Can you train your brain to be more positive? Psychologist Elisha Goldstein, co-founder of the Center for Mindful Living in Los Angeles, is coming to Ann Arbor in early November, and he thinks you can with a bit of practice. In this week’s "Art and Soul," 89.1 WEMU'S Lisa Barry speaks with him to learn more.
According to Dr. Goldstein, stress and anxiety are a natural process that is a result of our current culture.
“We’ve been conditioned by our environment, and with much of the news that we’re getting, to have more of an inundation of what’s negative and worrisome in the world versus what’s good according to Goldstein.
He says the key to breaking the habit of stress is to be mindful of it, and that can be learned.
It’s about learning “certain ways to shift your attention to some of the good that is in your life rather than getting hooked into what we call in the field of neuroscience the Negativity Bias, the brain’s tendency to focus on what’s negative and worrisome rather than what’s good and okay, according to Goldstein. He adds "we’re learning to have a more balanced mindset, but that takes practice, and it’s a skill that anyone can build.”
Being aware and resilient is something everyone can do, according to Dr. Goldstein--it just takes work.
“The ability to be aware is no different than the ability to play guitar or the ability to learn to get better and better at really anything in your life and all it takes is intentional practice and reputation.”
Eventually, the process can come without thinking about it--just like riding a bike.
Dr. Elisha Goldenstein is the author of Uncovering Happiness: Overcoming Depression with Mindfulness and Self-Compassion and The Now Effect: How This Moment Can Change the Rest of Your Life.
He will be teaching a workshop at the Dawn Farm Barn in Ypsilantion November 4th, presented by the Ann Arbor Center for Mindfulness.
Details about the event can be found at aacfm.org/events.
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— Lisa Barry is the host of All Things Considered on WEMU. You can contact Lisa at 734.487.3363, on Twitter @LisaWEMU, or email her at lbarryma@emich.edu
