“Would you like to have better mood levels and experience fewer illnesses? According to a study published in the ‘Journal of Research in Personality’ people who wrote about intensely positive experiences, each day, for three consecutive days got those results.
90 undergraduate students were split into two groups. One group wrote positive experiences, as described, the other group wrote about a control subject. Three months later the positive experience group reported higher levels of well being and fewer illnesses.
If these results are accurate imagine how you might feel if you wrote a little each day. Just the act of cursive writing is a great work out for the brain. Our brains and fingers work together. Typing does not have the same positive effect as writing by hand. It just doesn’t!
Write Down Your Goals And Imagine Achieving Every One
Recording positive experiences or creating a positive future by writing is a great way to exercise the brain. Focus on the positive experiences you want to have more of. The more you focus on these the more your brains help you to produce or have more of them.
Re-writing over and over the same positive phrase helps you wire into your subconscious what it is you want to do or have more of. ‘I am rich and happy’ or ‘September will be a great month for me’ written 100 times every day for a week works wonders.
Most people, old enough, remember black board writing, ‘I will not talk in class’, or some variation. It is more effective when phrased positively. ‘I will be quiet and pay attention’ directs the brain to preferred behavior. Brains accepts positively phrased instructions.
Re-Live Your Positive Experiences And Write Them Down
It knows what to do when instructed to pay attention. It isn’t sure what to do when told not to talk. Not talking doesn’t tell the brain what to do in place of it. ‘Be quiet and pay attention’ does. It’s more explicit and focused. That’s the kind of instruction you want.
You instruct your brain in what you want rather than what you don’t want. For example, ‘don’t think of a blue elephant’. The brain thinks of one. The word ‘don’t’ isn’t processed. The instruction the brain gets is ‘think of a blue elephant’. That isn’t what you wanted!
Even if the word ‘don’t weren’t received the main element or focal point in the sentence is blue elephant. That is what the brain notices most. The same is true of ‘don’t talk’. You could further specify the instruction to ‘pay attention to the teacher’ or the subject matter.
Writing By Hand Wires It Into The Brain And Helps You Visualize
Then your brain knows what to act on to bring you more of what you DO want. The brain is more efficient when you tell it what to include rather than what to exclude. You get what you focus on. Focus on getting the good things and you will be delightfully surprised.
Write out the exact same affirmation 100 times everyday for a week. Be consistent. Focus while you write. Make it an important ritual. The next week or later do it again or write a different one. If 100 times is too big an effort for you write out 75, 50, 25 or 10.
Anything is better than nothing. You will get back benefits! Yes, you may get back more the more you do but sometimes it isn’t practical. Do whatever you can. The more we do the more we can do. Plus, a little bit goes a long way. Something is better than nothing!
Imagination Is More Important Than Knowledge – Use Yours
Re-writing your goals over again and again works wonders. Re-writing reinforces what you want more of. You may also further clarify your goals and desires during this process. Re-writing the notes you take while learning is extremely powerful and useful!
If you read or attend seminars or listen to audio programs and you take notes, which is a great practice, re-writing them again later a few times, enhances what you learn, makes it more memorable and wires it into your nervous system. You learn more quickly.
Re-write notes every few weeks. Another extremely beneficial practice as you re-write your notes is to re-word them. Put the notes into your own words. As you move forward in life you change. You learn and become more aware and understand more. You grow.
I Become What I Want To Be …
Imagine explaining the concepts you wrote about to another person as you write and re-write them. Imagine teaching someone else. Imagine teaching yourself the material. This helps accelerate and wire in your learning and understanding of the material.
Correct repetition, applied consistently for long enough, creates habits. If you will do these simple things again and again for long enough you will develop some positive success habits and mood enhancers. Your overall well being can increase wonderfully.
Handwriting is Brain Writing! Write out a list of daily successes. Note the little wins or accomplishments you enjoy each day. It is a great practice for feeling better and living more productively. Anything can be a win if you say it is. Declare it and it is so!
… By Consistently Being What I Want To Become – Everyday
You made your bed, claim it. You did the dishes, celebrate it. Write it down. Hooray! Small or large, whatever you did you set out to do, is a success. Keep track, record them in a success journal. It is important to build our track record of wins! Start one today!
These practices work! If you apply them consistently you WILL benefit. If you don’t you will never know. The goal is to make these practices reliable, automatic habits. As you do your thinking, mood and well being improves. You enjoy and delight more!
Write down what you want to accomplish the next day. Make a ‘to do’ list. Keep the list simple and positive. This gives you concrete things you want to accomplish and that you can count as wins as you cross them off your list. You will be more productive and positive.
Drop By Drop The Tub Fills – A Little Bit Makes A Great Difference
Write down what you are grateful for each night prior to sleep. It sets the mind in a good place right before lights out. This practice can help fill you with joy and appreciation. Live, laugh, learn and love. Celebrate everything.” Rex Sikes
Have an amazing day!
*** COMING UP – A Teleseminar with Rex What are your questions, what do you want to know, what would you like help with? Use the comment section to let me know. I’ll let you know when, meanwhile, please let me know what you’d like. ***
Horizons photo used with permission of Phil Koch.
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I am a strong advocate for writing as being a way for improving well being. It is no coincidence that since I started blog writing over two years ago my mindset has improved, I have had only a couple of sick days off work and I feel there is more direction to my life.
That is wonderful! Thankets for sharing and all the best wishes!
Love these posts. More on conquering negative thoughts about success and aging? Especially for the 60+, please.
Thanks for commenting and for expressing your wishes! Will do! All the best wishes always –