Science Confirms That The Words We Speak Can Literally Change Our Brain

Our energy is sacred. Think about it…You are what you put your energy into. So let’s say your spend your day around people who drain your energy, at a job that doesn’t make you feel fulfilled only to come back to a messy home and a long list of chores, you would quickly feel down and burned out. But energy is even more fragile than that. It picks up on the literal words that come in and out of your mouth.

In fact, you don’t even realize how powerful you are. Just by carefully selecting the words that you chose, you can not only completely rewire your brain chemistry but actually change your life. It’s true that the simple solution to a better life really is just changing your words, and here’s how.

The Power Of Positive Words

The power of positivity is very similar to the law of attraction, so basically it is the universal principle that you will attract into your life whatever you focus on. So whatever you give your energy and attention to is what will come back to you. If you make the choice to focus on gratitude and the abundance of good things in your life, you will position yourself to automatically attract more.

Words have the same effect on our brain. When we chose to utter and focus on positive words like “love” or “peace” we can actually awaken the motivational centers in our brain. That means if there’s ever a day you can’t get even get out of bed, the words you say to yourself or journal have the power to get you back up. They can completely change your brain function, increasing cognitive reasoning and strengthening areas in your frontal lobes that keep you moving forward. Yes, it’s a choice! and You have the power!

The Impact Of Negative Words

Just like positive words have the power to instantly change your mood and fuel your energy to make you feel like you can take on anything, negative words can completely destroy you. If you whisper to yourself “I can’t do it,” or “I’m tired” then your body and mind will believe you and act accordingly even if you are capable and you do hold the energy. It’s mind over matter.

On a scientific level, negative words block some of the neuro-chemicals responsible for stress management from being produced which contribute to stress management. This gets you stuck in a rumination cycle because the more down you are, the more you worry, and the more you feel. These don’t have to only be your own words, as receiving or hearing negative words around you can have the same effect which is why it’s important that you carefully select who you want to be around.

Words Bounded In Fear

We’re naturally hardwired to stress. This is our brain’s way of protecting us and preparing us to survive dangerous situations. It goes back to our primal instincts when there was a lot more that we had to always be on guard for.

When we hear, repeat or speak negative words, we put our minds on alert. We allow harmful thoughts to take over the brain’s fear center (the amygdala). This then puts you in a fight or flight position that unleashes stress-producing hormones all throughout your body. You might even feel physically ill. You also stop yourself from thinking logically as the hormones and neurotransmitters are interrupted your ability to function properly.

Alarming Angry Words

It’s easy to feel “stuck” or even freeze at the presence of angry words. Words cut deep, but sometimes in an argument, it’s hard to keep them at bay in the heat of the moment. However, angry words are just as destructive as any negative words. In fact, they send alarm messages through the brain that contribute to your fear and anxiety. This can make you shut dow and unable to act reasonably.

Basically, your logic and reasoning centers that live in your frontal lobes go on strike while the rest of your body tries to protect you from the threat that is the angry words you face. This is why it is crucial to walk away from toxic relationships, unproductive arguments, and tempered individuals. The more you face them, the more you’re giving up your ability to be and think.

Better Words, Better Life

So how can usig the right words actually change your life? In their book Words Can Change Your Brain,authors Andrew Newberg, M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman, write:

“By holding a positive and optimistic [word] in your mind, you stimulate frontal lobe activity. This area includes specific language centers that connect directly to the motor cortex responsible for moving you into action.

And as our research has shown, the longer you concentrate on positive words, the more you begin to affect other areas of the brain. Functions in the parietal lobe start to change, which changes your perception of yourself and the people you interact with.”

New Words, New Vision

So what’s happening in your brain? It’s basically like putting on freshly wiped clear glasses that allow you better vision. The authors write: “A positive view of yourself will bias you toward seeing the good in others, whereas a negative self-image will include you toward suspicion and doubt. Over time the structure of your thalamus will also change in response to your conscious words, thoughts, and feelings, and we believe that the thalamic changes affect the way in which you perceive reality.”

So basically the more positive words you write, speak, hear and expose yourself to, the more you actively change your perception of yourself, the people around you and the world as a whole. The bias of your view lessens because it’s no longer limited by the fear and anger that some words can frame it as. Instead, introducing new positive words will change the entire way that you respond to words, thoughts and feelings and perceive reality.

It’s All About Intention And Psychology

​Don’t think words can be that powerful? If you think about it everything we do is based on words. Without communication we have no understanding of ourselves, others or how to navigate the world. We’d have no way of expressing love or giving warnings.

This is why it’s incredibly important that you be mindful of the words you use and expose yourself to and that you intentionally chose them. For example, a study gave a group of adults aged 35-54 were given a nightly task of writing down three things that went well for them that day, including an explanation of why. The following three months showed their degrees of happiness continued to rise, and their feelings of depression continued to decline. The words they wrote on the paper changed their whole mindset, allowed them to focus on positive words and improved their quality of life.

You have the power to create the kind of life you want!

Our energy is sacred. Think about it…You are what you put your energy into. So let’s say your spend your day around people who drain your energy, at a job that doesn’t make you feel fulfilled only to come back to a messy home and a long list of chores, you would quickly feel down and burned out. But energy is even more fragile than that. It picks up on the literal words that come in and out of your mouth.

In fact, you don’t even realize how powerful you are. Just by carefully selecting the words that you chose, you can not only completely rewire your brain chemistry but actually change your life. It’s true that the simple solution to a better life really is just changing your words, and here’s how.