Benefiting at work from Brain Based Insights

It’s not the emotional thump that comes when least expected - that takes people out - but worrying about it will.

Worry-warts who mentally rerun every little problem - often  admit that brooding comes at a high cost. Yet, new studies place the price tag far higher than once thought.  Daniel Mroczek, of Purdue University  studied people that brood more and who roll worries off their backs less, and discovered they do so at far greater disadvantage than most realize. How does it happen?

Many people sit and brood – as a way to solve traumas that hit.

Unfortunately, we've only becoming aware lately - of the pound of flesh lost due to this pattern.

What's the asking price of your  overthinking? It may well be worth a shot at a few alternatives.

Here are 5 recommended MITA experiences to lift your brain from mental potholes, before brooding takes its toll:

1. Question to find out how much time you are giving to hand-wringing and then compare time spent more effectively.

2. Target one new or favorite experience to tip the balance away from thoughts about the problem, in spite of frustration or hurt you’d encountered.

3. Expect change in your moods so that you worry or fret less, and jot down five evidences of what those changes will look like to others.

4. Move your multiple intelligences into action, so that you deliberately use at least 3 new intelligences during the day. For instance you could jot the problem on the side of a paper, and write a doable solution on the other. Then go for a brisk walk, play your favorite music, call a good friend and talk about anything but your problem, lay down on a grassy patch and watch the stars or wash the dog. Just engage the brain in healthier ways to let brooding roll, and it will slide away like ice on a summer day.

5. Reflect on what you did that stopped the problem of thinking too much about your problem, and you’ll find new neuron pathways open to rewire your brain for less worry the following day. 

Research about the brain's plasticity affirms that people can change. Those who make strides to stop worrying, will likely add years to their lives, a good reason to catch the problem before over-ruminating holds you down.

What do you think?