And one of the best ways a person can do that is by learning to be mindful of when negative emotions arise, and then changing the record or changing the message they have in response. The brain is an amazing and powerful machine. The brain can be re-wired or re-trained to start experiencing life in a more mindful and positive way. Just because a person has chronic negative feelings doesnt mean theyre doomed to those feelings for life. Granted, theres a lot that can be said regarding chemical imbalances. In the past, it was thought that a person who experienced helplessness or depression was just made that way. According to, neuroplasticity is the brains ability to reorganize itself and to heal from injury whether physical or emotional. The whole concept of learned optimism is based on whats known as neuroplasticity.
The Key Is Neuroplasticity and Brain Re-Wiring And it definitely doesnt mean things cant get better. Instead of letting a negative feeling escalate to feeling completely helpless, the person needs to talk to themselves in a more positive way.įor example, instead of getting down on themselves for making a mistake or for something bad happening, people should tell themselves that what theyve experienced is unfortunate but it doesnt have a bearing on their worth. When a person does this, theyre able to find their triggers those activities, people, or circumstances that make them feel negative and helpless.Īs soon as a person starts experiencing those feelings, its vital to re-route the internal conversation. Instead of just getting bombarded with negative feelings, its important to try and catch the negative feelings when they first begin.
The most important thing to remember when trying to think optimistically is to be mindful. It definitely takes some practice, but with time improvement can be seen. Learning to think more optimistically will not happen overnight. Learned optimism is a way of training the brain to think differently, to see the possibilities of good ahead. While positive affirmations have their place much more is needed to overcome deep-seated feelings of helplessness. This type of optimism isnt using positive affirmations to overcome a difficult situation. It feels like the helplessness is so ingrained that its just something that will always be with them.īut with something called learned optimism, feelings of helplessness even intense ones can be overcome.įirst of all, its important to understand what learned optimism isnt. Overcoming Learned Helplessness with Learned Optimismįor anyone who has been a victim of some type of abuse, the idea of overcoming feelings of helplessness almost seems laughable. Thankfully, overcoming learned helplessness isnt impossible. This is one of the most damaging relationships a person can be in, and one that often results in learned helplessness. More people are facing financial hardship since the 2008 recession.Īnd according to The Independent, narcissism is on the rise, which means more people are likely to end up in a relationship with a narcissist. The political climate in the world is very angry and divisive right now. Learned helplessness is extremely prevalent these days. They may feel so powerless that they give up the pursuit of their dreams, whether its the dream of an interesting and successful career or the dream of getting married and having a family. This level of helplessness can make them lose interest in goals and activities they once enjoyed or even loved. If a person doesnt take steps to overcome these feelings, they can easily end up drifting down into deep despair. Either way, the emotional trauma of the situation leaves them feeling helpless and stuck like theres no way to get out of their present circumstances and live a happy life. These can be relationships that people had in childhood or romantic relationships theyve had in their adult life. It can develop for a variety of reasons, but in many instances, this is a learned behavior or thought process that develops when a person has been involved in a toxic, abusive relationship.
While this might be the case, in many instances the real issue is learned helplessness. What Is Learned Helplessness and Why Is It So Prevalentįeelings of helplessness are often quickly diagnosed as depression.
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