Neuroplasticity has become a buzzword in psychology and scientific circles, as well as outside of them, promising that you can “rewire” your brain to improve everything from health and mental well-being to quality of life. There’s a lot of conflicting, misleading, and erroneous information out there. So, exactly how does it work?

We’ve come a long way in the science of happiness and have a pretty good idea of what happy looks like in your brain these days. It’s now known that what you do in your life every day, because of neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to change both physical form and function based on your behaviors, emotions, and thoughts, rewires your brain. You can either intentionally direct your brain to become more positive, resilient, and motivated or let it get stressed out, anxious, and depressed.