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Think Better: 6 Simple Actions for Mental Clarity

Welcome to Effective Habits, a weekly newsletter where I share evidence-based strategies and tools to help you live a happy, healthy, and productive life.

Today at a Glance:

• How to Be Manifestly Happier

• How to Sleep Better While Traveling

• Mastering Our Mind for Better Ideas

How to Be Manifestly Happier
Dr. Arthur C. Brooks

Lights, Camera, ...
Manifestation often gets dismissed as mystical nonsense, a belief that simply focusing on what you want will make it magically appear. While this idea has its critics and skeptics, there’s a practical side to manifestation that’s worth considering. It’s not about envisioning a dream and waiting for the universe to deliver; it’s about visualizing the steps you need to take and the effort you’ll put in to reach that goal. Studies show that focusing on the process of improvement—like picturing the work you’ll do to get fitter or happier—can lead to real, measurable progress. In contrast, daydreaming about the end result often backfires, leading to less motivation and fewer results. The key isn’t in wishing for success but in planning for it. So, if you want to be happier, healthier, or wealthier, don’t just dream big; think through the small actions you can take every day, and that’s how you truly manifest the life you want.

Action!

1. The goal is to get happier, not happy. You may never attain perfect happiness, but you can make progress, year after year. Set realistic goals like becoming 10 percent happier and celebrate gradual improvements over time.

2. Envision progress. Picture what a small increase in happiness would look like in your life. Consider how this progress would affect your mood, relationships, and overall outlook, while acknowledging that that setbacks and bad days will still happen.

3. Set the strategy. Identify a few personal habits you'd like to improve. Prioritize two or three, and picture yourself both succeeding and dealing with occasional setbacks. Prepare a plan for how you'll handle challenges.

4. Get started. Choose one small, specific change to focus on tomorrow, like writing a short gratitude list. Keep your goals realistic and manageable, building momentum day by day.

How to Sleep Better While Traveling
Dr. Lisa Strauss (& Dr. Andy Galpin)

Lights, Camera, ...
Travel can turn even the coziest bed into a sleepless challenge. Whether it’s the unfamiliar environment, anxiety about logistics, or excitement for the journey, sleep challenges are common when you're away from home. The change in routine, the hotel’s quirks, or even jet lag can all conspire to keep you awake. While practical tips like blackout curtains and extra pillows can help, true rest often requires more than just comfort—it’s about feeling safe, at ease, and ready to let go. Understanding what disrupts your sleep can be the first step in finding your way back to a restful night, no matter where you are.

Action!

1. Manage Travel Anxiety: Call a loved one before bed, visualize yourself in a safe space, or try guided meditations. Recite a calming mantra or bring a familiar item, like a pillow from home, to create comfort. Reduce daytime anxieties to avoid them disrupting your sleep, and remind yourself that you don’t need to control your sleep—focus on simply resting.

2. Maintain Sleep Habits: Stick to the sleep conditions that work for you at home as much as possible. Avoid going to bed too early; wait until you feel genuinely sleepy. Wind down with relaxing activities, such as reading or trying Yoga Nidra, to help your body prepare for sleep.

3. Adapt to the Environment: Minimize disruptions by using earplugs, an eye mask, or a sound machine. Bring an extra blanket if needed and listen to a calming audiobook or podcast to block out background noise and create a peaceful atmosphere.

4. Combat Jet Lag: Gradually shift your sleep schedule before your trip with tools like the Timeshifter app. If needed, seek guidance from a sleep professional on using light exposure, exercise, and low-dose melatonin to adjust your internal clock. Consider having sleep medication only as a backup for difficult nights.

Bonus Actions from Dr. Andy Galpin (Modern Wisdom Podcast #822)

1. Enhance Sleep Resilience: The goal is to ensure minimal disruptions to sleep quality, effectively avoiding 'horrible days', instead of striving for perfect sleep every night.

2. Create a Consistent Sleep Environment: Combat the 'first night effect' by creating an environment with familiar visual, auditory, and olfactory (smell) stimuli. Use portable items, such as a lavender-scented sachet or a low-decibel sound machine (below 35 dB), to recreate the same environment from your home, helping you sleep better despite changes in location.

Mastering Our Mind for Better Ideas
Teresa Mira

Lights, Camera, ...
In a world buzzing with digital noise and endless scrolling, our minds often get cluttered, stifling our ability to think clearly and creatively. The key isn’t to eliminate distractions entirely—it’s about learning to navigate them and reclaim our focus. By taking moments to step back, unplug, and nurture our creativity, we can transform passive thinking into active insight. It's all about striking a balance: knowing when to act, when to strategize, and when to let the mind wander.

Action!

1. Balance Doing with Plotting: Ensure at least 20% of your efforts go into strategic thinking to guide your actions. Avoid the trap of endless doing without direction or getting stuck in overplanning without taking action.

2. Think Through Doing: When faced with a mental block, engage in a practical task related to your problem. This hands-on approach turns abstract ideas into tangible solutions, allowing you to experiment or prototype and gain new insights in real-time.

3. Write for Clarity: Write down your thoughts to organize and clarify your ideas. This process not only structures your thinking but also helps you see connections and refine your understanding.

4. Use Mindful Distractions: Step away from a problem by engaging in routine tasks like walking or driving. These mental breaks let your brain’s default mode network kick in, often leading to unexpected insights.

5. Seek New Experiences: Break your thought patterns by exposing yourself to new stimuli—travel, nature, or new activities. Novelty sparks creativity by stimulating different areas of the brain and revitalizing your thinking.

6. Blend Different Ideas: Expand your knowledge beyond your field and seek connections between seemingly unrelated concepts. This cross-pollination can lead to innovative ideas and solutions.

TOOL TIP

Timeshifter: A science-based and highly personalized app that will help you optimize your sleep around shift work and travel.

FUN FACT

Your brain isn't fully formed until age 25. Brain development begins from the back of the brain and works its way to the front. As a result, your frontal lobes, which control planning and reasoning, are the last to strengthen and structure connections.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We are not liable for any risks or issues that may arise from using this information.