NeuroCrafting – The Science of Mind

You can redecorate your mind.

It is possible to change your mind — and change the minds of others. That’s what changecrafting is all about. First, we need to understand some of the basics of how our brains work — and what really moves us, emotionally, physiologically, AND rationally — to change. This Neurocrafting section is devoted to some of those basics. We’ll start with neuroplasticity.

Take a look at this video:

Brains in Action - the Path of Least Resistance

We love to think of ourselves as “rational creatures,” but the truth is our brains are usually defaulting to the path of least resistance. That includes stereotypes, habits, biases, learned assumptions, and relying on cognitive frames. To create change, we have to know about these defaults…and how to work around them.

 

Here’s a brief explainer – “Don’t Think of an Elephant.”

One of the most persistent challenges we face is our cognitive biases. We all have them. All of us. It’s part of how our amazing brains are wired for speed. And yet, we also don’t want to them to trip us up. The first step is knowing what cognitive biases are, and beginning to understand them. The website Visual Capitalist has created a visual of all 188 cognitive biases. If you want to learn more about how to NeuroCraft your way around some pitfalls of cognitive bias, sign up for a NeuroCrafting workshop!

To explore this image in more detail:

 

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How to Stress Yourself & Others Out

So you’ve identified a real problem in the world, and you want people to help you change it. It may seem like if you just explain how BIG a problem this is, and how SERIOUS the consequences are, people will want to help! By telling people the Story of How Awful Things Are, you dump misery-inducing  chemicals into their brains. This may lead to brief, short-term engagement – just so they can reduce their anxiety. But if you’re looking for allies in crafting long term change, you’re adding additional roadblocks.

 

Here’s why:

Flooded with Joy

 

People love to feel good. They love to be inspired, feel hopeful about the future, and to feel connected to other people. A changecrafter needs to know how to help people feel excited, interested, and frankly, good about the work you can do together.

 

Check out the video below to understand the NeuroCrafting strategies for evoking the best in people!

The Journey Is in (almost) Every Thought

How we think about things makes all the difference in how we experience the world and how we live our lives. We often underestimate the power of our habitual thoughts. NeuroCrafting is the idea that we can understand our own habits of thoughts as well as how to encourage others to craft change by our sides. We can practice NeuroCrafting anytime, anywhere. Change is in every thought.

On each track of the ChangeCrafting journey, we’ll offer a path for new ways of creating change: the F.A.C.E. Reflection. F.A.C.E. stands for Focus, Acknowledge, Craft and Engage. A F.A.C.E. reflection can help us look deeply inside ourselves, face the world with courage, and find allies and companions for the journey.