Neurobics

“Some people call it self-talk. Others call them affirmations. I call them Neurobics. This a word I used over twenty years ago as I tried to deal with my obesity. Dr Lawerence Katz and Manning Rubin coined it in 1998 to describe brain exercises that help keep the brain healthy. I always used the word in a different way. I used it to describe words spoken to yourself to inspire you. When you exercise there are different types of exercise you take part in. When you are trying to build your cardio-vascular health you do Aerobic exercises. You build your heart rate by exerting yourself for at least 20 minutes thereby building your cardio-vascular fitness.

Another form of exercise is lifting weights to increase your muscle mass. This is referred to as Anerobic exercise. When you strain to lift weights, you tear down muscles and then build them back bigger and stronger.

Well, I believe that the mind must be exercised as well. You do this by having a few powerful statements that you repeat as you go through your day. Statements like, I get my strength through Christ. (Philippians 4:13) Or the Lord is my source for my strength. (Psalms 18:2) They don’t have to be scripture. Or they can be statements that affirm, I am a fit person who loves to lose weight so that I become the best version of myself. Or I am a fat burning machine. Or I love the special foods that I eat to bring about my fitness. I call these statements Neurobics because you are exercising your mind.

Why are Neurobics important to your weight loss journey? One reason is that they stand in direct opposition to the negative self-talk that usually surrounds your consciousness when you start a diet. Things like, I’m starving. Or I hate being on a diet. Statements like, I always get a headache when I diet. These statements will doom your efforts to diet successfully.”

         -Excerpt from Martin's Book, A Phoenix Chronicle

 

Neurobics, as we define it, is creating a positive statement to counter and replace a negative statement or thought. What we say about ourselves and to ourselves matter. It effects our belief system and reality. My father’s book goes into more detail about this but let's touch on what some of these statements can look like. Here are some examples:

• I am content in all circumstances.

• I trust God and put my Faith in Him.

• God is my Source and my Provider.

• I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

• I am a healthy person who enjoys eating the right foods and the proper portions to maximize my healthy living.

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The idea behind this is that speaking in a positive way to ourselves will create belief. A critical time that you would want to apply this technique is in response to a negative thought or statement. For example, say you look in the mirror and don’t like what you see and in your mind you “wow, I look so awful, Im just a worthless mess.” First of all, ouch, that’s harsh but I know our minds can be brutal. So in response to that statement, we want to replace the negative statement (the lie) with the positive statement (the truth). So, back to our example, your mind just made a horrible statement like the one above, you immediately respond with a truth like “I am fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God and I am loved”.

This will take some effort so lets break down the process:

• You first need to identify what negative statements or mental patterns you have. Start paying attention. Write them down. This can be challenging and alarming. You are probably used to hearing these things and may not even notice them. They might fly in so fast that you barely notice them. It can also be alarming and disturbing to realize how our brain talks to us and what it says to us. Be kind to yourself as you start to unpack all this information and remember that these statements are separate from you and we are replacing them with the truth of what God says about you. Avoid our cultural trap of self reliance and self importance. We are seeking the transformative power of God, not ourselves.

• Once you have identified some negative statements you may recognize them more and that can be emotionally challenging. I understand, I have been there. Now we want start to write our positive statements. Think of something that is the opposite of what your negative statement is. For example: “I have no self control, this is impossible”. Replace that statement with “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” -2 Timothy 1:7. Write down your positive truth statements. Maybe keep them in your wallet or in your notes on your phone so they are easily accessible until you are familiar with them

• Now comes the important work. Whenever you are confronted with a negative statement or a lie you tell yourself, replace it with a positive statement or truth from God. When you hear this negative talk, “say, no, that not true, this is…..fill in your positive statement..….”

• In your prayers, ask God to take away these negative thoughts and beliefs and that He will help you see you the way He sees you.