Asking Better Questions to Improve Your Life
Have you ever asked asked yourself...
"Why am I feeling so crappy today?"
"Why is it so hard to get up on time in the morning?"
"How much longer do I have until work is over?"
They seem like innocent questions and thoughts, but they're actually the exact cause behind how you feel.
Your brain is like a machine. It does what it's told and wants to be as efficient as possible. So if you ask yourself a negative question, your brain will give you a negative answer as a response. It will give you problem focused answers like, "Well you only got five hours of sleep last night, you're not an early bird so mornings aren't our thing, and there's too many hours left at work." These thoughts will keep you stewing in the same negative emotions you're already in because they don't look at the other options.
So what can you do instead? Reframe the questions into more positive, solution-based questions so your brain naturally finds productive answers. Such as...
"What is one thing I can do right now that will make me happy?"
Answer: Take a brisk walk outside, do a small act of kindness for a stranger
"What is something that I could do in the morning that will make me excited to start the day?"
Answer: Get an automatic coffee maker that makes a fresh brew as soon as your alarm goes off, 20 uninterrupted minutes to read a new.
"How can I make these work hours more fun while still being productive?"
Answer: play a mental game noticing everyone wearing red, challenge yourself to learn one fact about a coworker each day
It's said that the quality of your life is determined by the quality of your questions, so its important to start training your brain to think in a way that best serves you. A great place to start is to learn to be conscious of your mood. If you're feeling anxious, frustrated, confused, or down, your brain is probably responding to the negative input. Identify which question your mind is responding to and then reframe the question. Soon, this will be second nature
