If you doubt your abilities, and second-guess your decisions, you’ll harm your performance (and most likely you’ll also be risking your physical and psychological health). But the good news is, you can change the way you think. Here are five exercises that will train your brain for happiness and success:
Differentiate between ruminating and problem-solving
Thinking about strategies that would help you overcome an obstacle is helpful, but imagining yourself unable to tolerate pain isn’t productive. Whenever you find yourself thinking about something for an extended time, take a minute to think whether you’re ruminating or problem-solving.
If you’re actively solving or preventing problems, keep processing. But, if you’re simply rehashing things that already happened or making catastrophic predictions about things you can’t control, change the channel.
Balance your emotions with logic
- Create a list of the pros and cons of your choices
- Reading through it can help take some of the emotion out of the decision and equip you to make the best decisions
- When your emotions are running high, take steps to increase your rational thinking
Practice gratitude
Gratitude has been linked to a host of physical and psychological benefits, including happiness. One study even found that grateful people are 25 percent happier.
So whether you make it a habit to talk about what you’re grateful for over breakfast every morning, or you write in a gratitude journal before bed, train your brain to look for the good in life.
Give yourself the same advice you’d give to a trusted friend
If you’re like most people, there’s a good chance you’re overly critical of yourself. But 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 to speak to yourself in the same way you’d speak to a trusted friend.
Label your emotions
Many people have an aversion to talking about or showing their feelings, and it is hard for them to recognize how they are feeling at any given moment. Spend a few minutes every day to acknowledge your emotional state and how those emotions may affect your decisions.
