Yes, you can rewire your brain to be more happy and productive

If you went to school in the Unites States you are probably familiar with the white-washing episode from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. After a fight with his half-brother, Sid, Tom dirties his clothes and his Aunt Polly makes him whitewash the fence the next day as a punishment.

Most children in this situation would either rebel or do the chore feeling bitter. Tom Sawyer had a different strategy. Instead of viewing it as a punishment, he pretended it was a privilege and he cleverly persuaded his friends to trade him small treasures for the pleasure of doing his work.

Even at a young age, Tom Sawyer understood that he could instantly change how happy or sad he felt just by changing his perception of the situation. He even made his friends happy by giving them the privilege of whitewashing a fence!

We all have the ability to turn our experiences around by viewing the gift or opportunity in what might seem like a misfortune. If you lose your job, your next job might be even better! (I have heard this from multiple people). If you have survived a personal crisis or serious illness, the lessons you learned from that experience make you a stronger person, and possibly even more successful in the future.

But, isn’t it a little contrived or hypocritical to “pretend” to be happy when you lose your wallet, have a fight with your significant other or get a bad review from your thesis committee? Sure, these situations are unpleasant and most people would respond with anger and frustration. So, what is the point of trying to be “happy” during our daily struggles of getting stuck in traffic of trying to stay on top of piles of work?

Shawn Achor, author of the “The Happiness Advantage,” argues that when you are happy, you are actually more productive. So it is not just a matter of pretending to be happy, since happiness turns on the learning centers of the brain that help you to perform better at work. Most Americans are sleep-deprived, work long hours, and have little time to prepare nutritious foods.  So who has time for happiness-boosting exercises?

It turns out that by changing a few very simple habits you can significantly increase your happiness and productivity, and the time commitment is minimal. According to Achor, you can actually rewire your brain to be more optimistic and resourceful, if you follow some simple strategies for 21 days in a row.

I know this strategy works, because following these simple steps has helped me to get job offers and coaching clients. If you had a choice, wouldn’t you want to work with someone who is generally a happy person? In my work experience I have noticed that happier people are more resourceful, and as a result they are more productive.

The five components of the program to make you happier are:

1)    Exercise

It is well-known that vigorous exercise releases endorphins in the brain that make you happy. In addition, exercise keeps you in shape, which further increases your self-confidence. What I like most about exercise, especially if it is challenging, is that it also trains your mind to focus. Anyone who has done rigorous exercise regimens (weight-lifting, running, swimming) knows that you have good days and bad days. It is not that on bad days you have less muscle mass; our muscle mass does not fluctuate that rapidly.

However, on some days you are less focused, either due to personal issues or lack of sleep. If you do learn to focus your mind during exercise, you can carry over this focus to your professional life and help you turn challenges into growth opportunities . What if you don’t have time for exercise? Any movement, even just a 15 minute walk during your lunch hour, will help to clear your mind and see things from a new perspective.

 2)    Gratitude

Anyone who is reading this blog  can probably fill a whole book with things to be thankful for. Fresh water, fresh air, air conditioning, and heating systems are everyday commodities that we for granted. Yet in many parts of the world people need to walk a mile to get fresh water. In some cities people wear gas masks due to pollution and cannot play sports outside.

Just bringing simple luxuries  into your awareness daily can help you realize how many other things you can be grateful for. Maybe your thesis or work is not going as well as it could, but perhaps there is a support group or a professor who can help you? Being grateful takes no time at all. Every time you drink water or take a breath of air, remember the simple luxuries that most people in the world could only hope for.

3)    One random act of kindness a day

This is my favorite, because it is so simple to brighten up someone’s day. It is really the small things that matter. I remember that once at work I was buying lunch and I handed my credit card to the cashier lady. She had been swiping credit cards for an hour and swiped mine robotically without looking up. I realized how monotonous her job was and I simple said “Thank you Kate, I hope you have a great day!”  She looked at me with surprise and a big smile. From that day on she always greeted me with a smile in the lunch line.

Small acts of kindness, letting someone in on the highway, smiling at your coworkers, your children’s teachers, and even petting animals can make you happy instantly. The best part is that when you put a smile on someone else’s face, you cannot help but smile too.

4)    Acknowledging and appreciating yourself at the end of every day for what you have done

Did you ever have one of those days where you felt like you accomplished nothing? Negative feelings about our accomplishments can bring our self-esteem down and lead to even less productivity the next day. Why not turn this spiral around? Even if you feel like you have not made any progress, acknowledge yourself for any tiny accomplishment – you got out of bed, showed up at work, and completed a small part of a project.

No matter how small a step you took (even if you just sent one email or made one phone call) recognize that you took a step in the right direction. Make a few notes in your calendar to keep track of your accomplisments. The more you acknowledge yourself, the more your confidence will increase and the more happy and productive you will be.

5)    Mediation or prayer

This was the habit I was most resistant to – especially on a daily basis. At the end of the day I just want to fall in bed. Mediating just seemed like an extra task that would eat into my sleep. However, I always like to kill 2 (or 3 birds) with one stone and meditation is a perfect example of how I can do that.

One evening I sat down on a cushion to meditate, wondering how 15 minutes could rewire my brain. I then realized that meditation is a perfect time to express gratitude and acknowledge myself for my accomplishments. I now begin my meditation practice daily by being thankful for all the people who have helped me during the day, as well as any good fortune that came my way. I then acknowledge myself for showing up for my work and other people. Then, I proceed on to meditate, and just breathe for 10-15 minute.

It is amazing how this simple practice calms your mind and actually improves the quality of your sleep. So, you might have 15 minutes less sleep, but you will sleep more soundly. In fact, I now wake up many mornings refreshed without my alarm clock.

There is no doubt in my mind that if you follow these 5 simple steps you will be more happy in just a few days. But if you want extra credit, I do have two other habits that are tightly linked to how happy and productive I am:

1)Eating well

In my previous blog I described how the right kinds of foods can help you focus better. However, it is not just about eating “smart” food, but about taking those extra few minutes a day to conscientiously nourish your body.

Packing a healthy lunch or cooking a healthy dinner does not have to be time-consuming. It is just a matter of habit and planning, and recognizing the importance of taking care of your body so you can show up for your work and the people who matter to you.

2) Sleeping enough (and soundly)

Americans are usually sleep-deprived due to extended work hours, long commutes, and significant time on electronic devices (typically late at night). Sometimes there is little you can do to get more hours to sleep if you have a challenging work schedule and a household to take care of. It may appear that there just simply aren’t enough hours in the day to get sufficient rest.

If you have any flexibility in your schedule (eg, cutting down on TV/computer use late at night), try to squeeze in some extra sleep even for just 15 minutes. Studies that have shown that adults who regularly sleep 6 hours a day perform no better on cognitive tests than those who stay up for 24 hours straight.

Sure, some people claim they can perform well on 5 hours on sleep, but if you know you are not one of them, see if you can rearrange any part of your schedule to get some extra sleep. Getting a few extra zzz’s can be one of the best investments of your time. Even if you just catch up on weekends it can make a big difference in how happy and productive you will feel during the day.