When a pandemic has been going on for more than a year, making your health a priority may seem like an insurmountable effort. According to the results of a survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, around four in ten Americans report experiencing symptoms of anxiety or despair. It’s become the new standard.
But is it possible for us to learn how to feel better on our own? In fact, at Yale, there was a course that attempted to accomplish just that, and it was taught by a professor of psychology.
You can rewire your anxious brain to be happier and more positive via the process of neuroplasticity, and with all the latest research demonstrating this, the odds are good that you’re ready to take advantage of this opportunity. As a result, here is a list of the most efficient methods to rewire your anxious brain to be happy, as well as the steps you need to take to begin incorporating these strategies into your own life.
Before we get into the myriad of ways in which you may start rewiring your brain to be happy, you probably have a lot of questions about how something like this is even feasible. In a nutshell, new research has shown that your brain can be rewired via a process called neuroplasticity. This implies that you have the ability to remove unfavorable brain connections to further enhance your anxiety or perhaps get rid of it entirely.
How Can You Rewire Your Anxious Brain to Experience Joy?
Let’s not waste any time and get straight to the good part: the things you can do to boost your mental health. There are many different methods that you may begin to alter the negative brain connections that you have into positive brain connections. Many of these ways can be simply done right in the comfort of your own home, and they don’t cost anything or need much in the way of work.
1. The extraordinary power that comes from visualizing
Neuroplasticity is responsible for the rewiring of your anxious brain, which occurs as a consequence of two processes: neurogenesis, which refers to the formation of new neurons, and synaptogenesis (new connections between neurons). Through practices like meditation, introspective self-inquiry, mindfulness, and the formulation of meaningful questions, as well as visualization, you may foster the expansion of these two aspects of yourself.
You may take an intangible goal and transform it into a concrete image that not only motivates but also directs your actions by using visualization. According to the findings of research that was published under the title “The Future of Memory: Remembering, Imagining, and the Brain,” the human brain is not always capable of differentiating between a memory and a vision of the future.
When you can see yourself having achieved your objective, both you and your brain are better able to work toward making that vision a reality.
2. Your mind may be rewired via meditation
Meditation is not something to scoff at before moving on to the next stage of rewiring your brain.. There is a common misunderstanding that meditation is something that can only be done by yogis and that it entails reciting strange sayings, performing voodoo spells, and other such activities. This mistake began at some point in the past. This statement couldn’t be farther from the truth if it tried.
The goal of meditation is to stop the chattering of the mind using certain breathing exercises. That sums it up well. It has been shown to offer a multitude of advantages for mental health, with the most recent finding being that it has the power to rewire your brain.
Research studies that were presented and published in the journal Psychiatry Research demonstrate that you just need to meditate for a minimum of two minutes each day to begin reaping the advantages, which include permanently rewiring your brain.
3. Make it a Habit
You need to engage in daily visualization exercises for a minimum of six weeks, ranging from five to ten minutes, in order to rewire your anxious brain in a way that is sustainable over time.
Try to complete the routine either just before you go to bed or first thing in the morning if you find that you are too busy throughout the day to perform it. Ask yourself the following questions before beginning the process of visualizing what you want to happen:
- What is my special talent?
- What exactly will I gain?
- Where does my enthusiasm lie?
- Where am I supposed to go from here?
- Where do I want to go with this?
It is essential to visualize yourself or what you want to become as well as what you want to achieve. For instance, you may like to give an incredible presentation that will leave a lasting impression on your manager. Imagine going up to the front of the office, speaking with self-assurance, and then being greeted with a standing ovation after your speech.
4. Spend Some Time Journaling and Thinking About It
Writing in a journal regularly has been shown to have numerous positive effects on mental health. Recent research found that those who spent twenty minutes writing about a pleasant event noticed a significant increase in their level of enjoyment.
You don’t even have to write the words down, and you don’t even need to be able to write. You may do anything that comes to mind, such as scrawl, doodle, automatic write, or jot down random sentences. To reflect, all you need to do is make a conscious decision to rewire your anxious brain and commit your thoughts to paper.
5. Take Part in Five Acts of Random Kindness per Week
Your level of happiness may increase noticeably if you show consideration for other people at least five times per week. It may be anything as easy as holding the door wide for a stranger, paying for someone else’s coffee, providing a meal to someone who is homeless, or sending a message of gratitude to someone. If you engage in creative activity five times a week, you may begin to rewire your anxious brain such that you have a more optimistic outlook.
