Recently we were at one of our favorite Lake Michigan towns…Pentwater. This location has a special place in my heart; although I haven’t been to a lakeshore town I don’t like, but Pentwater has a very special place in my heart. As we crossed over the dune to watch the sunset on our last night there, the paths in the dune grass drew me in. Not only have we walked those paths probably hundreds of times, but they remind me of an analogy I use quite often with my clients. The dune grass is like our brains, and the pathways up and over the dunes, are like the neuropathways in our brain. Understanding this analogy helps us understand how to change thought patterns.
No more excuses
A quick google search tells me there are a mere 100 trillion neural connections in our brain. I am always amazed at the complexity of our bodies, especially our minds. I am a little nerdy for neuroscience and if I had more time, energy, money, and smarts, I would totally love to pursue learning more about it…back to my analogy. Our brains are very efficient and really like to act out of habit. Recent study and research has taught us that our brains have “plasticity;” no more excuses of “well, that’s just the way I am.” We can change our brains!
What does this have to do with dune grass?
Stick with me for a few moments. This is exciting, even for those who are not nerdy about neuroscience. As I was learning about this in graduate school, that we all have the ability to rewire our brains…train our brains to think differently, I almost instantly thought of the dune grass. A lot of the neural pathways (thought patterns) in our brain, are well worn. Again, our brains are efficient. This reminds me of the well worn paths through the tall dune grass.
We love to camp at the campground in Pentwater. On days we want to head to the beach (my #1 happy place), instead of walking all the way to the main beach, we just climb over the dunes, using one of the paths, to get to the beach. These paths have been walked by thousands of people for decades. They are well worn. Let’s say, I wanted to take a different way to the beach one day. I would have to work pretty hard to get through the dune grass that first day. It would take me longer. And after we were done at the beach, it would take me a while to find that same path back, and the same for the next day. But over time, I could wear that path down, and eventually, because grass regenerates, the old path would grow over if no one walked on it.
Creating new thought patterns
This is how our brain works and how we can create new thought patterns. Our usual ways of thinking are typically so ingrained they can be hard to break. First step, we have to be self-aware enough to recognize our typical thought patterns. Once we are able to identify a thought pattern that is unhealthy, the work begins to rewire our brain to think differently. This isn’t going to happen overnight. And the first few times in this new pathway, it’s going to be tough. And we may come back to it the next day and not want to do the work to walk it again. All of that to say, we can do it! It’s possible! That is so exciting and empowering to me. We no longer have to throw our hands up and just accept our unhealthy thought patterns, we can take ownership and form new ways of thinking.
How new thought patterns affect anxiety and depression
Two of the most common struggles I see in my office are anxiety and depression. The good news for these issues is that taking control of our thought life can be transformative in leading us to a more enjoyable life and minimizing the symptoms and affects of anxiety and depression. Since our thoughts lead us to our emotions, and our emotions to behaviors, when we start with our thought patterns, we have so much power in influencing our emotions and behavior choices.
Need help?
I get that this isn’t easy work…especially if those thought pathways have been walked on for years, or decades. Enlist the help of a trusted mental health professional to walk this journey with you.
About the author
Nicole Fryling, MA, LLPC is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Michigan and a graduate of Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. She finds energy in her work as a counselor when she is working with women who feel stuck and those wanting to restore hope for a better, more enriching life. She is also passionate about coming alongside those who want to incorporate their spirituality and relationship with God in their healing journey. Nicole sees clients in person in Hudsonville, MI and can also provide services online to any resident of the state of Michigan.
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