I am excited and encouraged by the work I do!  You may wonder, why?  I love that there is brain science that shows that our brains can grow and change.  It’s called neuroplasticity.  Haven’t heard of neuroplasticity?  It’s a big word, but easy to understand in the video!

SEL and Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity means that social emotional learning takes place at any age!  The competencies of emotional awareness, emotional management, social awareness, relationship skills, and decision-making can be taught and learned.  The even better news is that even in old age, the brain can change! That means old dogs can learn new tricks!

It’s like learning reading, math, or a new language. It takes practice! When we actively learn different ways to perceive our emotions and have new thoughts about managing them, we carve out new pathways in our brains!  That gives me hope that anyone can “train their brain” to be more self-aware, manage their emotions, and become better at relationships and problem solving.

This cool info-graphic by Big Think helps us understand the ideas behind neuroplasticity and how our brain works.  Read up on the really relevant information about addiction, habits and triggers, rewiring the brain, and mindfulness. It all starts with simple ways to train your brain to be less distracted.  The more we understand about ourselves and our brains, the better we can get at using the power of neuroplasticity to be happier and healthier.  Think about teaching this power to young children!  Our world can look a whole lot different if we combine the ideas of neuroplasticity and social emotional learning!