It’s a bold statement to say, the story you tell yourself is determining your health. I know it sounds big and possibly just another woo-woo thing someone would try to convince you makes a difference – but there is actual science to back it up. Inside this post, we dive into how the stories you tell yourself changes your brain chemistry and drives action.
“Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
I remember saying this all the time, threatening hurtful words and convincing myself that they wouldn’t do damage – but boy did they sting.
Words hurt, and sometimes bad. In fact, some of the most damaging things to the human body are words. I know, words and thoughts used to be believed to be things that just happened and floated around in space without any real implication.
But we know that isn’t true and we can even see and feel the implications of words as the emotions race through our body. Just as your face gets flushed when you’re embarrassed or butterflies emerge in your stomach when you’re nervous or excited. Words have a purpose and significant depth in our lives.
And the stories you tell yourself can change the entire outcome.
This week on the podcast, I dive into stories and the chemical effect they are having on our brain and actions. We’ll answer the question, can changing your brain chemistry, through stories, change your outcome. Make sure you listen in to get all of the details.
stories and our brain
Our minds are fascinated with stories. It’s what ultimately gets our attention, keeps it, and drives us into action. Stories are found in books, movies, other people’s lives. It’s even what we tell ourselves. Whether true or false, our brain responds in the same way – perceiving everything we think as factual.
But, we know stories drive us and give us a biological response. Think of the last thriller movie you watched – I bet your heart raced, your mind filled with anticipation and you may have even sweated a bit. Even “boring” stories are creating a biological effect – although not quite like the attention grabbers.
This biological effect is coming from the brain chemistry that is released inside the brain. The three big players are cortisol, adrenaline, and oxytocin. They tend to work as a funnel — cortisol grabs your attention, adrenaline keeps you present, and oxytocin drives you to take action.
The problem is when we let negative stories, from others or ourselves consume our minds. Because it’s our thinking that leads to action. Which brings me to the question: Could changing your brain chemistry change your reaction? Is that the key – re-writing the stories we tell ourselves and what stories we consume?
positive stories
If the stories we tell ourselves are driving action, then we can start to understand why we fail to reach our goals or constantly grab the bag of chips when we’re stressed. Humans are wired to follow suit with thoughts or what your brains perceived to be the reality.
Which must mean, if we want to change our actions, we have to change the stories we tell ourselves. Studies estimate that humans have 50,000-60,000 thoughts a day. Most of those being to ourselves. Which means we talk to ourselves more than anyone or anything else – what is it that you are saying?
Take notice and be aware of what goes through your brain. Is it positive or negative and what actions are you taking based on that. Then spend some time inside my free guide creating a new story — one of truth, or positivity, love, and respect.
8 ways to a better story
If you find yourself stuck – which we all will at some point in a negative cycle of thoughts, here are eight ways to pull yourself out. To realign with the positive side of things and live in harmony.
- Notice your body and emotions – Live aware of what you are feeling right now and understand why you are feeling that way. You can’t get unstuck from an unknown place.
- Breathe Deeply – Deep breathing is one of the most effective ways to take us from a sympathetic state {stress} to a parasympathetic {rest} state. If you feel like your mind is out of control or wandering close your eyes and practice deep breathing.
- Connect with your environment – If you’re having a hard time seeing what is right and what is false, connect with your environment. Go on a walk, talk with a friend or disconnect with work. Bring yourself back to the present.
- Control what you can – No matter how you swing it, stories can’t control the outcome. Sometimes we have to let go of what is ultimately out of our control and stay focused on what we can – our thoughts and our actions.
- Let go of what you can’t – Stop trying to control everything – it isn’t possible, and it will drag you down. Choose to flow with the flow.
- Talk to yourself in a positive manner – Stop yourself whenever you feel negative thoughts arise. Remember you talk to yourself more than anyone else. If you wouldn’t say it to a friend, you shouldn’t say it to yourself.
- Do something life-giving in the moment – Maybe it’s singing to your favorite songs, getting outside for some fresh air, taking a hot bath, or digging into a good book. When the frustrations and negativity arise, do something life-giving to bring you back.
- Repeat steps 1-7 as necessary – You’ll never arive because that’s not what life is. It’s a constant journey of growth. Enjoy the ride, and make it your battle plan to keep repeating these steps until you come back to a place of positivity.
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