5 Daily Practices to Rewire Your Brain

For a few weeks, we are focusing on behavior change! In my previous blog, I outlined the power we all have to retrain our brains- and how this power is the key to lasting behavior change. Think of it like rewiring. You can teach your brain to form new connections: to strengthen pathways that serve you and weaken pathways that don’t.

This is called neuroplasticity.

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to respond to a changing environment, reorganize pathways, and improve function.

Better neuroplasticity can help with creating fresh habits, learning new skills, releasing unneeded anxiety, and pretty much anything else involving the brain 🧠

The key to making neuroplasticity work in your favor is to practice your positive and health-promoting habits in little bits often:

🗝️ Little & Often 🗝️

I think of this as exercise for your brain.

There are lots of ways to improve neuroplasticity. Depending on your goals, you can choose practices to help reach them.

Improved Neuroplasticity = Easier Habit Change

5 Daily Practices to Rewire Your Brain

1️⃣ Brain Games

If your goals revolve around improving your focus, concentration, reaction time, and memory, you might try blocking off 15 minutes daily to do something like Sudoku, chess, or a brain-training app.

2️⃣ Art & Music

If your goals include improving your mood and processing your emotions, you can retrain your brain through creative expression like drawing, painting, or singing.

3️⃣ Meditation

If your goals include becoming more mindful and present while improving your mood, meditation can reinforce neural pathways related to positive emotions.

4️⃣ Deep Breathing

Whether it’s better concentration, focus, mood, or stress resilience you’re aiming for, deep breathing activates the vagus nerve to tell your nervous system to reset.

5️⃣ Yoga

Similar to meditation and deep breathing, yoga activates the vagus nerve and sends a message of calm to the nervous system.

You could pick one of the above practices to focus on adding to your routine - or combine several of them! For instance, yoga can also include deep breathing, singing, and meditation practice. Our brains are forever changing. If we make it a habit to do some neuroplasticity training every day. We program the brain to be resilient, malleable, and strong - but remember - the key with all neuroplasticity practices is to do them often.

Everyday Healthy Habits Also Support Brain Health

Everyday healthy habits that we often recommend in functional medicine ALSO improve the brain’s plasticity—meaning all your efforts to retrain your brain will work better.  

Like this:

🏋️‍♀️ Exercise triggers the release of a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which improves neuroplasticity. 

🥦 Fruits & vegetables are rich in antioxidants called polyphenols that protect nerves to support neuroplasticity. 

💤 Restorative sleep is also a necessary ingredient for neuroplasticity. 

The conventional medical paradigm likes to isolate the parts of the body, the treatments, and the outcomes. But in functional medicine, we know all the parts work together. 

And everything works better when our brains are on board.

Are you ready for a fresh perspective on your health? As a board-certified Integrative & Functional Medicine physician, I can help you “think outside of the box” and dig deeper with a variety of laboratory testing to help uncover the underlying root causes of your symptoms and create a plan personalized for you that goes beyond the prescription pad to incorporate diet/lifestyle change, nutritional supplements, holistic therapies, health coaching and more! Contact us to schedule an appointment or learn more.