The scientific link between belief and reality

Did you know that research shows that, of the 60,000 or so thoughts we have every day,  between 75% and 95% are the same as the day before?

And, even more significantly, 75% of those are negative. And negativity bias - our brain's predisposition to remember the negative feedback loop over the positive feedback - means that those repetitive negative thoughts amplify in our heads and impact us further.

But perhaps the most important discovery is the fact that our brains actually can’t tell the difference between what we tell it to be true and what is reality.

It’s worth pausing on that for a minute. Because it means that what we say, the stories we inherit, the beliefs we hold are felt by our brains and body as fact. And we embed that ‘truth’ every single time we repeat it.

So, if we’ve established the above, have researchers also established how we can adopt new narratives and, if so, what are the implications for our health and wellbeing? The short answer is yes! The more we study our biochemistry the more appreciation  there is for not just our historical adaptability, which kept our species alive, but our responsiveness as humans too. Change can happen at pace.

And this has significant implications for us as we look ahead to what we want next year to hold. Each of us has the power to write our own stories and to make our own reality. We just have to commit to it and tell ourselves, every day, that it is true.

Dr. Joe Dispenza has spoken powerfully about what happens when we change the way we speak to ourselves on both a psychological level and a physiological level too. He also talks about how to frame our conversations with our brain. Part mantra, part affirmation, he advocates starting each morning with a series of sentence starters:

1. I am

2. I choose

3. I create

(and if you’re interested in digging deeper, he also has some fascinating insights into what happens when you use the word NOW to keep anxiety at bay and the impact of gratitude on your ability to achieve too. Check out his theory HERE).

So, this year instead of resolutions, why not place yourself in the story you want to own. Rather than resolve to go to the gym, tell your brain ‘I am a gym goer’. Make it so in your head and, the research would indicate, the rest will follow. 

Commit to framing your reality to fit your wishes every single day. Make it part of your self-care routine. Over time, your repetitive thoughts will absorb these statements and the path to change will become instinctive and easier to achieve.