Our brain is a powerhouse of thoughts and emotions. However, owing to the sheer amount of traffic running through our minds on a daily basis, the brain must be trained to control its views, words, and choices if it is to run on streamlined, optimal capacity.

Controlling our thoughts

Most people live under the false notion that emotions appear randomly and that we have no control over them, when actually this could not be farther from the truth. In reality, every emotion is a product of a single thought, whether it occurs consciously or unconsciously, and one can control their emotions by taking back the reins of their own thought processes.

If one can train themselves to identify the reason behind the emotion and channel their energy towards productive action, it would hand them the autonomy to give their best, rather than feeling out-of-control and drained.

In simple words, it would mean identifying the sentiment and whether it serves a purpose. If, for instance, the emotion before a high-profile presentation is excitement, it can give the presenter confidence. If, however, the feeling is that of nervousness, the brain must dissect this thought further.

Power of words

Words are powerful tools. They can be used to motivate as well as to demoralise, to make, as well as to break. While most people realise the value of their words on other people, they do not realise the profound effect words of encouragement can have on their own psyches.

Instead of using demeaning words on yourself, ask yourself a simple question — "Would I use these words on my colleague?" If the answer is no, it means that you are not giving yourself enough grace, or the room to make mistakes.

Words like "have to", "should" or "must" also create undue pressure and one can instead try using power-words like "will" or "want" to take themselves from feeling pressured to feeling confident. 

Controlling the brain

The brain works through a fascinating process called priming. This means that we can prime, or set up, our brains to look for evidences of our most prevalent thoughts. When it comes to professional functioning, the process can work both for and against us. This means that if we keep thinking that we hate our job, the brain will keep finding ways to find evidences of this thought. However, if we flip the thought and tell our brain how grateful we are to have a source of income, but that we are open to newer opportunities, the brain will actually start showing us more reasons to be grateful and also scout for other prospects.

This does not mean that one should make a false statement about one's job and try to get the brain to buy it, but it does give one the power to focus on what aspect of the situation will work in their favour.