How Neuroplasticity And Mirror Neurons Increase Financial Intimacy

A mirror neuron is a brain cell that helps us see what’s going on in the external world and then recreate it. 

Mirror neurons have a big contribution to fostering financial intimacy in your life. 

Understanding how your brain works helps you increase your patience, compassion, and curiosity about what is really happening when you talk about money with your partner. 

The more vantage points you have, the more points of understanding you have to bring to the table to understand yourself and your partner when it comes to money. 

As you develop a deeper understanding, then you can ultimately have deeper financial empathy and financial intimacy as a result.  

What is neuroplasticity?

Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to adapt and change in response to experience. This means that the brain is constantly rewiring itself in response to our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This plasticity allows us to learn new skills, remember old memories, and recover from injuries.

Neuroplasticity occurs throughout our lives, but it is especially prominent during childhood and adolescence when the brain is growing and developing at a rapid pace. This is why it is so important for children to have positive experiences during this time, as they are laying down the foundations for their future mental health and well-being.

Neuroplasticity is a relatively new concept, and scientists are still learning a lot about how it works. However, we know that it is essential for normal brain function and development. It helps us to learn, remember, and adapt to our ever-changing environment.

Neuroplasticity Is Important For Learning New Behaviors

Neuroplasticity is important for learning new behaviors because it helps us to learn, remember, and adapt to our ever-changing environment. 

Many people believe that the brain is formed in the first 7 years of life and effectively does not change. But scientists have found that that’s not accurate. In fact, the brain is highly adaptable and can change at any time. 

This is due to neuroplasticity. 

When we repeat an experience or behavior, the connections between the neurons in the brain that are involved in that experience become stronger. Over time, these strong connections can become permanent changes in the brain.

So when you perform a new behavior, new connections are formed. The more you perform that new behavior the more those new connection are strengthened and your brain begins to go to the new connection as the new normal. This is how we change behaviors, thoughts, and experiences. One neuron at a time. 

Mirror neurons can help increase neuroplasticity. 

What are mirror neurons? 

Mirror neurons are a type of neuron that fires both when we perform an action and when we observe someone else performing the same action. For example, if you see someone picking up a cup of coffee, the mirror neurons in your brain will fire in the same way as if you were picking up a cup of coffee yourself.

Mirror neurons were first discovered in monkeys, but they have also been found in humans. They are thought to play an important role in social cognition, or how we think about our relationships with others, and communication.

Mirror Neurons and Empathy

Some scientists believe that mirror neurons may be responsible for our ability to empathize with others. 

When we see someone else experiencing pain or joy, our mirror neurons fire in the same way as if we were experiencing those emotions ourselves. This allows us to share other people's experiences and understand their feelings.

However, the role of mirror neurons is still not fully understood. More research is needed to determine how they work and their role in human behavior, learning, healing, and growing.

Why Are Mirror Neurons Important For Neuroplasticity?

Mirror neurons are important for neuroplasticity because they help us to learn from other people. 

When we see someone else performing an action, our mirror neurons fire in the same way as if we were performing that action ourselves. This allows us to copy the actions of others and learn new skills.

Mirror neurons are also important for helping us understand social situations like our romantic relationships and work collaborations. They help us understand and empathize with other people which leads to a more effective social relationship with that person since we can see where they’re coming from more easily.

Mirror neurons also help in communication. Since they’re related to empathy and learning they help us understand the emotions of other people and where they’re coming from when they try to communicate something important to us. This is especially important when talking about money as those types of discussions can be especially emotional. 

Mirror neurons also impact our behaviors. When you see others performing certain actions and mirror neurons in your brain fire you end up feeling more closely connected to the other person. This can even result in people who are close to one another mirroring each other's behaviors as it becomes rewarding to feel that connection.

Ways to Increase Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity is important to foster and can be improved. It’s crucial when it comes to fostering financial intimacy and closeness with your partner. 

There are many ways that you can increase neuroplasticity. Below are some examples:

Get enough sleep

Sleep is important for brain health and plasticity. During sleep, your brain consolidates memories and forms new neural connections. 

Many people underestimate the power of feeling rested when having important money conversations. 

Exercise

Exercise has been shown to increase neuroplasticity. It increases the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which helps to support the growth and development of new neurons. 

When you feel healthy physically you feel more open to having new experiences such as exploring new financial avenues with your spouse. 

Learn A New Skill

Learning a new skill can help to increase neuroplasticity. When you learn something new, it strengthens the connections between the neurons involved in that experience.

Learning a new investment strategy or how a trust can secure your family’s finances can help you and your partner improve brain neuroplasticity and connect more through mutual learning. 

Meditate

Meditation has been shown to increase neuroplasticity. It can help to improve attention and focus, and it also supports the growth of new neural connections. 

Sometimes practices such as gratitude about your financial life or even compassion meditation focused on how you and your partner have different approaches to money can help to increase financial intimacy and neuroplasticity. 

Stimulate your senses

Sensory stimulation can also help to increase neuroplasticity. When you stimulate your senses, it helps to promote the growth of new neural connections. 

A way to utilize this in communicating about money is to have a certain area of the house that you reserve for these conversations so that your senses are activated and expect financial discussions when you connect with your partner there. 

In my course The Couples Guide To Financial Intimacy, we discuss how the brain is involved in how connected and close you and your partner feel in your relationship and with your finances.

In the course, we dive deep into attachment styles, family, money beliefs, and more to help you and your partner create deeper levels of financial security and financial intimacy than ever before.

Check out the course if you and your partner need support in connecting on a deeper level and avoiding money fights so that you can feel like you're finally on the same page.

Thinking you need more than a course to help you. Then Therapy Informed Financial Planning is for you. I invite you to schedule your free 30-minute discovery call today. 

Wishing You Healthy Love and Money,

Ed Coambs,

MBA, MA, MS, CFP®, CFT-I™, LMFT

HealthyLoveandMoney.com