The human brain is utterly amazing. Scientists continue to learn more about the human brain every day. I find one of the most important things they’ve learned is that the brain is built for efficiencies. This means that the brain makes frequently- repeated tasks become easier to repeat again. This has made me wonder about what happens in the brain when you complain. What scientists have found out is that complaining actually rewires your brain making it easier and more natural to complain. And when it’s easy to complain and you complain more and more often, guess what? You attract even more things into your life to complain about. And your brain develops deeper and deeper grooves making it easier and easier to complain. The brain becomes so accustomed to complaining that it becomes more and more difficult to stop!
The Brain Controls Every Process That Regulates Our Bodies
The sad fact is that making it easier to complain is not the only thing that happens when you complain on a regular basis. On top of that, your body releases cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. This is the fight or flight hormone that is essential in danger. However, if you’re not truly in a situation where you are in danger, all the cortisol being released into your body regularly by complaining can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and, it can even increase your chances of having a stroke.
Don’t think for a moment that you have to complain out loud for the brain to do its thing. Your negative thoughts – even though you keep them to yourself – are just as damaging to the brain. The only way to change the damage you’re doing to your brain by complaining is to change your mind set.
What Most People Complaining About
Typical complaints involve things that can actually be changed. Rarely do you hear anyone complain about things that cannot be changed, for instance gravity! They do complain about the weather. But, then again, the weather always changes.
Mostly people complain about their weight, whether it’s too much or too little. They complain about their jobs, their intimate relationships, their friends, ad infinitum. When you think about what your complaining is doing to your brain, you might want to pause and make a change. Changing a habit of complaining is not easy, but it can be done. Knowing how the brain is built for efficiencies, you can establish more positive habits.
Common Complaints
If you’re a complainer, it’s time to take a close look at the things you complain about. As I mentioned, most things people complain about can be changed. You can move to a new home if you complain about where you live – or even to a new town, state or country. You can make new friends. You can change your diet and begin an exercise routine. But one of the first and most important things you can do to stop complaining and start rewiring the brain in a positive direction is to start expressing gratitude for what you love, like, and appreciate in your life right now.
Gratitude – The Polar Opposite Of Complaining
Gratitude is the polar opposite of complaining. So, begin to start recognizing when the feeling of frustration is stimulating a complaint. Pause and look around and focus on something, anything you like in your environment. Isn’t it wonderful to have a roof over your head, a bed to sleep in every night? Food to nourish your body and titillate your taste buds? Isn’t it lovely to have clean clothes to wear, and shoes to put on our feet? We each have so much to be grateful for. We get to breathe in the beautiful air that is always available.
Now that you know more about what happens to your brain when you complain, remember your brain is the most important and complex organ in the human body. It controls thought, memory, emotion, touch, motor skills, and every process that regulates our body. A simple mind set change will engage your brain to help you make positive statements easier and easier to put out into the universe just as effortlessly as it will make it easy for you to complain.
