Mind Trick To Summon Your Inner Bitch

     Everyone has heard that body language is a type of communication that others can sense.  Studies have proven certain physical behavior is also a type of communication to our brain.  For example, putting on a pair of sunglasses makes you subconsciously feel concealed, so you're more free to do and say whatever the hell you want!  Got it! 

     Literally, taking a few steps backward nudges the brain to go into problem-solving mode, allowing you to solve a problem more quickly.  Doesn't "stepping back to see the whole picture" seem to always be the advice given when a problem arises.  And doesn't it always seem to work.

     Drawing engages the area of the brain that might otherwise be used for daydreaming and zoning out.  Studies show doodling on a pad of paper can actually make you more likely to absorb info you hear by almost 30%.

     Check this one out!

     Leaning your upper body forward helps you to figure out the next step.  Why?  Our perception of physical space (moving forward) and time (thinking about the future) are hardwired together in our brains.  That means this trick can help you visualize the future more vividly.

     Make a tough decision by holding something hefty like a paperweight.  Having a few pounds in your hand can trick your brain into evaluating the situation in a more serious way.  Gives more "weight" to the subject.

     Love this next one!

     Research shows, you're less likely to second-guess a choice that you have already made by washing your hands with soap.  This trick also works for making you feel less guilty after doing wrong, like lying to a friend.  They say if you don't have soap and water on hand, an antibacterial wipe or hand sanitizer will work too.

     On a subconscious level, we associate actions with the feelings that tend to direct them.  Nodding your head yes tricks your brain into being more agreeable with whatever you are hearing.  Shaking your head no can make you feel more negative about a person or situation.  This trick can help prevent a fight.  Because feeling more open makes it a lot easier to find ways to compromise.

     Pressing up on the underside of your desk or a table with your fingertips causes a spike in creative thinking.  This motion flexes the arm muscles you use to bring things closer to your body, which your brain associates with openness and creativity.  Pressing down will cause the opposite.   You'll feel closed off and less accepting.

     And the number one way to trick your mind with a mind trick is...

     Sitting in an expansive, dominant pose (any position that takes up space) triggers a rise in testosterone levels, making you feel more powerful.  At the same time, it decreases the amount of the stress hormone cortisol in your system.  Gives you a calm, got-it-all-together edge.  By sitting with one arm on a chair's armrest, the other arm draped along the back of the chair, and one ankle casually crossed over the opposite knee, you improve your influence with the boss no matter what your rank in the company.


source: September, 2011, Cosmopolitan Magazine, page 191