“8. Smile. Even if you don’t feel like it, the mere act of smiling repetitively helps to interrupt mood disorders and strengthen the brain’s neural ability to maintain a positive outlook on life.”
* tickle tickle *
Get your smile on, yo!
Thich Nhat Hanh (see Notes on Peace Is Every Step) tells us: “You know a smile can relax hundreds of muscles in your face. Wearing a smile on your face is a sign that you are master of yourself.”
And, here’s how Robert Emmons puts it in his great book Thanks (see Notes): “An ingenious series of experiments conducted a number of years ago showed that when people mimicked the facial expressions associated with happiness, they felt happier—even when they did not know they were moving “happy muscles” in their face. Researchers have found that smiling itself produces feelings of happiness.”
Even if you don’t *feel* like it, the simple act of smiling will help you feel better.
So go for it. :)
“7. Stay intellectually active. This should be (if you will pardon the pun) a no-brainer. When it comes to the dendrites and axons that connect one neuron to thousands of others, if you don’t use it, you will lose it.”
This should be, indeed, a no-brainer!
Use it or lose it! :)
Query: Are you using it or losing it?! :)
“6. Consciously relax. I’m not talking about taking a nap, or assuming the position of a couch potato in front of your television set. I’m talking about deliberately scanning each part of your body to reduce muscle tension and physical fatigue.”
In How to Stop Worrying and Start Living (see Notes), Dale Carnegie tells us about the importance of relaxing throughout the day—reminding us that anxiety and relaxation just can’t coexist!
He tells us to “Relax in odd moments. Let your body go limp like an old sock.”
Try it right now. Go limp like an old sock. :)
Fact us, it’s impossible to be simultaneously anxious and super relaxed.
Robert Emmons puts it brilliantly: “The basic observation that positive emotions are somehow incompatible with negative emotions is not a new idea and has been demonstrated over several decades. Back in the 1950s, this basic principle of emotional incompatibility provided the basis of behavioral therapies designed to treat phobias and other anxiety disorders. One simply cannot be relaxed and stressed at the same time. Try it. You can’t. Relaxation drives out anxiety and vice versa. The Buddha said that “Hatred cannot coexist with loving-kindness, and dissipates if supplanted with thoughts based on loving-kindness.” You cannot be grateful and resentful at the same time, or forgiving and vengeful. When we are savoring the moment we cannot be regretting the past.”
So… Relax! :)
“5. Yawn. Go ahead: Laugh if you want (though you’ll benefit your brain more if you smile), but in my professional opinion, yawning is one of the best-kept secrets in neuroscience.”
Who would’ve guessed?! Yawning has huge benefits.
Check out the book for more details but seriously. Try it out.
Gimme a couple yawns right now! :)
“4. Meditate… Even ten to fifteen minutes of meditation appears to have significantly positive effects on cognition, relaxation, and psychological health, and it has been shown to reduce smoking and binge-drinking behavior. There’s even solid evidence that meditating before taking a test will significantly improve your score.”
Meditation. We went off on it before. It’s big.
Keep this wisdom from Eknath Easwaran in mind and let’s remember to warm up properly: “Meditation is warm-up exercise for the mind, so that you can jog through the rest of the day without getting agitated or spraining your patience.”
“3. Aerobic exercise. Vigorous exercise strengthens every part of the brain, as well as what it is connected to—the body. If you’re between the ages of eighteen and ninety, exercise is going to lengthen your life.”
Exercise. Did you know a good workout gets not only your body but also your BRAIN in shape?! Yep.
Check out the Note on Spark by John Raitey where he outlines the science of exercise and tells us this: “I want to cement the idea that exercise has a profound impact on cognitive abilities and mental health. It is simply one of the best treatments we have for most psychiatric problems.”
And this: “I tell people that going for a run is like taking a little bit of Prozac and a little bit of Ritalin because, like the drugs, exercise elevates these neurotransmitters. It’s a handy metaphor to get the point across, but the deeper explanation is that exercise balances neurotransmitters — along with the rest of the neurochemicals in the brain. And as you’ll see, keeping your brain in balance can change your life.”
You exercising yet? Get on that!! (Pretty, please. :)
“2. Dialogue with others... If we don’t exercise our language skills, large portions of the brain will not effectively interconnect with other neural structures. Dialogue requires social interaction, and the more social ties we have, the less our cognitive abilities will decline.”
Makes sense, eh? You taking the time to have great dialogues with others?!
“1. Faith… If we don’t have faith that we’re making the best decision we can, then we will be swallowed up in doubt. And doubt, at least as far as your brain is concerned, is a precarious state in which to live. Faith is equivalent with hope, optimism, and the belief that a positive future awaits us. Faith can also be defined as the ability to trust our beliefs, even when we have no such proof that such beliefs are accurate or true.”
Faith. It’s HUGE.
