 

By making small, intentional changes - rewiring your thoughts, practicing mindfulness, staying active, and getting quality sleep-you can reshape your brain for greater mental clarity, emotional resilience, and lifelong well-being. 

So, where will you start? Whether it’s catching negative thoughts or simply moving more, each small step strengthens the brain you want to build. Your future self will thank you. 

We hope you enjoyed this blog post. Feel like you're ready for more?

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References

Cotman, C. W., & Berchtold, N. C. (2007). Exercise: A behavioral intervention to enhance brain health and plasticity. Trends in Neurosciences, 30(9), 464-472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2007.06.011

Doidge, N. (2007). The brain that changes itself: Stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science. Penguin.

Erickson, K. I., Voss, M. W., Prakash, R. S., Basak, C., Szabo, A., Chaddock, L., ... & Kramer, A. F. (2011). Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. PNAS, 108(7), 3017-3022. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1015950108 

Fox, G. R., Kaplan, J., Damasio, H., & Damasio, A. (2015). Neural correlates of gratitude. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1491. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01491

Liu-Ambrose, T., Nagamatsu, L. S., Voss, M. W., Khan, K. M., & Handy, T. C. (2012). Resistance training and executive functions. Archives of Internal Medicine, 172(8), 666-668. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2012.379

Pascual-Leone, A., Amedi, A., Fregni, F., & Merabet, L. B. (2005). The plastic human brain cortex. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 28(1), 377-401. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.neuro.27.070203.144216 

Rehfeld, K., Lüders, A., Hökelmann, A., Lessmann, V., Kaufmann, J., Brigadski, T., ... & Müller, P. (2018). Dance training is superior to repetitive physical exercise in inducing brain plasticity in the elderly. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 10, 305. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2018.00305