You have an average of 60,000 thoughts per day. Studies say that 80% of those are negative. This turns into 48,000 negative thoughts a day that needs managing and filtering — no small task for any person or entrepreneur.
If you doubt your capabilities, call yourself names and second-guess your choices, you will harm your performance and risk your psychological and physical health. However, the good news is, you can alter the way you reason. The process to look at it is you have 60,000 opportunities to build yourself up or tear yourself down.
Here are the exercises that will train your brain for ultimate happiness and success:
Balance your emotions with logic
Whether you are faced with a tough business decision, or you are experiencing a family dilemma, you will make your best decisions when you can support your emotions with logic. When your emotions are running high, take actions to increase your rational thinking.
The best way to level out your feelings is to create a list of the pros and cons of your options. Reading that list out loud can help take some of the emotion out of the selection and prepare you to make the best choices.
Differentiate between reflecting and problem-solving
Thinking about strategies that would help you overcome an obstacle is helpful, but imagining yourself unable to endure the pain is not productive. Whenever you find yourself pondering about something for an extended time, take a minute to think whether you are reflecting or problem-solving.
Label how you’re feeling
Most people have an objection to talking about or showing their feelings. As a result, many people have become entirely blocked from their emotions, which makes it hard for them even to recognize how they are feeling at any given moment.
Spend a few minutes every day understanding your current feelings. Label how you feel and consider how those emotions are likely to affect your decisions.
Whether you are feeling sad about something in your personal life, or you are concerned about things going on at work, your emotions will spill into other areas of your life if you are not conscious of them.
Give yourself advice that you would give to a friend.
If you are like most people, there’s a good chance you are overly critical of yourself. However, beating yourself up and magnifying your mistakes will only drag you down.
Studies have linked self-compassion to everything from improved psychological well-being and better body image to enhanced self-worth and increased motivation. So make it a habit of speaking to yourself in the same way you would talk to a trusted friend.
Final Words
Overall the best gift anyone can give you is to practice and grow a healthy mindset. The discussions you have with yourself have a powerful resonating effect on your life. If you want to attain your greatest potential, it is critical to train your brain for happiness and success.
