#10 ways understanding your mind could transform your life

This article explores some of the benefits of understanding your own mind.

How well do you understand yourself?

What do you think may be the benefits of understanding your own mind? Maybe you haven’t thought of this before, but this simple question could transform your life.

What does Understanding Your Mind mean?

Just as different computers have different contents in their hard drives but share the same operating system which is hidden from the user, each of us have different memories stored in our mind, but unknown to us our minds function in similar ways, for example we may be afraid of different things, but the feeling of fear is the same in us all. Just like our hearts function in similar ways, so do our minds. Studying the heart helped us prevent and overcome many of the problems linked to the heart. Understanding how our mind functions can do the same and can transform our lives in many ways.

Here are some examples of how understanding your mind can transform your life.

1. Be less stressed:

Stress is an automatic reaction from our thinking to an external event and the difference between how things are and how we want them to be. It could be someone who has a different political opinion to us, or how someone is loading the dishwasher, or the difference between who we are and who we want to be. Understanding this can help us be in charge of how we react and this can reduce how stressed we feel.

Explore the module on Stress in the HappierMe app here

2. Be less anxious:

Behind the feeling of anxiety is a thought about the future and what it might be - though this is not easy to see. If you distract yourself and think about something else, the anxiety goes away for a while. Our mind imagines what the future will be. We believe everything we think and feel is true and get frightened. By understanding clearly that our anxiety is a product of thinking and by learning to accept whatever the future may bring, we can overcome our anxiety.

Explore the module on Anxiety in the app here

3. Have happier relationships:

By understanding ourselves we can understand others better, because we realise that deep down we are the same human being. We all have expectations which we expect others to meet, and when they are not met we get hurt, angry and retaliate in some way. Others do the same. By realising that our expectations are just a product of our past conditioning influences, we can take responsibility for them, let many of them go and communicate the rest with kindness. This can transform our relationships.

Explore the module on Relationships here

4. Be happier:

No matter how much we have, or achieve, happiness feels elusive to most. By understanding what gets in the way of being happy, we can feel happier. There are many reasons, but one is that our mind takes what we already have for granted, and focuses on what we don’t have. Being aware of this helps us to wake up and be grateful for what we have and appreciate the people in our life, and not compare ourselves with others. We realise happiness is an inside job and everyone can be happier right now.

Explore the Happiness module in the app here

5. Feel less lonely

Loneliness is painful and over the long term can impact our mental and physical health. It is not just the absence of company, as suggested by the 30% of people in marriages who feel lonely. Loneliness is primarily an absence of depth of connection with others, and with ourselves. Connecting deeply with others is all about listening and speaking with care, opening our heart and sharing what we really feel, and learning what love is, and what it isn’t.

Explore the Loneliness module in the app here

6. Manage anger

Anger can protect us from harm, but when unchecked it can harm others, our relationships and ourselves, driving us to do things we may later regret. We assume our anger is caused by others, or we can be angry at ourselves. Self-understanding helps us realise that behind all anger is a sense of being hurt or disappointed, and that is based on an unmet expectation, which is a product of our own thinking. Seeing this clearly helps us take ownership of our own anger and use it wisely.

Explore the module on Anger in the app here

7. Avoid and overcome addiction

Our mind is capable but not always intelligent. For example, we know alcohol, drugs, gambling and smoking are bad for us, but cannot sometimes help becoming dependent on them and unable to stop ourselves. There are many hidden drivers in our own thinking which can push us into addiction - for example our inability to deal with emotional pain and our need to escape from it. By exploring and understanding these in depth addiction can be avoided and more easily overcome.

Explore the module on Addiction here

8. Make better decisions

Our thoughts generate our feelings and our feelings are behind many of our actions in the world. By understanding our thoughts and feelings we can think more clearly and make better decisions. For example a better understanding of our hidden fears can help us put that to one side and take more chances in our life, or understanding our conditioning influences can help us to question them and decide what is right for us, right now.

Explore the module on Making Better Decisions here

9. Be more kind

Kindness is the glue which holds our relationships together, and these relationships are the foundation of our own happiness. By understanding our own mind and exploring what gets in the way of being kind, for example our self-absorption and our expectations of others, we can be more kind, and this can nourish our lives in many ways. Kindness is simple and can take many forms - smiling at people, listening deeply, paying a compliment, giving someone a hug and leaving them a note of appreciation.

Explore the module on Kindness in the app here

10. Communicate with care

Communicating with care is a skill we can all learn. It can enhance our relationships and contribute to our success at work. It is a skill we are rarely taught. The more we understand what is going on in our own mind the better we can get at communicating with others. This can help us listen with curiosity, speak with more care and understand what the person really means and feels, or what they may not be saying.

Explore the Communication module in the app here

There are many other ways a better understanding of our own mind can help us - begin your own journey of self-discovery and you can find out for yourself.

For more information, download and explore the HappierMe app for free.

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Understand your mind. Live a happier life.

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