Get Your S*** Together: WTH Is Neuroplasticity And How To Use It To Your Advantage

If you paid any attention to the Olympic Winter Games that took place this past February, you’ve probably heard the new term on everyone’s lips: neuroplasticity. The psychological concept was brought into the cultural zeitgeist by three-time Olympic gold medallist – and most decorated freestyle skier in history, mind you – 23-year-old Eileen Gu, who credited her brain’s neuroplasticity in aiding her quest to “become exactly who [she wants] to be”.

Wondering how to channel some of that energy to reach your fullest potential? Us too. We spoke with Estee Ling, Director of Clinical Operations and Clinical Mental Health Therapist at Sol Therapy, to better understand what this all means.

What exactly is neuroplasticity?

“Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s remarkable ability to adapt, reorganise, and form new neural pathways throughout life. One helpful way to understand neuroplasticity is to imagine a field of grass with walking paths. If you walk along the same path every day, that trail becomes clearer and easier to follow. The grass stops growing there because it is repeatedly pressed down.

The brain works in a similar way. The thoughts we repeat, the emotional responses we practise, and the behaviours we engage in frequently strengthen certain neural pathways. Over time, those pathways become the brain’s “default routes”. The encouraging part is that the brain can also create new paths. If we stop walking along the old trail and begin walking a new one, the grass on the old path gradually grows back while the new path becomes clearer. Through repetition and consistency, the brain begins strengthening the newer, healthier pathways.

In essence, neuroplasticity is the biological reason learning, recovery, and personal transformation remain possible throughout our lives. Because the brain is always adapting, neuroplasticity is happening continuously, whether we realise it or not. The question is simply which patterns we are reinforcing through repetition.”

What encompasses the neuroplasticity-based brain retraining programmes that you provide for your clients?

“I developed a programme called the Neuro-Alignment Programme, which is rooted in applied neuroplasticity – the brain’s remarkable capacity to reorganise and form new neural pathways throughout life. The approach we take integrates trauma-sensitive cognitive neuroplasticity exercises together with body-based attunement, recognising that our experiences are not only processed in the mind but also held within the nervous system. We also equip clients with practical self-practice tools so they can continue supporting their own healing and cultivate greater self-agency in their everyday lives.

When people go through prolonged stress, trauma, or chronic illness, the brain can sometimes become stuck in certain protective patterns. The brain’s threat detection system, for instance, may become overly sensitised. Over time, this heightened alarm state can contribute to conditions such as chronic pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, anxiety, and other stress-related symptoms.

Using the language of the brain, we work to gently retrain these neural pathways. Through psychoeducation, structured cognitive practices, emotional regulation tools, guided imagery, and nervous system awareness, clients learn how to interrupt unhelpful patterns and gradually strengthen new pathways associated with safety, resilience, and regulation.”

Is tapping neuroplasticity only for young people, or does this apply to older individuals too? What are the long-term benefits that we can expect from it?

“Neuroplasticity is a lifelong ability. While the brain develops rapidly during childhood, research in neuroscience has shown that the brain remains plastic and capable of change throughout adulthood and even into older age.

What is fascinating is that neuroplasticity is not only relevant for recovery from illness. It is also deeply connected to how human beings grow, adapt, and rise to challenges. Many high-performing athletes, musicians, and professionals intuitively train their brains through repetition, visualisation, and mental rehearsal. Olympic athletes, such as free skier Eileen Gu, have spoken about tapping into neuroplasticity and using imagery techniques as part of their training – mentally rehearsing movements and outcomes so that the brain begins strengthening those neural pathways even before the body performs them.

In everyday life, neuroplasticity influences how we think, how we interpret experiences, and how we respond to stress and change. When we begin to work with the brain more intentionally, we can gradually shift patterns that no longer serve us and strengthen those that support resilience and adaptability. While the body holds the imprint of past stress or trauma, the brain also gives us a powerful gateway for change. By working with both the brain and the body, we can support a more integrated and sustainable path forward.”

How can we maximise our brain’s neuroplasticity — are there recommended activities that we should partake in?

“Neuroplasticity is not about a single activity. In truth, we are engaging in neuroplasticity every single day. The brain is constantly learning from what we repeat. Whenever we practise a skill, learn a new language, pick up a musical instrument, or repeat certain thought patterns, neural pathways in the brain are being strengthened. Over time, those repeated patterns become more automatic.

Neuroplasticity happens most effectively through repetition, consistency, and emotional engagement. The brain strengthens pathways that are practised regularly. This means both supportive and unsupportive patterns can become reinforced through repetition.

In structured neuroplasticity programmes, we use intentional practices to guide the brain toward healthier pathways. These may include cognitive exercises, emotional regulation techniques, and guided imagery or mental rehearsal, where individuals practise visualising themselves moving toward desired goals or states of wellbeing.

Guided imagery can be particularly powerful because the brain often responds to vividly imagined experiences in ways similar to real ones. When practised with clarity, structure, and repetition, it helps train the mind and body to respond as though the experience is happening in real time, gradually strengthening the neural pathways associated with those patterns.”

What are the benefits of practising neuroplasticity, and how does it help us in achieving a more well-rounded, balanced life? Can it also benefit us when it comes to achieving career-oriented or personal goals?

“Practices such as goal visualisation, mental rehearsal, and guided imagery can be powerful tools. When we vividly imagine ourselves moving toward a desired outcome – whether it is speaking confidently in a meeting, completing a project, or achieving a personal milestone – the brain begins activating many of the same neural circuits that would be involved if we were actually performing that action.

With repetition, these circuits become stronger and more familiar to the brain. This helps shape how we think, how we approach challenges, and how we respond when opportunities arise. Instead of defaulting to hesitation or self-doubt, the brain becomes more primed for focus, confidence, and action. At the same time, neuroplasticity also supports emotional regulation and cognitive flexibility. When the brain is less caught in cycles of stress or overwhelm, it becomes easier to sustain attention, make decisions, and adapt when things do not go as planned.

Over time, this combination of mental rehearsal, emotional regulation, and repeated practice helps align our thoughts, behaviours, and actions toward our goals. This is why many high-performing individuals including athletes, performers, and leaders intentionally train their mental patterns as part of their preparation.

Beyond performance, these practices can also contribute to a more balanced life. As the brain strengthens pathways associated with clarity, resilience, and adaptability, individuals often find themselves navigating both personal and professional challenges with greater steadiness and perspective.”

How exactly is maximising our brains’ neuroplasticity different from practising mindfulness?

“Mindfulness and neuroplasticity are closely connected, but they are not the same thing. Mindfulness is a practice, while neuroplasticity is the brain’s biological ability to change and reorganise itself.

Mindfulness involves intentionally bringing awareness to the present moment - noticing our thoughts, emotions, and sensations without immediately reacting to them. This awareness can help calm and regulate the nervous system, creating space between stimulus and response.

Neuroplasticity, on the other hand, is the mechanism through which the brain learns and reshapes itself over time. Whenever we repeat certain thoughts, behaviours, or emotional responses, the brain strengthens the neural pathways associated with them.

Mindfulness can certainly support neuroplasticity, but it is only one pathway. Learning new skills, engaging in therapy, practising guided imagery, building new habits, and working with emotional regulation are all ways neural pathways can be strengthened. In our work, we often integrate both perspectives. Awareness practices help individuals notice their patterns, while structured neuroplasticity exercises help the brain actively develop new pathways that support regulation, resilience, and wellbeing.

Ultimately, mindfulness helps us observe the mind, while neuroplasticity gives us the tools to gradually reshape it.”

Get Your S*** Together (or GYST for short) is a new column that tackles the realities of adulting and figuring life out along the way.