Neuroplasticity 101 The Brain's Hidden Power to Heal and Adapt by Dr. Judy Ho

https://drjudyho.substack.com/p/neuroplasticity-101

Neuroplasticity is driven by what we pay attention to, repeat, practice, and emotionally engage with. It’s shaped by your habits, your thoughts, your environment—and what you choose to do with them.

When you practice a new skill or repeat a specific behavior, your brain strengthens the pathways that support that activity. If you imagine your mind as a dense forest, forming new habits is like carving a trail through the trees. The more often you walk the path, the clearer it becomes.

This is what neuroscientist Donald Hebb famously summarized as:

   “Neurons that fire together, wire together.”

That includes everything from how you speak to yourself to how you respond to stress. For example, if your go-to inner dialogue is self-critical—“I never get this right”—you strengthen those pathways. But with conscious effort, you can begin to shift those patterns toward something more balanced, and over time, that becomes the new default. The result is not only psychological relief—it’s physical change in the brain.