One Kid's POV: So, is it possible to rewire your brain for success?
Some believe yes. Others believe no,
Studies have shown that with enough love and nurturing, you can rewire your child's brain for success!
Cool right?
One example is playing an instrument. I play piano.
In the beginning, I felt like giving up, but I tried to think about the pros instead of the cons of practicing. Over time, I rewired my brain.
How do I know I rewired my brain? What used to take all my brain power to do is now super easy. It's like my fingers just know what to do! After pushing through the discomfort, I ended up being able to play beautiful songs.
Mistakes help us grow.
I know you probably have heard that saying a LOT from companies and schools, but it's true. I used to get very worked up when I made a mistake. I didn't believe when people said it helps you learn and grow. Once my teacher showed me the research and I experienced it myself, it finally hit me, "Ohhhh it is true!"
When I feel overwhelmed I just take a break. For a long break, I do something that makes me feel relaxed or something fun. I may watch a show, scroll through an app I enjoy, or do more active things like sewing or taking a short walk to the waterfall near my house.
For shorter breaks I usually set a 5-15 minute timer and do things that don't require leaving my house or school. If I'm not able to do any of these things my best option is to just take a couple minutes to calm down by closing my eyes and taking deep breaths.
Now when something I face is challenging, I know that if I just push through, anything is possible!
So, what does that love and nurturing from adults look like you ask?
Well, it's best to start by talking about the gap between making mistakes and reaching success. My mom used to tell me things like "There's only 2,000 mess ups between you and success, let's get going!" or "Making mistakes is proof that you’re working and growing!"
Those sayings in the moment might not make sense, but when I had time to reflect, they sunk in leaving me with WAY more understanding about how my brain is rewiring as I practice!
What can you do to support your child as they learn to sit with discomfort and push through challenges to rewire their brain?
Here are some ideas, depending on how your child likes to operate:
If they’re the independent type, you can offer emotional support.
If they’re the social type, you can talk through the challenges with them.
If they’re the not so social type, you can watch from afar and if it gets to be too much for them to handle, you can help to get them back on track.
I could go on and on about different types of personalities, and it may be hard to figure out what type of support works, but you can do it! :D
Learning how to push through challenges is essential to learning and success. It takes patience, persistence, and encouragement sprinkled with breaks and love.
It is possible to rewire your brain!