Thinking well means having better control over our flow of thoughts to improve our quality of life. Controlling the waves of negativity allows us to directly influence our emotions. And when we think better and feel better, the influence is positive on our behavior, our organism and our health. Because the beginning of happiness is indeed in us!
Even if all this seems logical to us, on a daily basis we give too much credit to this critical voice that is too much in love with negativity. It is she who reminds us of our past mistakes. It is what pulls us down, filling us with doubts and anxiety, anticipating what could happen in every situation for the worst. But rather than despair in the face of these thoughts, it is better to learn to tame them through the art of thinking well.
Neuroscience reminds us that the human brain is programmed to focus on the negative, and that this is not a curse but a survival mechanism. By anticipating dangers (even if they are not real), we prepare our body to defend ourselves against them. Concern, worry, or anxiety instantly release various chemicals like cortisol, keeping us on our toes.
Neuropsychology also points out that negative thoughts act in the same way as tobacco smoke. They do not only impact our health and well-being, but also have a detrimental effect on our families, our friends, our colleagues. Because the brain of the one who listens to us changes, and can also become nervous and irritable in contact with us.
THINK WELL TO TRAIN YOUR BRAIN TOWARDS WELL-BEING
Barbara Fredrickson is a Stanford University scientist known for her work in positive psychology. For her, overcoming the negativity bias is a gamble that can turn into a profitable investment if successful. More than an art, thinking well is the result of continuous training through which we can modify the programming of our brain.
As we know, the natural inclination of our mind is to focus on the negative to ensure our survival. We will therefore have to learn to include another roadmap, another more sophisticated program that will teach us to avoid risks and to move towards well-being and serenity. Indeed, a good thought must bring clarity, balance and open the way. It allows us to avoid getting lost in the doldrums of fear to be more proactive and more assured.
TRAIN YOUR ATTENTION TO FOCUS ON THE PRESENT
Daniel Goleman reminds us in his book "Focus" of the importance of training our attention. We have to see it almost as a muscle, an entity at our service, not at the service of a wandering mind. The goal is for this basic psychological process to be more controlled by ourselves than by external stimuli or anarchic thinking.
The thought circuit runs along the posterior cingulate gyrus and the medial prefrontal cortex. Our reasoning passes through these cerebral structures. Sometimes this race of cells, connections and neurons is so overactive that it is difficult to control. This is how exhaustion, stress, apathy, negativity appear.
One way to gain control over thoughts is to control your attention. To achieve this, nothing better than to "disconnect" this flow of thoughts. Try for about 15 minutes not to think about anything. Imagine the surface of a quiet, mirror-smooth lake. Everything is balance, there is no noise, only calm. If thoughts come to you, calmly push them away.
Once you have succeeded in silencing the rumor of thoughts, focus your attention on what is around you, on the present moment.
THINKING WELL, THE ART OF HAVING AN OBJECTIVE
Thinking well requires having a goal. Negativity and all that noise of crippling thoughts is like a pointless cyclone that destroys everything. Thus, to break this unproductive mental bias, it is necessary to define its goal: "I want to feel good, I want to be calm, I want to achieve my goals, I want to feel good about myself".
All these objectives have a purpose, a clear meaning. Thus, once the attention is well focused on the present moment, we will have to state our objectives once and for all, with conviction. Setting goals is the key to well-being, it gives meaning to life, brings us happiness and allows positive emotions to influence our behavior.
TRAIN YOUR BRAIN'S CAPACITY TO WORK WITH POSITIVE INFORMATION
Thinking well does not only require good focus, adequate attention, purpose and willpower. It's also about expanding the networks in our brains to remember the importance of working with positive information. In other words, our mind must free itself from its old mechanisms which turn it towards the negative and disabling behaviors.
To work with positive information, we must reverse our limiting attitudes.
In this way, a more relaxed, open and optimistic self is shaped. We must put aside the mistakes of the past to see the opportunities of the present.
It will then be useful for us to learn to put filters in order to keep only useful information, that which helps us, that which stimulates us and not that which once again leaves us in our comfort zone.
Thinking well undoubtedly allows us to live better and enjoy an adequate inner balance. "Thinking well" also requires deep personal work. We must come to terms with our present "I" to feel that we deserve something better: only then will our future "I" consolidate as someone who is stronger, more creative and more tender towards oneself.