Changing the Way You Think

10:8:20

2024-01-24

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1- Practice mindfulness. When you are mindful, you are living in the moment. Your mind is not focused on the past or present, but on the here and now. Being mindful also means acknowledging your thoughts, feelings, and present situation without judgment.

Don’t: Earlier today, someone budged in front of you in line at the grocery store. You thought about saying something, but decided against it. Now you can’t stop thinking about how angry you felt at that moment; you practice over and over again in your mind the things you wish you had said to that person.
Do: Whenever the angry memory of that person budging in front of you pops into your head, acknowledge it but then let it go. Think, “yes, I felt angry then, but I don’t have to waste time feeling angry now,” and then return your awareness to the present moment. In a sense, being mindful means getting out of your head (and into the moment)!

2- Pay attention to your surroundings. This is connected to being mindful. Practice making a mental photograph of your surroundings. Really pay attention to the things around you — the colors, the smells, the people, the weather. Live in the moment.

3- Avoid multitasking. Studies have shown that your brain cannot efficiently switch between tasks, meaning that when you multitask, you actually lose time. Research has also shown that we are less likely to retain what we learn when we’re multitasking. In short, if you want to remember something, don’t do it while multitasking!

4- Learn new things. Learn a language, play an instrument, increase your vocabulary — learning new things will keep your brain on its toes, so to speak. When we do the same things every day, our brain doesn’t receive the stimulation it needs to grow, so be sure to introduce new things regularly.

You might also try learning different ways of using your senses — for example, brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand (if you’re right-handed, use your left) or turning a book upside down and reading it that way for 10 minutes.

5- Involve all of your senses in creating a memory. Studies show that using multiple senses helps us better understand and remember new concepts.If you want to remember something, visualize it, write it down, and say it out loud.

If you are trying to remember someone’s name, visualize them with their name written on their head. As you do this, say their name out loud.
If you are trying to memorize a language, pick 10 to 20 words to remember each day, and write each of them out 10 times while saying them out loud. You might even do this a few times until you can write and say each word perfectly, without having to think about it.
Flash cards are a good example of how you can enlist visualization, writing, and speaking to create memories; they are a wonderful tool for studying.

6- Repeat things. If you want to help a memory stick in your brain, say it out loud as you complete the activity associated with it.

When you meet someone new, say their name as you shake their hand (“Hi Sam”), then say it again when you finish the conversation (“It was nice meeting you, Sam”) or, if that feels weird, you can say it quietly to yourself as you walk away.