3 Ways To Retrain Your Brain For Happiness
Cheer up and accept the good that can happen. Here’s how to rewire your noggin for happiness, even after 40 years of meh.
It’s never too late to retrain your brain.
THE BRIEF
Time to read: 4 minutes 10 seconds
Time to action: 5 minutes
Mantra: Mirror neurons are my new best friend
Main message: Vocalise the small wins to make real big gains
Stat: People with a more positive mindset can tolerate up to 50% more pain than those with a negative attitude
No man is an island. However, every man is a sponge. If those around you are anxious, it will do little for your sense of calm. Equally, if they’re calm and assured, it’s infectious. Training is no different. Training at 40 years old can be even better by hanging with those who can simply do more than you.
Have you ever wondered why, even if you're not into football, being in the ground with the supporters still feels intoxicating? It is thanks to mirror neurons. These brain cells also respond when we see someone else perform well. And the collective consciousness to perform is intoxicating for your brain – whether it’s your achievement or not doesn’t matter.
There is a flip side to these mirror neurons. Those people who confuse the value of sharing an experience with simply being an arse? The toxically-charged spirals of negativity that like to report everything that’s wrong? Well, mirror neurons work both ways. They can affect you as much as those with a more positively charged mindset.
The trick is to find the formula to only utilise these neurons for the advantages of a more positive disposition. Here are 3 ways you can achieve it:
Show yourself some manners
Seeing small, potentially even just micro-improvements, in most areas, is crucial in motivating yourself over the long term. It can be immediately apparent or retrospectively discovered. Either way, recognition of progression is a great way to fire up the right side of the mirror neurons. If you want to go further, say it out loud. No need to shout it. Just ensure it’s not only in your head.
This action helps you accept it as a reality, positively affecting your brain chemistry. Also, it sounds and feels good when you encourage yourself and those around you. A recent study into office language found that nothing ranked higher than “Thank you and well done” as a phrase that pays back for team happiness.
So show good manners and respect by audibly thanking one’s efforts. It sounds weird, of course, but who cares? You probably do more bizarre stuff when you’re alone, not that we’re judging.
Zero in on who’s one up
If you want to develop your brain, train with people that outperform you. The drive to level up is contagious on a chemical level for those little grey cells inside your head.
Triathletes train with pro swimmers and cyclists to get better, and the principle is the same in the worlds of business and emotion, too. It’s a process that creates a virtuous circle of achievement and recognition.
Talk up every improvement
Talking while training can seem like a no-no, especially mid-set. However, never underestimate what your words can do for a fellow trainer. Positivity is contagious.
Pick your person and place. Please note this is not a pass for being creepy. Now, wherever the possibilities arise, be vocal about the performance improvements. Yes, you're British. Yes, you’re Gen X. Yes, this is more embarrassing than turning up to school shirtless. But to quote the great Mikel Arteta, “Trust the process!”. Achieving better living through (brain) chemistry can start with a few reserved, “Good work, fellas,” before you go full-on yippee-ki-yay.
These are simple, subtle mindset shifts that can genuinely change your world. The kind of ones that your body and mind will thank you for as you become increasingly addicted, rather than shutting down.
Surrounding yourself with ambitious individuals drives your success, while offering vocal encouragement during training fosters a supportive environment. You are interconnected. Others influence you and vice-versa. So when you see the good in yourself and others, say it and make sure you feel it. It’s the fastest way to make sure you become it.
DR DOG
A cognitive psychologist specialising in those most 21st Century of issues: anxiety and depression. Dog is especially good at delivering actionable answers, removing the rhetoric and hyperbole, and focusing simply and directly on practical information that can be used to help mental health on a daily basis.
