You can change anything about yourself if you try hard enough - from losing weight to better mental health, all it takes is the right amount of willpower. Right? As you may have figured out by experience, that's not exactly true. "Willpower is our most divine attribute," says author and neuroscientist Dr Nazareth Castellanos, who has spent years studying how lifestyle shapes our brains. “But we tend to think that determination alone is enough, when we really don't understand how difficult it is to sustain that sense of resolve over time. Changing a habit isn't something that happens overnight." So, how can we reset our brains?
The good news is that we can improve our cognitive health and our ability to change our habits today. The first step, she says, is to understand how our mind functions. "If we don't know how our brains operate, we start telling ourselves things that don't make sense from a biological standpoint. And that can do more harm than good.” Instead, the neurology expert recommends the low-effort "microbreak" as a place to start - it's an easy, low-effort hack that helps you boost your cognitive health and create the habits you want.
The science of changing your brain
"We mould our brain daily with what we think, feel and do," says Dr Castellanos. The brain's capacity to change and adapt throughout the course of our lives – what science calls neuroplasticity – is a constant process of strengthening new pathways and letting go of the old. "Changing a behaviour isn't about growing new neurons, but rather about rewiring the ones you already have."
© Getty ImagesThis process requires two key ingredients: repetition and cognisance. For new connections to consolidate, behaviours must be repeated over time, and for that, willpower does play a fundamental role. But so does context. "Too often, we only make an effort to change when we're backed into a corner and have no other choice. What if we could learn to transform our brains from a place of calm instead?"
"If you introduce micro-habits, you'll feel better that same day... You don't need to take huge leaps; small, intentional steps are enough"
Why telling yourself 'Don't worry about it' doesn't work
The expert says that a lot of the self-talk we regularly use to calm ourselves reflects a misunderstanding of how our mind works. We tell ourselves, 'Don't be sad,' 'Forget it,' 'Just don't think about it' - but the brain isn't designed to forget a problem, a worry, a habit, simply because we want to. As Dr Castellanos points out, "There's no conscious mechanism for forgetting. We can't just 'decide' not to know something. We have the capacity to learn, because our brains know how to incorporate new information, but we aren't able to simply delete things from our minds through the force of will."
So how can we un-learn? Yes, you guessed it - this is where microbreaks come in. "The only thing we can do is redirect our attention. Occupy our brain with something else. It's not about suppressing, but substituting."
© Getty ImagesMicrobreaks: Micro-habits to retrain your brain
The key to changing your brain is to take "microbreaks" - a short, conscious pause, lasting around a minute, that you can take at almost any time, no matter where you are. Think of them as a kind of "neuro-snack" to nourish your brain, but with no food involved. Dr Castellanos suggests two quick and easy ways to take a microbreak any time of day:
- A quick, passive micro-break: Close your eyes for a few seconds and breathe to reduce stimulation and reconnect with your body. This helps prevent the mental fatigue that builds up throughout the day.
- An active micro-break: Briefly do something that slightly modifies your heart rate, like standing up, walking quickly or climbing some stairs. This helps your brain stay more regulated.
While you can take longer, more elaborate breaks to help with anxiety or to calm yourself, such as tapping or even meditation pods, your brain has a "memory" that lasts about one to two hours, so small, frequent interventions can have a powerful impact on cognitive performance and emotional balance.
Dr Castellanos emphasises the value of sensory rest. "The brain is very passive: if you don't redirect it during the day, by the time night comes along, it's overwhelmed. Closing your eyes for a minute, slowing your breathing, and reconnecting with your body... Short breaks prevent mental fatigue from building up."
How long will it take for you to notice improvement once you start taking microbreaks? "It depends on the person, but what's certain is that if you introduce micro-habits, you'll feel better that same day. Even if it's for five minutes. And that's already a win. Then, if you keep it up, the benefits will start to build even more."
How your body and brain are connected
The reason microbreaks work is because your brain doesn't work in isolation. "Your gut, breathing, posture, muscles... all of them influence your brain," Dr Castellanos says. "For example, the famed 'second brain' theory - the connection between your gut and your mental health - is now part of current neuroscience discourse. "If you don’t take your gut into consideration, it's like trying to build a bridge without concrete."
There's also the muscle-brain axis: how our skeletal muscle also sends signals to the brain. "Strength training, for example, has direct positive effects on mental health. Muscles don't just help us move; they also send a tremendous amount of valuable information to the brain. This is why more people are talking about the importance of integrating our body and mind for better health."
© Getty ImagesEven gestures like smiling play a part - and a genuine one is best. The Duchenne smile, when you also smile with your eyes, is activated when we truly feel joy. A fake smile doesn't stimulate the same parts of your brain linked to well-being." Essentially, she says, for a smile to have an optimal effect, you first need to calm down. "You can't go from a deep negative emotional state to a positive one without passing through a calming phase. Composure is ground zero, then we can build more positive emotions from there."
Small steps lead to big changes
From how we breathe to how we sit, as well as how we speak, eat, or rest - everything affects the brain. But to make a big change, Dr Castellanos reiterates: "You don't need to take huge leaps; small, intentional steps are enough. But to do that, you first need to know yourself; listen to your body when it needs a break and, above all, stop waiting for discomfort to force you to change."
About the expert:
Neuroscientist Dr Nazareth Castellanos is the author of multiple Spanish-language books, including Neuroscience of the Body (Neurociencia del cuerpo) and her latest, The Bridge Where Butterflies Live (El Puente Donde Habitan Las Mariposas).
