How To Rewire Your Brain For Happiness

This common mindset traps us in the vicious loop of constantly waiting for the ideal conditions to be happy. When we do get what we want, we’ll be happy for a moment. Soon we’ll be dissatisfied again with the new normal. It’s human nature to keep wanting more. Avoid setting rigid expectations for what it takes to finally be happy. That way we can open our lives to new possibilities that can make us happy.

Life always will throw unforeseen problems and obstacles into our path. It’s impossible to escape stress. Instead of trying to eliminate it, work on creating sources and moments of happiness to balance out the tough times. The more difficult life gets, the more we need at least one outlet to release the stress and recharge us for the battle.

The traditional definition of success is a recipe for unhappiness. It ties happiness and fulfillment to a specific outcome. Life rarely bends to our will and a terrible outcome today can well be a great blessing tomorrow. Rather than determining success by results what we achieved, make success failproof by defining it as the completion of a challenging process. It’s our commitment to the goal that counts, not our bank balance, job title, number of social media followers or entitlement to a luxurious lifestyle.

We set ourselves up for unhappiness by making mountains out of molehills and engaging in binary all-or-nothing positions. Such thought patterns often lead us to overreact or be uncompromising. Each time you find yourself caught in these negative thought patterns, challenge the validity of your perceived reality. Get yourself back on track by asking yourself, “Is this the whole picture?,” “Am I being fair in my judgment?,” “Will it matter a year or five years from now?” and “Is there something I can do?”

Often we believe that we can’t say no to the conditions imposed on us or negotiate for more acceptable terms. We see the situation as something cast in stone and ourselves as prisoners with no hope for reprieve or escape. We might get a positive outcome if we try to speak up for our needs in a reasonable and nonaggressive way. An example of such communication would be “I need (insert request here) because…”.

We create our own unhappiness by obsessing about money, career progress, social status and appreciation. We forget what we now have is what we previously desired either at a conscious or subconscious level. With time and focused effort, we can achieve what we want and also be grateful for what we have received in our lives so far.