What Does "Rewiring Your Brain" Actually Mean? Here's The Neuroscience Behind It

The phrase “rewire your brain” is used so loosely lately that it can seem more like a metaphor than a scientific reality. Is it really possible to rewire one's brain? And if so, how?

“Rewiring your brain, scientifically, means to learn new things or to, in many cases, eliminate old habits that don't serve us and replace them with new habits that do serve us,” says board-certified psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and founder of mindfulness wearable brand Apollo, Dave Rabin, M.D.

When your brain is "rewired," the connections between brain cells strengthen. This makes it easier for certain brain pathways to complete the tasks at hand. The more you do a task, the tighter those connections get, and thus, the more the task becomes a habit. This applies to many scenarios, including practicing an instrument, exercising, using positive self-talk, etc. 

You may have heard of the term neuroplasticity before, which, as a refresher, is the brain's ability to form new connections. Neuroplasticity often happens when we learn or experience something new. And there's an element of neuroplasticity involved in rewriting the brain: That's where the “re” in “rewiring" comes in.

Board-certified psychiatrist Sue Varma, M.D. explains that the brain is much more flexible than we might think—and shifting the status quo is possible. However, she adds that this flexibility can be both helpful and unhelpful, given that traumatic experiences can rewire the brain for the worse. 

“Trauma impacts our ability to learn, form memories, and regulate emotions,” she says. “It does this by impacting key areas in the brain—from shrinking the hippocampus and ventromedial pre-front cortex to [creating] an overactive amygdala1."

This is where the concept of brain rewiring becomes more complex. As you can imagine, rewiring your brain from past trauma, especially traumatic memories you’ve mentally blocked out or your brain chemistry has prevented you from remembering clearly, is much harder than changing a daily habit in your life.

You’ll want to set yourself up for success by making realistic goals. To do so, focus on areas you have control over and try not to ruminate on those you don’t. Otherwise, you’ll just spark negative thoughts. 

“Anxiety stems from spending time thinking about things we don't have control over,” Rabin says. So waste no time worrying about those and start with something you know is realistic. 

Don’t be afraid to be specific, either. For example, rather than saying “I want to speak to myself in a kinder way,” which is fairly broad, consider starting with, “I want to give myself grace when I’m feeling burnt out.” 

The same applies to habits related to diet, exercise, and personal care. If you want to cut back on addicting processed food, for example, consider a small goal at first: Start by adjusting one snack a day, and then move onto your meals once you’ve formed the initial habit of reaching for a whole food snack. 

Some people say it takes 21 days to form a new habit, but modern research suggests 10 weeks is more realistic2. Even with that extension, it varies greatly from person to person and goal to goal, and thus, you shouldn’t hold yourself to a time constraint if it’s not going to help you. 

Rather, just focus on practicing your new habit daily and staying committed to it.

Using the example from above, if you want to stop self-deprecating thoughts surrounding burnout, then have a few positive affirmations at the ready and plug them in when your brain starts taking a negative path. 

Say to yourself, out loud or in your head, “I’m allowed to take breaks,” or “Giving myself time to rest will improve my performance later on,” or “I’m doing something positive for my mental health right now, and I’m proud of that.” You get the idea. 

Picturing success really can change your brain, and both experts agree you’ll have to start being optimistic about your goals if you want to achieve them. 

“Visualize the best possible outcome—one year and five years from now,” Varma suggests. You may even try writing down what you see as success to get a clear picture of what you want.

Even when you slip up, remind yourself that you’re going to make mistakes along the way, and that’s all a part of the process, Varma adds. This is an essential part of viewing your success and your journey in a positive light, encouraging you to keep going. 

A final reminder: It’s always okay to ask for help, even with goals you think seem simple. Talking to a mental health professional can make a huge difference in your process of planning and executing the changes you want to make.

Structurally, rewiring your brain means tightening connections between certain brain cells. Once you have a particular goal in mind, rewiring your brain can strengthen the brain pathways required to achieve that goal. It can also weaken the pathways involved in less desirable habits or thought patterns. It calls on the concept that repetitive action, good or bad, becomes habitual over time.