How Does the Brain Play Into Mindset? | Master Your Mindset

The power of mindset isn’t just in your thoughts, it actually changes your brain.

In search of the answer to answer that age-old question, “How can I have a better life?”, mindset is one of the most powerful tools you have 

But, “mindset” can sometimes feel like an elusive, woo-woo term only internet “self-help gurus” seem to understand. You may have even wondered if mindset is actually as impactful as often claimed!

This post will help you understand the real impact of mindset on your life and your biology. Understanding how your brain works in connection with your mindset, and visa-versa, will enable you to harness the power of mindset to actually change your life.

Plus, scroll to the end for a list of my favorite practical exercises to shift your mindset, starting now. It’s easier than you think!

What is Mindset?

Your “mindset” is the lens through which you view yourself and the world around you. This lens is the tool your brain uses to simplify all of your life experiences into digestible pieces of information. The brain then uses those bite-sized chunks to set expectations, interpret new experiences, and make decisions.

You’ve probably heard of “fixed” and “growth” mindsets, one of the ways we understand and classify mindset among people. Stanford psychologist, Carol Dweck, Ph.D., coined these terms to describe the two basic belief systems that inform the way most people see themselves and the world.

In her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Dweck writes:

“For twenty years, my research has shown that the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you value.”

According to Dweck, people with a fixed mindset believe their basic qualities, like intelligence or talent, are finite resources. They assume that they possess a certain set of skills from birth and they live their lives accordingly.

People with a growth mindset, on the other hand, believe that they can learn and improve through dedication and hard work. They approach life as if anything is possible with enough time, hard work, education, and training.

A person with a fixed mindset believes they cannot avoid failure, as it reflects their inherent abilities. But with a growth mindset, failure is an opportunity to learn, grow, and improve.

This worldview helps those who have adopted a growth mindset develop a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment!

Growth Mindset and the Brain

Research shows that those who develop a growth mindset achieve more and experience greater levels of success. More recently, it has also demonstrated that our mindset actually impacts the structure of our brains.

The brain is constantly creating and destroying neural connections. Our neural pathways represent the thought and behavior patterns our brain uses to make decisions and take action. Put simply, our brains strengthen the pathways we use and shrink (and eventually replace) the ones we don’t.

The ability of our brains to change throughout our lives is called “neuroplasticity.” In other words, our brains are able to undergo ongoing reorganization with learning and adaptation.

“The good news is mindsets are highly changeable, and if you are willing to learn the technology of changing your mindset and defeating your distorted thoughts, you can have significantly more happiness.” –Dr. Jacob Towery, Stanford University, Department of Psychiatry

As for the brain and growth mindset, these revelations mean two important things for you and I:

1. First, neuroplasticity is biological evidence that developing a growth mindset is possible. This is true even for those who may be struggling with a fixed mindset right now.
   
2. Second, a growth mindset isn’t just possible, our brains were actually designed to grow and change. Encouraging a growth mindset is in line with how your body and brain were intended to work.

How a Growth Mindset Changes the Brain

While researchers have typically measured mindset through outward behaviors, adopting a growth mindset has real, neurological impacts.

1. Neuroplasticity: I’ve already shown you how neuroplasticity makes adopting a growth mindset possible. But, it’s also important to note that the more you practice a growth mindset, the more easily your brain is able to change. This flexibility allows for learning, growth, and even greater levels of success throughout life.
   
2. Increased Connectivity: A growth mindset may lead to more connectivity between neurons in  different regions of the brain. This enhanced inter-brain communication can improve cognitive function, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.
   
3. Stress Response: Individuals with a growth mindset tend to have lower stress responses. This reduces the production of stress hormones, which can negatively affect neural structures and impair cognitive function.
   
4. Enhanced Learning & Memory: Research suggests that a growth mindset improves the ability to learn. This involves increased activity in areas associated with learning and memory, such as the hippocampus.
   
5. Resilience: Adopting a growth mindset can contribute to greater resilience in the face of challenges. This resilience influences the release of neurotransmitters associated with positive emotions, potentially leading to a more positive overall brain environment.
   
6. Motivation and Reward Pathways: A growth mindset activates neural pathways associated with motivation and reward. This helps create a cycle of setting goals, taking on challenges, and experiencing the reward of progress. This same cycle, in turn, reinforces the growth mindset.
   

How to Use the Growth Mindset – Brain Plasticity Connection for a Happier, Healthier, Wealthier Life

Here are 4 of my favorite ways to master your mindset! Your brain and your thoughts are powerful co-creators. You can make real, tangible changes in your life with this amazing, biological tool we’ve been gifted. 

1. Positive Affirmations: Researchers have found that people who use affirmations are more likely to experience long term, positive life changes!

Affirmations are powerful phrases that declare to your subconscious mind and the universe what you hold to be true and possible about yourself and the world. Click here for a list of 100 of my favorite affirmations you can start using today!

2. Change Your Words: Changing your words will change your thoughts. Changing your thoughts will change your feelings. And together, they can shape a new mindset.

At the moment you notice thoughts rooted in a fixed mindset, choose different words. Pick a statement that is more true and more in line with the future you want to create (you can even use one of the affirmations from above). Declare it to yourself and claim it, then, rinse and repeat until the new truths become second nature.

3. Take Baby Steps Every Day: When faced with a challenge or goal, commit to action with this exercise: Write as many steps as you can think of that could help you move forward. Then, choose three baby steps—things you can accomplish in five minutes or less– to do that very same day, preferably right away. As soon as you accomplish those three baby steps, choose three more. Keep going!

Experiencing real progress immediately and over time will help shift, and keep, your thoughts focused on what is possible. This will help keep your mindset grounded in growth and progress. 

4. Change Your Environment: Immerse yourself in the people and places that support your growth and success. Experiences that align with the expanded mindset you want to develop are instrumental in accomplishing your goals faster and easier– it might feel like magic, but it’s really the magical impact of immersion! In fact, if you’re free, I’m hosting a 3-day immersive event that I designed to teach people just like you how to powerfully shift your mindset and create life-changing results in just 3, proven steps. Can you join me?

Click here for the details!