Exit
scripture. Buddhist philosophy
developed an entire science of
training the unruly mind to help
anyone overcome its constant
fluctuations to achieve stillness,
and eventually, enlightenment.
But even if it’s not enlightenment you’re after, developing
a good relationship with your
mind is critical to building a life
that is successful on your own
terms. Here are nine habits of
mind to start cultivating right
now for less stress, more creativity, less distraction and more
enjoyment in life.
MAKE TIME FOR STILLNESS.
Meditation has been around for
thousands of years, and it’s perhaps the single most powerful
tool out there for gaining mastery over your mind. The mental
health benefits of meditation are
virtually endless, from addiction
recovery to reduced anxiety and
depression to enhanced creativity
and improved cognitive function.
Meditation can actually increase
neuroplasticity, making it possible to literally rewire the brain.
“Meditation research, particularly in the last 10 years or so,
has shown to be very promising
because it points to an ability of
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the brain to change and optimize
in a way we didn’t know previously was possible,” neuroscience researcher Zoran Josipovic,
who has conducted brain-imaging studies on Buddhist monks,
told the BBC in 2011.
PURSUE MEANING OVER PLEASURE.
Not all happiness is created
equal, and in your own pursuit of
joy and bliss, keep in mind that
Whether they realize it
or not, people often approach
computers and tablets with a
state of mind less conducive
to learning than the one they
bring to paper.”
the type of happiness you’re after can make all the difference. A
recent UCLA study found that eudaimonic happiness — that which
was linked to having a larger
purpose or sense of meaning in
life — was linked with healthy
gene activity, whereas hedonic, or
pleasure-seeking, happiness was
not. Those who were happy because they had a sense of purpose
in life had lower inflammatory
gene expression and higher anti-