Neuroplasticity, Intention Setting, and Follow-through



Neuroplasticity is the ability to change the way that we think and behave. Many people think that once they get to a certain age, that they cannot change. We often hear how people are set in their ways. There is now research showing that people can and do change. I have personally used neuroplasticity to change my emotional, behavioral, and thought patterns when I find there are certain situations that trigger me, when I am not enjoying the journey we call life, or where I do not handle a situation in the best way. So how can we better understand neuroplasticity as a tool that we can use in our lives to become healthy and happy?

A field outside of Assisi Italy.

Often in my Kathryn Palacio Channel YouTube videos, I describe the thought pattern, associated behavioral pattern, and the resulting reaction with the analogy of a well worn path through a meadow. If we are mindful of our journey down that path, at some point we may realize that we do not enjoy how we react to or the outcome of a certain situation when we travel down a particular path. Working on neuroplasticity is the equivalent to one day striking out across the meadow in a new direction. 

As we walk across the grass of the meadow in this new direction, there is no path at all. Each day, as we walk in this new direction, we are training our thoughts, behaviors, responses, and brain to go in that new way. Even when we envision ourselves going in that new direction, we are strengthening those neural pathways. 

Until the new path becomes a habit (the equivalent of muscle memory), we might sometimes still go down the old path. The old path didn't form overnight. It takes consistency, dedication, and motivation to move away from that old path; let it become overgrown/disused; to consistently travel the new path; and to turn our new direction into a well-worn path. In that case, we can pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, give ourselves a big hug, and reaffirm and visualize how we would prefer to handle the situation. And then we rinse and repeat over and over again.

This repetition, both actual behavior and visualizations, is equivalent to when a professional athlete both physically practices their skills and also visualizes how they want to play the game. The repetition strengthens the wiring in our brains to go in our new, chosen direction instead of down the old path. Eventually, the new direction becomes a well-worn path with a better outcome, and the old path begins to become overgrown with neglect. 

A picture of some of the giant cupcakes I used to buy.

As an example, in the past (around 2015-2018), I had a cupcake stress eating/numbing habit. Eating cupcakes is not the healthiest way to cope with stress. One day I decided to cut down on my cupcake consumption. During that time, I generally ate very well, akin to a professional athlete, but when I found myself overly stressed, I went to get cupcakes (plural). Now, I didn't typically eat sugary snacks, and I was well aware of how unhealthy cupcakes can be. In this scenario, I sometimes bought four large cupcakes, ate one the day of, and had the others for breakfast over the next three days. Not really the breakfast of champions. I also realized that indulging in that sugary deliciousness when I was under stress is a tale-tale sign of numbing. 

Carbohydrates are a big go-to for numbing because when carbohydrates are cooked at high temperatures, like baking cupcakes or frying French fries, acrylamide is created. Acrylamide is a neurotoxin, which is a big reason why we get that warm fuzzy feeling (literally) when we carb load. Needless to say, with my scientific and self-development knowledge of what was going on here, I really had no excuse for eating cupcakes. 

I saw the error in my cupcake eating ways, I had mustered the willpower that a change was needed, and decided that cupcakes are out of my life. In my mind, I saw the stress-induced cupcake eating as the old, well-worn path. I visualized the same type of stress building up that normally sent me on my way to get cupcakes. Instead of seeing myself getting cupcakes, I envisioned myself practicing mindfulness, thinking through my options (including running through my inventory of tools in my self-care toolbox could I use in this situation to reduce stress), and thinking through the outcome of each. I see myself:
  • Getting my normal four cupcakes - instant gratification/numbing, an unhealthy choice, and the potential for negative health consequences if the behavior continues
  • Getting only one cupcake - instant gratification/numbing, but slightly less unhealthy choice
  • Getting 1-4 mini cupcakes - instant gratification/numbing, but slightly less unhealthy choice
  • Not getting any cupcakes and being grumpy - still not dealing with the stress, unhealthy choice
  • Using one of the other stress reduction techniques I have cultivated over the years, like breathing deeply, going for a walk, journaling, and etc. Winner!
I thought, "I really don't like the health implications and numbing of getting and eating cupcakes when I am stressed. I know that I love myself more than that. I love myself enough to make better choices. Instead of eating cupcakes when I am stressed, I am going to go for a walk (depending on the weather) or journal." 

I set the intention that I needed to cope with stress in healthier ways. I visualized myself feeling the level of stress that would prompt me to go get cupcakes, and saw myself going for a walk/journaling. The walk/journaling option is me striking out across the meadow in a new way. Then I began to implement this vision of myself handling stress in a better way. I paid more attention to when I had the urge to stress eat. I coached myself into choosing the more healthy option, growing the pause between feeling overwhelmed and deciding how I was going to handle the stress. 

As I underwent changing myself and rewiring my brain, I was patient with and kind to myself. I reminded myself that the habit of cupcake stress eating didn't develop over night, and that it would take consistency and effort to change that pattern. When I fell off the wagon and went back down the path of cupcake stress eating, I picked myself up, I dusted myself off, gave myself a big hug, and envisioned myself handling the stress in better, healthier, more self-loving ways. I kept doing this over and over again until my cupcake stress eating habit was a thing of the past.   

I apply this analysis, visualization, intention setting, and follow through whenever I find become aware of areas of my life (health, career, finance, relationship, mental, emotional, spiritual, etc.) that are either causing me pain, leading to potentially negative consequences, or not working as well as I would like. I also use Pranic Healing to help remove negative thought patterns and energetic blockages that are keeping me stuck in those patterns. With this powerful combination of tools, I have transformed my life significantly, and I have also helped my Pranic Healing patients improve and transform their lives. 

As always, take what speaks to you and leave the rest. 

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