The brain can convince everything important. How to make your brain work to its fullest? Most processes in the brain are activated unconsciously

How great it would be to feel happy every minute. But around every turn there are surprises that life throws at us. And not always pleasant. How to maintain peace of mind and not drown in an ocean of problems? Neurophysiology will tell you the answer. A person is able to reconfigure his brain the way he needs. You just need to know about some tricks that allow you to “agree” with your brain. Are you ready? Then go ahead.

1. Make peace with what you can’t influence.

The brain likes to be in control of situations and feels great when you are in charge. However, our control is often limited and unpredictable, so sometimes anxiety arises. You can teach yourself to feel comfortable even when you are not completely in control of the situation.

To create such a neural circuit, pay attention to the moments when you strive for, and do exactly the opposite. For example, if you want to learn how to bake the world's best cupcakes, try going without recipes for 45 days (that's how long it takes your brain to learn a new habit or pattern of action). If you're a neat person, allow clutter to accumulate around you for 45 days. On the first day you will experience terrible discomfort, but by the end of the 45th day you will feel unusually protected.

For 45 days, give up trying to control the world around you in the way you are used to. Just stop closely monitoring the weather, buying lottery tickets and expecting the world to live according to your rules. Pick one habit that gives you a sense of control over your life and try to do without it. And you will feel more confident in the surrounding reality, even if you cannot control it at will.

2. Form your own personal attitudes

Personal attitudes are a person’s generalizations about himself and the principles of life. When these attitudes are associated with anxiety, they psychologically drive a person into a corner, so that any task seems to him an insurmountable obstacle that he will never cope with. People with negative attitudes can be recognized by the phrases: “I’ll never succeed,” “Well, that’s it, this won’t end well,” “I can’t handle it,” “It’s very difficult.” If you find yourself thinking like this, it's time to change it.

The more often a person talks about and thinks about events in their life in a certain manner, the stronger the neural connections representing those thoughts become.

The emotional tone and perspective with which people interpret every event in life - and this is rooted in personality - potentially rewires the brain. For example, negative personal attitudes increase anxiety. And if your personality attitude says that you are a defective person or that you will never be able to properly use someone's help, then it deprives you of hope or expectation that you can cope with an unpleasant situation. It sets you up for failure in advance.

But everything can be changed. If you are convinced that you are not capable of starting a new relationship, reformulate this personal attitude as follows: “I am a good person, and when people get to know me better, they understand it.”

3. Be proud of what you've done

Pride is a complex feeling. The desire for constant recognition has many unwanted side effects. But when others don't acknowledge you at all, you feel like something is wrong. You can start applauding yourself for any reason, but our brain is difficult to deceive with false self-recognition.

Our brains want respect from others because such respect releases the “happy hormone” serotonin and is important for our survival prospects.

Neurophysiologists recommend hugging people and animals more often. This is another source of “happiness hormones” -.

Social recognition is an unpredictable and rather ephemeral thing. But you can stimulate the production of serotonin yourself without looking stupid in your own eyes. Just once a day, be sure to express to yourself the satisfaction of something you have done. And sometimes you can say to someone: “Look what I managed to do!” This will train your brain to be able to command a reasonable degree of social respect.

4. Difficult, but possible: achieve big goals

Set goals that seem high to you, but achievable. Positive emotions come over you when the task or problem facing you is “just right” for you.

Imagine if you're bored studying for an exam, overconfident in your knowledge, or just lazy, chances are you'll fail. But if you panic too much, that won't do you any good either. The golden mean between a state of increased anxiety and complete indifference best promotes memory and learning. And in general it has a beneficial effect on brain function.

Do what you want - .

Instead of avoiding anxiety at all costs, it is better to face it head-on and learn to manage it for your benefit. An analogy with skiing is that if you lean too far back on your skis, you'll be more likely to fall, but if you lean your body forward a little, you'll have better control, even when going down a very steep slope.

Moderate stress is good for the brain.

5. Watch your breath

Different types of breathing determine different emotional states. By learning to control your breathing, you can achieve the state and mood you want.

Typically, humans have a resting breathing rate of 9 to 16 breaths per minute. In a state of panic attack, this figure increases to 27 inhalations and exhalations per minute. As your breathing rate increases, you experience many of the symptoms associated with a panic attack, including numbness, tingling, dry mouth, and dizziness.

Since the cardiovascular system integrates the respiratory and circulatory systems, rapid breathing causes the heart rate to increase, making a person even more anxious. But when breathing slows down, the heartbeat simultaneously slows down, which promotes calm and relaxation.

To learn to relax, you need to make an effort and control your breathing.

Over the past few thousand years, many cultures around the world have developed relaxation techniques (). They activated the parasympathetic nervous system, although it was not even known to exist. A variety of techniques are aimed at achieving a state of calm and “silence of the mind.” Breathing control is one of the simplest, most accessible and effective.

In life, we are faced with disappointments and disappointments every now and then. You can blame the world around you, your boss, your partner, your country, even yourself for imperfections. But there is no escape from this. Therefore, there is only one way to stay happy, joyful and calm - to reconfigure your brain and change your attitude towards what is happening.

It is believed that with greater physical activity, a person’s brain develops better. Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California found that mice running on a spinning wheel had twice as many cells in the area of ​​the brain responsible for learning and memory.

1. Play sports.

Why are the mental abilities of more active rodents better? Voluntary physical activity is less difficult and therefore more beneficial. This means that when you exercise for fun, you become sharper and happier.

2. Train your thinking.

It's not just physical exercise that's important. You can develop different areas of your brain by making them work. Professor Katz says thinking and analyzing the world around you can improve the functioning of dormant parts of the brain. Try new tastes and smells. Try doing things with your left hand (if you're right-handed, and vice versa). Travel to new places. Make art. Read Dostoevsky's novel.

3. Ask “Why?”

Our brains are predisposed to curiosity. Allow yourself to be curious. The best way to develop curiosity is to constantly ask the question “Why?” Make it a new habit (at least 10 times a day). You will be amazed at how many opportunities will open up for you in life and work.

4. Laugh more.

Scientists say that laughter is good for our health. During this process, endorphins are released and this helps us relieve stress. In this way, laughter can recharge our brain.

5. Eat fish.

The oil found in walnuts and fish has long been considered beneficial only for the heart. But a recent study found that it is also beneficial for the brain. Not only does the air circulation system that supplies oxygen to the head improve, but the function of cell membranes also improves. This is why people who consume a lot of fish are less susceptible to depression, dementia, and even attention disorders. Scientists have noted that fatty substances are essential for the mental development of children. It is possible that your own mental development and even intelligence can be improved with sufficient consumption of this oil. Eat at least three pieces of fish per week. For example, salmon or tuna.

6. Develop your memory.

The brain is a memory machine. Take an old photo album or school diary. Spend time with your memories. Let your mind reflect, remember. Positive emotions from memories will help you cope with problems.

7. Eat right.

Can unhealthy fats make you stupid? Researchers at the University of Toronto answered this question. They put rats on a diet that reduced their fat intake, causing the rodents to experience poorer functioning of the parts of their brains responsible for memory and spatial perception. But the situation was worse with the diet, when the percentage of fat content was increased. Fat can reduce the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your brain. You can consume about 30% of your calories daily as fat, but most of them should come from the aforementioned fish, olive oil, and nuts. Avoid fats found in crackers and snack foods.

8. Solve the riddle.

Some of us love mosaics, some crosswords, and some of us love logic riddles. These are all very good ways to activate your brain and keep it active. Solve the riddle for fun, but by doing it, know that you are training your brain.

9. Mozart effect.

A decade ago, psychologist Francis Roscher and his colleagues made a discovery. It turns out that listening to Mozart's music improves people's mathematical thinking. Even rats completed mazes faster and more accurately after listening to Mozart than after listening to noise or the music of minimalist composer Philip Glass. Last year, Roscher reported that in rats, a Mozart sonata stimulates the activity of three genes associated with cells that transmit signals to the brain. This is the most harmonious way to improve your mental abilities. But before you grab the CDs, be aware that not everyone who strives for the Mozart effect gets it. In addition, even its supporters are inclined to believe that music improves brain power because it makes listeners feel better. The body is simultaneously relaxed and stimulated.

10. Improve your skills.

Routine activities such as sewing, reading, drawing and crossword puzzles are important. Challenge yourself to do these things in new ways to improve your skills. Read new books, learn new ways of drawing, solve more difficult crossword puzzles. Achieving better results will help keep your brain healthy.

11.Reduce the amount of alcohol.

A study of 3,500 Japanese men found that those who drank small amounts of alcohol had better cognitive function than those who did not drink at all. But, unfortunately, as soon as you drink more than you should, your memory immediately deteriorates. A study on rats determined that those who consumed a lot of alcohol lost cells immediately after drinking it. It has been proven that alcohol not only damages mental abilities, but also interferes with their recovery.

12. Play.

If you have free time, play. Make time for games. Play cards, video games, board games. It doesn't matter what you play. The game will improve your mood and brain function. This will teach your brain to think strategically.

13. Sleep with a pen and paper.

Reviewing key information before bed will improve its retention by 20-30%. You can keep a book near your bed to read before bed if it does not tire you too much. And be sure to keep a pen and notepad next to your bed. If any obsessive thought appears, it will not let you fall asleep until you “redirect” it to paper.

14. Concentration.

Concentration can improve brain function. But “thieves of concentration” are not always noticeable. Learn to notice when you are distracted. If you were supposed to make a phone call, for example, the thought might linger all morning, disrupting your clarity of thought. You may not even realize that this thought is bothering you. Get into the habit of thinking and asking yourself: “What thoughts are running through my head right now?” In our example, you could redirect the phone call to your to-do list. This can relieve you of this thought and help you think more clearly.

15. Love for the brain.

A series of studies by Dr. Cutler and his colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania and later at Stanford University found that regular sexual intercourse had beneficial effects on women. Sexual intercourse at least once a week resulted in regular menstrual cycles, shorter periods, delayed menopause, increased estrogen levels and slowed the aging process. Increasing estrogen levels by having more sex helps improve brain function. In Dr. Cutler's study, having an orgasm was not as important. Intimacy and emotional connection were the most influential factors.

16. Play with passion.

When people incorporate learning and creativity into their lives, they are 127% more productive in their work. Admire yourself and admire the world. Remember what you loved to do as a child and do it as an adult. This is the key to your genius. Da Vinci, Edison, Einstein, Picasso - they all loved to play and explore.

17. Cycles of consciousness.

Determine the time when your consciousness is most active. If you set this time, you can do your most important tasks at this time.

18. Learn something new.

This may seem obvious. Surely you have a topic that interests you most. It doesn't matter whether it's work or leisure. If you don’t have such a topic, then try to learn the meaning of a new word every day. There is a big correlation between vocabulary and your intelligence. When our vocabulary is constantly updated with new words, our intellect can work differently. Work while you study!

19. Write.

Keeping a personal diary is very useful, primarily for you. This is very good brain stimulation. Keeping notes allows you to expand your brain's capabilities. Find ways to write so others can read you. These could be stories from your childhood that your friends might find interesting. Start a blog so others can read you.

20. Aromatherapy to activate the brain.

Aromas can be used to uplift or relax. “Energy drinks” include mint, cypress and lemon. For relaxation you will need geranium and rose. A few drops of oils in your bath or diffuser will be sufficient. You can also use a handkerchief - a couple of drops will be enough. First make sure that you are not allergic to this oil.

21. Drugs to activate the brain.

Coffee and other caffeinated drinks help students score higher on tests. But the coffee won't last long. Instead of coffee breaks, try Gingko Biloba tea. It will improve blood flow to the brain and concentration.

22. Surround yourself with inspiration.

Connect with people who inspire you. Read magazines on various topics. Open up new possibilities. Find new solutions to problems. No matter how old you are or what you do, your brain just needs exercise. This could be logic puzzles, memorizing Shakespeare, or learning a new language. Make your brain work hard if you don't want it to rust like a car in a junkyard.

Happiness is not in what you do and there is no happiness in what you get as a result of your actions. Happiness is you. You are looking for happiness, but really you are looking for yourself!

Everyone knows that money does not buy happiness, but everyone wants to see for themselves.

When a person thinks, it seems to people that he knows something that others do not know.

An inexplicable thing is the soul. Nobody knows where he is, but everyone knows how much it hurts.

If you can imagine something, you can achieve it.

Don't let the noise of other people's opinions drown out your inner voice, because for some reason it already knows what you need to do.

I confess to you, the longer I live, the more clearly I understand that the main thing in life is to know firmly what you want and not allow yourself to be misled by those who think they know better.

Whatever you do, do it with love or don’t do it at all. People ask themselves how to become tireless. The secret is simple: love what you do and those for whom you do it.

You can get everything you need if you really need it.

Loneliness is not that no one needs you, your phone is silent, no one loves you, you are unclaimed... Loneliness is a feeling of inner emptiness. Loneliness is, first of all, about the fact that you are not needed by only one person: yourself - and therefore you are not interesting to others either.

Today, experts continue to study the specifics of the human brain, especially when it comes to memory, sleep or, say, meditation. At a subconscious level, the brain can process a whole bunch of information coming from the environment or directly from a person’s internal organs. The brain has the power to convince us that something that never happened is true, or to make us procrastinate. However, we can also force the brain to do something, hack it, so to speak, and gain control over productivity, emotions, and even sleep patterns.

How to make your brain work for you: 7 useful brainhacks

You can maximize your potential and feel better every day by learning to force your brain to do what you need.

Brainhack No. 1: how to force your brain to see the dreams you need

It happens: you are sleeping and suddenly realize that you are in a dream, and you can control the events occurring in it. There are several ways to have a lucid dream:

• keep a dream journal (after waking up, write down the plot of the dream and the details that you remember - this way you will force your brain to notice and remember details from your dreams);
• remember the hours of lucid dreams (most often lucid dreams come to us immediately before waking up or when we fall asleep after waking up);
• before going to bed, think about what you want to see in your dream;
• Before you fall asleep, repeat to yourself “I know that I am dreaming” (this way you can not completely turn off your consciousness during sleep).

Brainhack #2: How to force your brain to filter negative thoughts

The causes of irritability can be different, but we are accustomed to associate its sources with negative thoughts. Instead of reacting negatively to people and events that lead to stress, try to direct your thoughts towards positivity. After some time, it will become easier and easier to do this - you will train your brain to see the good even in seemingly negative situations. You will learn to cope with stress faster and more effectively.

Brainhack #3: How to make your brain feel happier

Wishing for happiness is one thing, but doing what makes you happy is quite another. Sometimes little things are enough for happiness: spending time with a loved one, helping a stranger, smiling, taking a walk. An excellent technique that will help you become happier is remembering joyful events.

Brainhack #4: How to force your brain to reduce pain

Painful sensations are controlled by the brain, and you can tell the brain to reduce their intensity. Research shows that people who touch a wound or look directly at the source of pain experience less severe pain. Also, to relieve pain, try meditation: imagine that you are in a beautiful and calm place, try to imagine sounds, smells - this will distract the brain from physical pain and reduce the level of stress hormones.

Brainhack #5: How to force your brain to remember a person’s name

If you have difficulty remembering names when meeting new people, try saying the name a few times after you first hear it. For example, instead of “Nice to meet you,” say “Nice to meet you, Andrey,” and then use this name when talking, for example, ask this person something. Repetition will help you remember new information.

Brain hack #6: how to force your brain to focus

Productivity increases after rest. Research has shown that giving the brain a break is essential for memory consolidation. So the next time you learn something new, relax your mind or try taking a nap.

Brainhack #7: How to turn an enemy into a friend

If for some reason you don’t like a person, but you are forced to communicate with him, you can force your brain to look at this person in a different light. It turns out that overcoming difficulties together brings people closer together. This method is perfect for a work environment - find a common goal, and the emotions that you will experience along the way to this goal will help break the ice and make your relationship better.