The reason can be found in the activity of linked brain regions, such as the default mode network, that become active when our attention is not occupied with a task. It may seem odd then that we leave our minds to wander for something like half the day, despite the happiness cost. And studies carried out in real time confirm an increase in happiness when people can focus attention on what they are doing, rather than when their minds are wandering. We’ve all experienced moments of flow, times when our attention is just effortlessly absorbed in what we are doing. altanaka/ Our brains sabotage the happier present moment When our minds have nothing to focus on, however, they tend toward worries and concerns. It’s easier to be in the happier present moment when we are busy. Understanding those can help in creatively practicing the techniques in your everyday life. I’ve found that there are many methods of quieting the mind and that most of them draw on just a few straightforward principles. There are ways to tame it, however.Īs a professor of medicine and population and quantitative health sciences, I’ve researched and taught mind-body principles to both physicians and patients. Tension, sleepless nights, preoccupation and distraction around those very people we care for, worry’s effects are endless. Worry is when that vital planning gets the better of us and occupies our attention to no good effect. And sometimes any of those needs may be in conflict with each other. Our brains are continually imagining futures that will meet our needs and things that could stand in the way of them. More broadly, we might worry about who’s going to win the election, or even if our world will survive.Īs it turns out, humans are wired to worry. We want things to be better for ourselves and the people we love, but worry that they won’t be, and imagine some of the things that might stand in the way. A new year brings both hopes and anxieties.
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