10 Ways To Trick Your Brain Into Doing What You Want

10 Ways To Trick Your Brain Into Doing What You Want

At times, everyone feels like their brain is out to get them. Feeling like your brain convinces you to do things that might not be in your best interest is something we can all relate to. The human brain is a confusing and mysterious thing, but you can fight back by tricking it into doing what YOU want. Here are ten ways you can do just that! 

Number 1 - Stay Healthy Instead of Giving Into Cravings

It's amazing how the mere mention of donuts can instantly start making you crave them. But just because your brain tricked you into craving something, doesn't mean you have to give into it! You can curb your hunger without giving in to your cravings by grabbing a healthy snack instead of reaching for junk food; or associate a healthy habit, such as exercise, with an action that's part of your everyday routine. Rewarding your brain for the positive things you do will make it crave less 'the positive' reinforcement for things that are unhealthy or not good for you. 

Number 2 - Declutter Your Life Instead of Getting Attached to Your Junk

Realistically, you know that your life is full of clutter and that you have a lot of things you don't need - but every time, without fail, when you go to clean up and try to get rid of stuff, you hardly end up throwing anything out, and you're right back where you started. Every time you pick up an item, there's a tiny voice in the back of your mind that says, "you might need it again someday." That's your brain trying to convince you to keep it, even though you know you don't need it. Touching the item, and starting to feel a sense of sentimentalism and ownership is just another amazing way your brain tricks you! Work in reverse to combat this: If you lost all of your belongings to some tragedy, what would you buy out of necessity, and what could you live without? By changing your mindset and thinking about it from this perspective, you can finally get rid of all the clutter in your life - despite your brain's tricks. 

Number 3 - Make Your Day Last Longer Instead of Wondering Where It Went

Everyone can relate to how it always seems like there aren't enough hours in the day to get things done, no matter how productive you try to be. Part of the reason for this is the way our brains perceive the passage of time. However, there are ways to turn this around. The more information your brain has to process, the more time it feels has passed. In order to stretch out your day and make it feel longer, give your brain a workout! Give it new information frequently, learn new skills, talk to new people, and explore new places. Doing this makes a much more significant difference than you'd think. 

Number 4 - Get Stuff Done Instead of Procrastinating

Your brain often gets in the way of getting things done because it's too busy worrying about what could go wrong. At the first sign of trouble, it'll try to give up to avoid the feeling of failure, which makes it much harder to get things done and achieve the goals you've set. You can trick your brain into getting more done by doing simple things to change up your environment. It can be as simple as adjusting the lighting or playing music that's different from what you usually listen to. It can also help to shift the outlook you have on your goals - like trying to focus on the long-term benefits of achieving what you want. Just treat your procrastination like you would any other habit you're trying to break, and you can easily turn around the involuntary bad choices your brain tries to make. 

Number 5 - Make Friends Instead of Enemies

It's almost impossible to give someone the benefit of the doubt once they've done you wrong. It's much easier to make them an enemy than to forgive them. Sometimes, however, harboring resentment against that person might not be in your best interest – especially if that person is your superior, or if there's no way to avoid them - but you can trick your brain into liking them more. If you don't like someone, you can bond with them by working on a particularly difficult task together. If they don't like you, asking them for a favor can trick their brain into liking you. 

Number 6 - Focus on the Positive Instead of the Negative

Have you ever had a single bad experience ruin the rest of your day? This occurrence is another example of how your brain tricks you! Your brain tends to focus on the negative instead of the positive, sometimes even convincing you to hate doing something you usually like. Try not to let it ruin your day. You have to remember that a few seconds shouldn't affect an entire day. Focus on the good things that happen instead of the bad ones. It will help you remember the day more fondly - and even turn a bad day into a good one! 

Number 7 - Base Your Decisions on Reality Instead of Optimism

Now, there are certain situations where thinking about the negatives can actually be helpful. For instance, when you're looking forward to something - or REALLY want something - your brain tends to become overly optimistic! Hence the reason anticipation makes you happier than the actual result usually does. This is why you think you could win the lottery but smoking will only harm other people. Obviously, thinking this way leads to poor decision-making, so don't fall for it. Also, don't overthink your choices. The amount of choices you have isn't the same as the importance of any given choice - like the brand of soap you buy. Your brain tries to convince you that they are intertwined when they are not. 

Number 8 - Save Money Instead of Blowing It

Saving money can be difficult for many people. We all know that's it important, but the temptation of blowing it all as soon as we get some is often too strong. Our brains are quick to forget the feeling of not having money once it's in our hands again - and heavy advertising everywhere, trying to get you to buy things, doesn't help. So trick your brain into creating better money habits! Create a simple mantra about saving money and repeat it to stop your brain from tempting you. Or set up an automated savings account. Also, think about what your money should go toward - instead of just thinking, "should I save it or should I just spend it." Being more responsible with your money is much easier with a goal in mind. 

Number 9 - Be Happier

Everybody wants to be happy. However, your brain can make that easier said than done. So, instead of just having a desire to be happier, try to do things that you know will make you happy. Even small things, like getting some exercise, sleeping better, and going outside to enjoy nature more often, can significantly improve the quality of your life. Small changes like these can make a big difference - and make you happier without you even realizing it!

Number 10 - Realize That the World Doesn't Revolve Around You

Because of the survival instinct ingrained into the human brain, it's not too surprising that we sometimes believe the world revolves around us - and this can have adverse effects outside of survival situations. It can lead to arrogant thoughts - such as thinking you're never wrong, you're better than everyone else, and that you can do no wrong. Of course, in reality, this is not the case at all! This is probably the one area in which your brain deceives you most. What you can do is learn to be aware of this happening - so you won't fall prey to it as often.

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