Last update: 17 September, 2020
We can be happier by doing mental training exercises? There is good news: Yes! The past two decades of research in the field of positive psychology has revealed that mental training is not only possible, it can also stimulate our brains. Its functions can change thanks to the improvement of neural flexibility, the increase of gray matter and the strengthening of the neuronal network.
There are different types of exercises to stimulate various muscle groups and physical qualities. Likewise, we can develop skills that allow us to improve our overall feeling of well-being and happiness.
Why is mental training necessary to achieve happiness? The answer is very simple. Neuroimaging shows us that the brain produces more electrical activity after receiving negative stimuli. We associate the brain's tendency to focus on negative aspects with a fight or flight response on our part.
Mental training helps us cancel negative responses when they are inappropriate. In other words, we need to hone our mental skills through positive thinking exercises. We should make positive thinking a habit, so we will experience positive transformations in almost all areas of our life.
We will see below several exercises that will help you train your brain for happiness and success.
Exercises for mental training
1. Be grateful
An integral part of human nature is thinking about the immediate future, where the next challenge will be. This thought allows us to move forward, it gives us the strength to progress. Nonetheless, all of this loses its power to make us happy when we forget to be grateful.
Gratitude has such a powerful effect because it is a reminder of what we already have. Plus, it can underline a message: we don't need all the things we think are indispensable.
Gratitude offers various physical and psychological benefits, including happiness. Don't forget, therefore, to be thankful, for example by thanking at breakfast or through a diary before going to bed. This helps the brain to focus on the positive things and makes it harder for us to ignore the good things that happen in our life. It may be the simplest, but most effective, way to increase our well-being.
2. Conscious breathing
Breathing has an incredible effect when controlled. In many cases we don't know the true potential of our breathing. It can act as a calming agent or a tension reliever. Anger, anxiety, fear, stress and tension almost automatically contribute to shallow breathing.
All you need is five minutes of conscious breathing. If you are anxious, sad, tormented, spend five minutes, several times a day, on your breathing. It could be the starting point for a meditation exercise.
“Life does not wait for anyone, it happens. It is not found in the future as a goal to be reached. It is here now, in this moment. It is found in the breath, in the blood, in the heartbeats. It is life and if you look for meaning elsewhere, you lose it. "
-Osho-
3. Smile
Many studies show that smiling, in a natural way or by reproducing the gesture in an unconscious way, produces happiness in the brain and in the body. This happens because when we smile, no matter how it happens, we send a message of happiness to the brain.
The results of a longitudinal study from the University of California Berkley. In this 30-year study, the researchers looked at the smiles of students from an old yearbook and calculated their well-being and success from this.
The researchers also analyzed the pupils' satisfaction and duration of marriage. Finally, they looked at their grades in a standardized welfare test and analyzed how well they inspired others. Whoever smiled the most in the photo scored higher in all the parameters mentioned.
In reality, the exercise of smiling is very simple. On the one hand, we have the opportunity to laugh and smile every day seeing things we like, visiting people we like, reading funny things, etc. On the other hand, remember to always put a smile on your face and take it for a walk. Smile when you greet others and when you give thanks. Always do it as a first approach to people. It's easy, fun, and rewarding. Plus, it makes you and those who see your smile happy.
