Harden Elkington
A mental hack is a technique of altering the functions of the neuronal system, such as perceptions, focuses, awareness, and so on, for the purpose of (temporarily) boosting them.
According to the manner that neurons operate, mental hacks generally influence the brain through two overlapping but distinct mechanisms:
The central processing system is made up of the neurotransmitter and hormonal system, as well as interactions between various but interacting brain regions.
Knowing these concepts will help you find the ideal mental hacks for each individual since there are several methods to modify such a system, which vary from one person to the next.
This article will try to give you a list of simple and easy to do mental hacks.
Of course, it is noteworthy that these mental hacks don’t directly affect the central processing system, they just affect other regions or neuronal pathways that in turn alter the central processing system.
While it should be obvious, I’ll go ahead and say that the effects of mental hacks are temporary, unless you’re doing an actual brain rewiring.
Only this last type of alteration has lasting results since they usually directly target the central processing system.
But these procedures are usually invasive or require plenty of training (for example, meditation).
Typical mental ploys that primarily impact the neurotransmitter/hormone system:
The effect of this kind is faster when these stimuli are known to alter your mind state substantially.
It is noteworthy that a sensory overload might have a similar effect.
As an example, a person who feels threatened or anxious may experience an increased heart rate and blood pressure, as well as sweating. But there are also those who have the opposite response to such stimuli: they become extremely relaxed and feel comfortable in these circumstances.
- Reduce the portion sizes and take your time when eating. The brain will be tricked into believing that you’ve eaten considerably more than you have.
- You may have a light touch to help you curb your sweet tooth cravings. It’s surprising that yogurt, which tastes essentially the same as a heavy ice cream scone, can satisfy us when we desire more for the latter. And it’s due to the fact that they affect the same brain signaling pathways. Once our body has enough energy and nutrients from the yogurt, there’s simply no need to keep eating.
- Keep a set of favorite photographs on hand to view more often. Overall, the pleasant sentiments evoked by the pictures will serve as conditioning.
The brain will create similar pleasurable responses when identical situations are presented again.
This will fool the brain into believing that the greatest events captured in the photos are a standard and that one’s daily life is better than it is in reality.
- Other variations of similar tactics all improve the reward system and/or reduce stress (or fight-or-flight) reactivity.
- Stimulate yourself with pleasurable daily routines, such as taking a shower or enjoying another kind of physical activity (running, cycling, etc.). You may also want to read something humorous or listen to uplifting songs. This will create a positive mood that in turn boosts your mental capabilities related to productivity, problem solving and critical thinking.
- It’s known that the brain is more receptive in the mornings, but there are still plenty of benefits if you do these tricks during mid-day or at any other time of the day.
Here are some practical instances
- Breaking down large projects into tiny steps and going through them bit by little helps to relieve tension.
Because each step is easier to complete, focusing on small chunks one at a time reduces stress levels while also increasing pleasure.
- Begin with a less difficult task and/or skip the processes and imagine the good results, such as how nice it will feel when it’s all over. As a result, the pleasure system will kick in sooner and stay longer, resulting in reduced unpleasant emotions.
Keep a bag of tiny techniques on hand to relieve stress and strengthen the pleasure system, and employ them consciously on a daily basis. It will make your everyday routine much more enjoyable for both you and others around you.
The techniques mentioned in the article are supposed to help you with your everyday life, but there are other options that may come up if you’re willing to get help.
Other than this, changing some of your daily habits can also improve the way you feel and act by using some tricks!
- See also: What are the psychological effects of being a daily social media user?
- See also: Is schizophrenia curable? And how the symptoms can be managed
Common mental ploys that rely on the synergistic and/or counter-balancing/balanced interactions of various brain areas
Overall, engaging more areas and synchronizing diverse inputs may provide significant advantages.
- Don’t just think about it while attempting to persuade yourself of something. Speak it out, write it down, and read it.
This method calls on the visual and auditory components to stimulate several sections of the brain, helping to strengthen the connection between the positive outcome (which has not yet occurred) with awareness.
The same words from others sound more convincing than ones you say yourself.
If you want to pass an exam, get a job interview, keep your New Year’s resolution, and so on, speak them out loud, write them down and read what other people have said about it, and hear them repeat the identical message to you.
Taking in the words via the ears and eyes is more effective than when they’re just presented to you in your head.
- Even just for a moment, here are some hacks to divert the brain from overwhelming cravings and pain:
The feeling of wanting, sadness, anxiety, urges, and other similar “evil” emotions are caused by disturbances in one’s brain: an overactive emotional center amygdala, a misregulated reward center basal ganglia that is out of control. As a result, it is advisable to elicit the operations of various brain areas such as the cortex logic area.
Some practical hacks:
- Counting, or practicing basic arithmetic, is a great way to strengthen your math skills. It’s easy enough that the reasoning area can get activated, while also being difficult enough that the signals from other sections are dampened and easier to handle.
- Find a subject of attention and attempt to figure out information. Find objects in the distance, such as a tree or a white cloud, and try to describe them. Once more, concentrate on the quantitative characteristics that are more likely to activate the cortex. The last mile becomes much simpler after that.
- Use senses such as taste, touch, and movement to deceive the brain. All of those actions send signals to different parts of the brain, which are frequently under-stimulated, so they will be quite helpful in restoring balance in over-activated areas.
There are more practical methods that use the same technique available. Each person has his or her own set of strings to pull. Learn your own and start utilizing them. The power of various regions will over time become more synchronized. Instead of over-activation, there will be balance and you will miss the feeling of craving or pain.
