Tag Archive for thinking

How Your Thoughts Influence Your Behavior

Someone once said thoughts are things. Whatever they are thoughts thoughts play a big part in guiding your day to day activity. 

And GenuLiines wants to give you some insight into how that’s done. 

How Your Thoughts Influence Your Behavior

picture of thoughtsThere’s a universal secret to living a full life: you are what you think. Not what you were expecting, huh?
 
Many of the great minds of our time agree that thoughts are the building blocks of life experiences. They’re telling us that the quality of your thoughts reflects the quality of your life.
 
 
 
 
The problem is when you start to believe that material things can make your life better. You buy shiny, expensive things and go on trips to faraway, exotic places.
 
Some people even resort to mind-numbing substances to help them forget their reality.
The truth is that creating a better reality starts by creating change from the inside.
 
Your thoughts are the driving force behind why you feel and act the way you do. Once you understand the link between those three, you can start living the life you want in the way you want it.
 
Below, you’ll find three life-altering tips. Incorporate them into your day.
They’ll help you change negative thought patterns to positive ones. Let’s dive in

Recognize Faulty Thought Patterns

Most of our beliefs and thoughts tend to be more on the negative side. These faulty thought patterns can lead to mental disorders like anxiety and depression.
 
The author Earl Nightingale said, “We become what we think.” So, why are you letting your negative thoughts dictate how you live your life?
 
Below are some of the more common negative patterns of thought many of us suffer from. Get a pen and paper and write down which of them you most relate to.
 
Once you’ve identified them, you can start to transform them from the negative to the positive.
 
Minimizing achievements and maximizing simple errors
*Catastrophizing future outcomes All-or-nothing dichotomous thinking
*Generalizing people and situations
*Filtering out positive statements and focusing only on the negative

Foster Healthy Habits

When you do something often enough it becomes a habit. The more you do it, the more likely you’ll keep doing it in the future.
 
Thought patterns are the same way. The more you think in a certain way, the more you’ll likely keep thinking about it the same way over and over again.
 
Soon enough, it’ll start to consume your day-to-day living. The science behind it is that each thought ignites a chemical reaction in your brain.
 
This process then triggers a certain emotion.
 
As a result, your emotions send a signal to your body and then you react. This cycle repeats itself until you realize you’re not living the life you want for yourself.
 
You can’t even recognize who you are anymore.
 
Think Good Thoughts
Marcus Aurelius’ quote rings true here, “A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it.”
It’s then that you should decide to make a change.
 
Recondition yourself by recognizing negative thoughts and how they affect your emotions.
 
This thinking about your thinking is what psychologists refer to as metacognition. It’s one of the best ways to find out what’s causing your thought patterns.
 
As with most things, reconditioning your thoughts takes time. Brace yourself for a few bumps along the way but stick with it.
 
You’ll realize it’s the only way to become aware of the link between your thoughts, emotions, and behavior. Only then will you be able to regain control and live the life you deserve.

Seek Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective tool for dealing with certain mental disorders. This type of therapy focuses on the idea that our thoughts, behavior, and emotions are all linked.
 
The best thing about CBT is it’s all about your present, rather than focusing on past events. After all, it was Ralph Waldo Emerson who wrote, “A man is what he thinks about all day long.”
 
Through CBT, you learn how to challenge negative thoughts and behaviors. CBT is also unique in that it assigns practical work outside each session.
 
It’s a great way to see first-hand how thoughts influence behavior. You’ll be able to start living with intention.

Check out some of the most common CBT strategies:

*Exposure: Coming face-to-face with your fears to confront and overcome stress and apprehension
*Mindfulness: Focusing on the present moment through steady breathing and your five senses
*Skills training: Practicing certain skills through role-playing, modeling, and mock scenarios

The Takeaway

Now, it’s time for a little challenge. Become more conscious of your thoughts, both the good and the bad.
 
Negative thoughts hold you back from living life to the fullest. They keep you shackled in a tiring cycle of self-doubt, fear, and panic.
 
On the flip side, positive thoughts make you feel good about yourself. They lift your mood, boost your motivation, and encourage you to work hard.
 
So, work on rewiring your brain to think happy, positive thoughts. Getting started may be difficult in the beginning, but it’s worth it in the long run.
 
Your future self will thank you!
 
JohnK 12-20-2021
 
 
Stick figure hears about thoughtsOverheard: “Our thoughts make us what we are”
                             ~Dale Carnegie
 
 
 
 
 
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You Might Not Be Who You Think You Are

You think of yourself in a certain way. Yet that way may not be who you really are.

Puzzling as it can be, GenuLines points the way to more understanding.

You Might Not Be Who You Think You Are

The famous psychologist, William James, once said, “You’re not what you think you are,man stops to think but what you think, you are!” This quote is a bit of a riddle.
 
But at its core, there’s a profound message: you’re in control of your destiny.
 
We know that it’s not always as easy as it sounds. This is why this post is all about self-exploration.
 
Let’s find out if you know exactly who you are. It may take you by surprise to realize that you might not be who you think you are.
 
 
Interested in finding out more? Then, let’s dive in!
 
The All-Powerful Mind
The mind is one of the most powerful tools you have in your arsenal. It can impact our moods, health, and pretty much our view of life.
 
Your mind is so powerful that it can make you ill, even when there’s actually nothing wrong with you.
 
Let’s say you’re stressed out about a job interview or an upcoming exam. Within a matter of days, all that anxiety will manifest itself in disease.
 
You may start experiencing digestive problems. Your blood pressure will start to rise.
 
Some people even start suffering from nausea, heart palpitations, and sweaty palms.
 
According to William James, if you create a mental picture of yourself—good or bad—you’ll begin to embody it. That’s how powerful your thoughts can be!
 
Your Self-Schema
Your schema is the collection of cognitive beliefs and generalizations of ourselves. We gather these from the experiences we go through and the messages we receive from other people.
 
These messages quite often dictate who we are and how we behave in certain situations.
 
In almost all cases, these perceptions develop without our even knowing about them. But they still have a big influence on how we see ourselves.
 
Whatever you believe is true, it will at some point become true for you.
 
Not all self-schemas are negative
Many of them can be good for your self-esteem and inspire you to achieve more, like:
I’m:
*talented
*outgoing
*athletic
 
Then, some self-schemas are incomplete, distorted, or inaccurate. As a result, they force us to view ourselves, our choices, and our entire world in a negative light.
 
They may make you feel hopeless, even worthless at times.
Some of these include:
I’m:
*lazy
*not successful
*overweight

See the Big Picture

 If you’ve experienced any type of trauma or anxiety, you know that a negative sense of self can follow. Low self-esteem and negative self-talk also develop soon after.
 
Leaving yourself vulnerable to these feelings of defeat and despair can be dangerous.
 
The scary part is that this distorted self-image of can affect anyone. It doesn’t target the weak or lonely.
 
It also happens to those who are resilient, courageous, or perseverant.
 
Always remember that you’re more than your self-schemas allow you to believe. Still, it can be hard to see the bigger picture, especially when times are tough.
 
Below are a few things you can do to provide support to yourself or someone you care about. They’re a good reminder of your self-worth and help you see yourself as your true, complete self.
 
Question the Accuracy of Self-Schemas
It’s easy to let others determine our perception of who we are, aka our schemas. Yet, the problem starts when we convince ourselves that that’s who we are as individuals.
 
The only way to avoid this is by taking some time to reflect. Ask yourself, “How accurate is this belief?
 
Does it reflect who I am?”
Remember that if others have drawn up a certain picture of you, it may be incomplete. It may even be 100% inaccurate.
 
No one knows who you are and what you’re capable of except you.
 
Take Control of Your Thoughts
Were you able to question the truth of certain aspects of yourself? You know now that other people’s perception of you isn’t always correct.
 
Once you recognize that, you can be aware of how unkind you can be to yourself. Don’t worry, we’re all victims of one form of self-sabotage or another.
 
At times, we can be our own worst enemies. Luckily, there are ways to avoid falling into that pit.
 
The simplest thing you can do is to emphasize the positive, no matter how small you may think they are.
 
Start with some strength-based affirmations, such as:
*I welcome change.
*I don’t waste time feeling sorry for myself.
*I’m grateful for all that I have.
 
Making mistakes doesn’t make me a failure.
Giving up isn’t an option.
 
Allow Yourself to Be Whole
You are the sum of all your parts. You’re not defined by a mistake you made at work- or by your successes.
 
You are a combination of your strengths and weaknesses, failures, and accomplishments. Allowing them to coexist is the first step to appreciating yourself and all you stand for.
 
JohnK 12-6-2021
 
stick figure hears how to thinkOverheard: “If you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to who you are, here and now and when you get there, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong.”
                                   ~Masaru Emoto, Secret Life of Water
 
 
 
 
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Better Thinking With Brain Power Boosting

 

Your brain works hard. And in tough times it works even harder.

When it bogs down you can turn to these simple GenuLines tips to power up your “gray matter.”

 

microphone for speaking about the brain

 

 

 

 

 

Better Thinking With Brain Power Boosting

Muddled thinking seems like a virus in itself. From negative news to personal challenges it can affect your well being.
 
One way to counter this mind fog is through a brainpower boost. So, here are some steps to help you keep your brain working in tip-top condition.
 

Regular Exercise

Simple exercise like a walk or jog might not be intense. But it’ll get you started.
 
You can work on the intensity as you go along.
 
Simple work-outs may trigger the release of neuro-chemicals known as endorphins. These chemicals are responsible for making us feel happy.
 
Feeling happier translates into a positive effect on the brain.
 

the brain

 

Supplement your Diet

Natural supplements can help keep both mind and body healthy. You can find supplements anywhere from health food stores to sites on the internet.
 

Use it or lose it

It’s great to exercise your body. But you should exercise your brain too.
 
It’s a muscle that needs to keep fit – think and learn. You can read, talk with other people or even play educational games.
 
Experiment with activities that can keep your brain working well.

Play Games

Choose games that will have a good effect on your brain. Stay away from games that are “no-brainers.”
 
Computer games can exercise your brain. Be sure to make good game choices.
 
Gaming consoles are also following the fad into increasing brain function. So, do your part in boosting your brain power by playing games that will increase it.

Enjoy an Educational Hobby

Choose a hobby that will teach you something. Just be sure to do things that aren’t monotonous.
 
Your hobby should be something that will help you learn new things every time you perform it. This way, you’ll be able to use parts of your brain you didn’t use before.
 

Sleep Well

Sleeping helps your body rebuild and recharge. Many professionals believe that you should sleep for at least six to eight hours a day.
 
Aside from these hours, you should also try to take ten-minute power naps. These naps will leave your refreshed.
 
And they’ll give you the energy that will fuel what you do for the rest of the day.
 
Relax
Society’s complexity will tax your brain as much as your body.
So take time to relax and cleanse your mind of worries that can overwhelm your thoughts.
 
You can visit a spa or meditate to give your mind a break.
 
When you relax you’ll feel that you’re prepared to take on whatever your day throws at you!
 
JohnK 6-14-2020
 
stick figure man hears about the brainOverheard: “The human brain, then, is the most complicated organization of matter than we know”
                                                  ~Isaac Asimov
 
 
 
 

 

Article image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay 

 

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