Why is Change So Hard? Neuroscience Has Answers

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Neuroscience is the science of the nervous system, with a particular focus on the brain and how it creates our thoughts, feelings, and actions. It examines how neurons communicate, how memories are stored, how emotions are processed, and how we form (and break) habits.

Have you ever wondered why you think the way you do, or why breaking certain habits feels so difficult even when you’re fully aware they’re not serving you?
These questions are at the heart of neuroscience, a growing field that sheds light on the inner workings of your brain, your emotions, and how they influence your everyday behaviour.

With applications in human development, psychology, and medicine, neuroscience has become more than just a subject of academic study. It’s a lens through which we can understand our actions, patterns, and even how change is possible. From explaining brain chemistry to exploring neuroplasticity and brain waves, neuroscience offers powerful insights into what makes us who we are.

What Is Neuroscience?

Thanks to advances in brain imaging and data analysis, neuroscience continues to reveal how our brain shifts in response to experiences, thoughts, and behaviours. It’s not necessarily about diagnosing; it’s about understanding the mechanics behind everything from motivation to awareness.

Who Practices Neuroscience?

Neuroscience is practised by a wide range of professionals, each contributing to our understanding from different angles:

Neuroscientists conduct laboratory and clinical studies to understand how the nervous system functions.
Neurologists are medical doctors who diagnose and manage conditions that affect the brain and nervous system.
Neuropsychologists apply neuroscience principles in assessing how brain function relates to behaviour and mental processes.
Researchers in fields such as cognitive science, pharmacology, and psychology also heavily rely on neuroscience to inform their work.

Even professionals in education, coaching, and personal development increasingly use neuroscience-informed strategies to support mental health and learning.

What’s the Difference Between Neuroscience and Neuropsychology?

Though closely related, neuroscience and neuropsychology focus on different aspects of brain science.

Neuroscience is broader. It encompasses everything from cellular biology to cognitive processes to the impact of external stimuli on the brain.
Neuropsychology, on the other hand, is a specialised branch of psychology that examines how injuries, illnesses, or developmental differences in the brain affect cognitive function and behaviour.

In simple terms, neuroscience explores all of brain activity, while neuropsychology explores particular brain-mind issues; what those changes mean for daily life, memory, learning, and emotional experience.

How Can Neuroscience Benefit Me?

You don’t need a university degree to apply neuroscience principles in your life. Whether trying to break a habit, manage stress, or improve focus, understanding how the brain works gives you a practical edge.

Here’s how neuroscience can support your personal development:

Habits: Knowing that your brain builds neural pathways through repetition helps explain why change feels hard, but also why it’s possible. Thanks to neuroplasticity, those pathways can be rewired with consistent new behaviours.
Focus and Attention: Studies show that understanding how brain waves reflect your level of mental clarity can help improve productivity and learning.
Emotional Regulation: The more you understand your brain’s emotion circuitry, the better you can identify and manage triggers, responses, and patterns.

When you learn how your brain responds to stress, praise, or social interaction, you gain more control over your responses; that’s where real growth begins.

How Does Neuroscience Benefit Psychology?

Neuroscience and psychology are tightly interwoven. Psychological theories have long explained how people behave, but neuroscience validates and deepens this understanding by linking it to observable brain activity.

For instance:

Neuroscience can explain why exposure therapy works for anxiety by showing how the brain reduces fear responses.
Functional MRI scans reveal what parts of the brain light up during moments of empathy, decision-making, or emotional conflict, providing real data to support the evolution of therapeutic techniques.
Neuroscience-informed psychotherapy approaches are helping clinicians tailor interventions based on how the nervous system creates and resolves emotional pain.

This collaboration between brain science and psychology is revolutionising how we understand mental health.

Can Neuroscience Help With My Behaviour and Emotions?

Absolutely. Your behaviour and emotions are the product of complex brain activity. Neuroscience helps decode how certain patterns form—and more importantly, how they can be changed.

For example:

If you often feel anxious in social situations, neuroscience can help explain why your brain and body perceive a threat, even if there’s no danger and how to shift away from that false perspective.
When you understand your emotional responses through the lens of brain science, you become less reactive and more curious. That curiosity leads to greater emotional intelligence.

By learning how your brain regulates emotions, stores memories, and makes decisions, you’re better equipped to shift unhelpful behaviours and adopt healthier coping mechanisms.

Will Neuroscience Explain My Brain Behaviour?

No, but it can help explain some of it, as the brain is vastly complex. One of neuroscience’s controversial contributions is its understanding of the role of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and cortisol that are part of a complex dynamical system. But many are challenging some old ideas about them.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a loop of low energy or high stress, chances are not that your brain chemistry is out of balance, which has now been dismissed as pseudo-science. While medication is sometimes part of the picture, it may not need to be, because neuroscience shows how non-chemical approaches like awareness training, physical activity, and cognitive reframing can improve your emotional experience and functioning more effectively and consistently.

These insights are especially valuable if you want to improve your emotional well-being or reprogram mental habits that no longer serve you.

Let’s Wrap It Up: Your Brain Is Always Changing And That’s Good News

Your brain isn’t fixed. It changes based on how you think, feel, and act. Thanks to neuroplasticity, new connections can form well into adulthood, giving you the power to rewire your reactions, build better habits, and become more emotionally resilient.

Whether you’re exploring your personal development, working through life challenges, or simply trying to improve focus, neuroscience offers tools grounded in real science, not just theory.

Ready to Explore Your Brain More Deeply?

If you’re curious about how neuroscience can help you understand yourself better, consider working with a service like NeuroCog®. From personalised emotional tracking with the Neury® app to data-driven self-awareness tools, NeuroCog® combines brain science and technology to support your mental clarity, emotional balance, and behavioural change.

Visit NeuroCog® to learn how neuroscience can work for you.

References:

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Baron-Cohen, S. (2017). The Pattern Seekers: A New Theory of Human Invention. Allen Lane.

Kaptchuk et al. (2010), Placebos without Deception: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. PLoS ONE 5(12): e15591. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0015591

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McEwen, B. S., & Morrison, J. H. (2013). “The brain on stress: vulnerability and plasticity of the prefrontal cortex over the life course.” Neuron, 79(1), 16–29.

Singer, J. (2017). Neurodiversity: The Birth of an Idea. Judy Singer.

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