It is a curious phenomena that the act of talking out our problems with someone else (eg. a coach) often seems also to shift the problem – ‘ a problem shared is a problem halved’ as the old saying goes. However it appears that this phenomena is more that just unburdening ourselves of a problem. Recent developments in neuroscience are starting to help us understand a lot more about the structure of ‘thinking’ and what it takes to change our thinking.

Neuroscientists  are suggesting that a ‘thought’ is merely a pathway of neural connections that have been forged in the brain. A bit like a ski path in the snow, the more we think in a particular way, the deeper that pathway gets, and consequently the harder it is to shift. We develop habits of mind as well as of action. If you’ve ever been stuck with a problem you will probably know the feeling of being stuck in a rut you can’t get out of.

Talking out a problem with someone else literally can jump start our thinking process, forcing us to think down different pathways and come up with new possibilities. Great coaches are skilled at testing for habitual ways of thinking and catalysing new thought processes. While research suggests it can very difficult to shift old habits (of thought or action), forming new habits  is a whole lot easier. Overall good news I thought!