Everyone uses Brain hacks, some just work better than others. Brain hacks are highly useful tricks to keep your brain healthy. They not only speed up the decision making time, but they also motivate you and make your day as productive as possible. Here is a list of the 20 most outstanding brain hacks, tried and tested personally! Don’t believe us? Utilize them yourselves!
1. The 10/10/10 rule
The 10/10/10 rule is extremely simple. If you are not able to choose among two opposing options or make any decision, consider this: How would the decision affect you in ten minutes? Note down your answer, and then ask yourself how it would affect you in ten months. Lastly, ask yourself how the decisions impact you in ten years. Consider all your answers, and your decision will probably be simplified!
2. Artificial Deadlines
Another helpful tip when you have to make a decision is to set a deadline. Now, it is possible that the decision is not a particularly urgent one, and you are dreading making that choice. But in such a case, you will probably put off the whole idea of choosing. Hence, set a particular time in the day, say for example 6 o’clock. You might not be able to decide all day long, but chances are, the decision will be made in those 5 minutes before it strikes 6.
3. Suspension of Judgement
In suspension of judgement, you simply avoid forming opinions about anything that is not absolutely evident. Instead of saying that you know, or that you think, try saying that it seems, or it appears. This technique will prevent you from getting wrapped up in opinion based thinking. Instead, it will help you remain calm.
4. Distance yourself from the situation
When you can’t exactly pick a choice, or when you feel your brain struggling to figure out stuff, take a step back. It is as simple as that. Ever noticed when you are too close to a certain object, it is so blown up that you can’t see the whole thing in one frame? But when you step back, the entirety can be observed in one glance. It is the same logic as your brain.
5. Coin Flip Solution
Another amazing trick to make quick decisions. For any yes/no question, or when you have to choose one among two options, assign each side of a coin one option. In the second that the coin is spinning, you will know which one you want, or which side you actually hope will land face up. Another similar decision-making trick is to assign each hand one option and ask someone to choose one hand randomly. In those seconds, you will find which hand you want to be chosen.
6. Start with the Hardest Tasks first
Have you ever the quote “starting the task is half the battle already won”? Well, that is absolutely true. You just need the initial push. So when you complete the hardest task, in the beginning, you know that you can go ahead only to easier tasks. This is a great motivator.
7. Formulate your thinking in terms of positive statements
Instead of saying that you cannot do a certain tasks, it would help if you said that you can try to complete the task. Removing the “not” is a crucial step in everybody’s day to day conversations. Although this is a very cliché statement, always remember that “impossible” spells out “I am possible”.
8. Think of positive “What if” scenarios
A lot of people have the habit of jumping to conclusions and assuming the worst possible things. Everyone has these “What if” scenarios. And 99%, there are negative scenarios. If for example, for lack of better one, if you were called to the Principal’s office as a student… Instead of thinking, “What if I am going to get expelled?” Try thinking, “What if I’m going to get praised for my behavior?” Your outcome also will be the positive one once you implement this.
9. To-do lists
To-do lists are the oldest trick in the book. There is nothing more satisfying than crossing out an item from a list. In fact, you can add your own touches to it too. I would make columns for “job well done”, “job done averagely”, and “poorly done job”. Then I would tick the box that applied. It motivates you to get the most productive and well-done jobs from yourself.
10. Use Comparisons
When you have a long list of items to choose from, take the very first option as your stand by. Compare the first and second, and ditch the one which is glaringly worse. Make the winner your new standby. If there are any ones that you cannot choose amidst, write them down and use the coin flip trick as a secondary measure.
11. Setting maximum time periods
This only works for jobs that will take a maximum of two hours. Set out a time period and prepare yourself for it. Then in that time give your absolute 100% effort and potential. Instead of giving half-hearted attempts over five hours, giving you 100% effort for even half an hour, will give you much better results.
12. Asking yourself questions
Can you not decide where you want to go to eat dinner? Try this: ask yourself what type of cuisine you want to enjoy? Ask yourself whether you want to be closer to home, or you want to drive a long time? Ask yourself whether you’re looking to spoil yourself, or be stingy with the cash. And then, the answers to the questions will narrow down options for you. Then use previous methods to select among the limited options.
13. Pretend you are the protagonist of a novel
Are you not sure what to do next? Picture yourself as the main character of a book, or the hero of the film. What would he do now? Why should he do it, and what would be the next possible prediction? Act accordingly, you’re the main character of your own life anyways!
14. Think about how finishing the task will make you feel
A great motivation tip! Before doing a task, you will always feel burdened, and dread doing it. Instead, think of how relieved you will be once you know you no longer have to do it, how very free you would be! That will most certainly motivate you to get the job done.
15. Use earphones, or ear plugs in any noisy environment
Noise is hardly ever favorable or conducive to working or even studying. By plugging your ears, you are not only blocking out all this noise, but it becomes comfortable after a while. It places you in your own sweet bubble, which won’t burst until you choose to burst it.
16. Trouble Shooting
When your computer is not working, you try to troubleshoot it right? Troubleshoot attempts to narrow down the problems to half, by solving as many as possible. When you feel your life getting too cluttered up, try and troubleshoot your life. Find as many solutions as you can so that you can de-clutter your mind.
17. Complete 5 minute favours
This is a particularly helpful tip when you are annoyed and angered, either by yourself or at anyone in general. Take a break and try to help somebody. It could be strangers, it could be family, it could be donating money, it could also be logging on to Quora and providing as accurate an answer as you possibly can.
18. Temptation Bundling
Combine a certain reward with your completion of a certain task. This is equivalent to classical conditioning. For example, if a child loves chocolate, place one chocolate after every ten pages of the textbook. Upon studying those many pages, the child learns to reward himself. This, however, does backfire sometimes, especially when your brain is clever enough to suggest having the reward, without completing the work.
19. Clear your “Stress box” regularly
You are living in the 21st century. You probably have an email account. In such a case, you know that certain emails go straight to your spam and even these, you have to clean up occasionally. Well, your life is your email account. Unsubscribe from what brings you stress, clear out your stress box every week or so, and keep your system updated to function most productively.
20. Use your laziness productively
This one is my personal favorite. Do you find that Instagram devours your productivity time? Simply uninstall the app. That means you will have to use the web version of it, which takes time to load and is not half as good. Or if you are always binging on food, ask somebody to keep the food at an unreachable level. Then you will have to carry a ladder to attain those sweets, and hopefully, your laziness will prevent you from going to that extent!
If any of these hacks have personally helped you, or if you have some other tricks up your sleeves, feel free to share your experiences with us in the comments below! Hope you have an extremely invigorating session with your brain!
