According to a Cleveland clinic, we have around 60,000 thoughts a day. 95% of the time these thoughts are the same day in and day out.
Whenever you have a thought, there is a corresponding chemical reaction in your mind and body as a result. This is important to realize because it means that what you think can affect how you feel. And by the same token, if you are feeling poorly or negatively, you can change that by changing how you think.
Positive emotions impact the brain’s prefrontal cortex – located in the front of the brain. When the prefrontal cortex is activated, there is an increase in activity and zeal. The increase in positivity establishes heightened mental reactions such as creative thinking, intellectual adaptability, and an increase in the brain’s capacity to process information. Our attention span is increased, and we think in terms of “we” instead of “me.”
As humans in this stressful modern world, it is impossible to not be stressed or avoid situations triggering negative emotions. The need of the hour is to continuously train our brains to learn new ways to destress.
Creativity boosts our connectivity between their left and right brains. The left brain is responsible for logical thinking, while the right brain focuses on out-of-box, creative thinking. When the two hemispheres of your brain communicate with each other, your cognitive function improves.
It’s pretty amazing that doing the activities that make us feel good (see that dopamine rush) are genuinely good for us. Grab a pen and start writing, doodling, or coloring. Get your hands dirty with pottery or gardening. Listen to some music, or pick up an instrument. Whatever you decide to do, it’s time to start getting creative!
These are also grounding exercises and calming activities, a process through which one gets so engrossed in what they are creating they do not have to focus on the chaos of the thoughts.
These mind tricks and re-wiring ‘flow’ into your work life, helping you focus on your work at hand, without getting perturbed by what is happening around you, losing yourself in it completely.
