Michelle Butler: Mindfulness, Neuroplasticity, And Owning Your Life
When we have a thought or carry out an action, we create a connection between neurons in our brains. If we repeat that action or thought, then the connection gets stronger. And the more we do this, the more we literally wire our brains in favour of that behaviour or action.
If our thoughts are negative or undermining, then we move closer to creating beliefs that don’t serve us. If our actions don’t work in our favour, then we move closer to developing habits that can harm us. And considering that we usually think the same things, and follow the same patterns of behaviour, day in and day out, it’s not surprising that we get stuck into ways of thinking, beliefs and actions that, at best, don’t serve us and, at worst, actually harm us.
But, as I discovered during my conversation with mindfulness practitioner Michelle Butler, if we change our routine and our thoughts, and introduce practices that are different to the harmful habits we normally follow, we can undo this mental wiring. We can literally reprogram ourselves to do better, to be better and, most importantly, to love and value ourselves.
Michelle, like me, found mindfulness after years of struggling with a negative mental narrative that did her no favours. In her case the anxiety was nearly crippling, yet on the surface she managed to keep it all together. She knew something was wrong, and this led her on a journey of discovery that would ultimately see her welcoming mindfulness into her life in a major way – and sharing its benefits with others, too.
I’ve been wanting to have this conversation for a long time – in part because Michelle and I have been friends for years, and in part because mindfulness has played a massive part in making my life worth living. I’m grateful that Michelle was able to spare the time, and I hope you enjoy listening to this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.
If you want to find out more about Michelle’s involvement with mindfulness, you can read her blog or join her closed Facebook group, both called My Little Place Of Calm. Here are the links:
Blog: www.mylittleplaceofcalm.com
Facebook: My Little Place of Calm