Mood control

Procrastination has been described as a major killer of time, since there is nothing more time-wasting than us holding things up and not making a start on the long overdue projects that really should have been initiated (if not completed) long ago. This may be one of the biggest deterrents to us achieving maximum productivity at work, as it blocks us from flowing into our work. As sportsmen regularly exercise their bodily muscles to practise their sport, those who pursue intellectual goals are using their mind, and the more complex the intellectual endeavour the more mentally draining it becomes. This may all sound obvious, but if we take into account that our brain is another piece of muscle in our body that may function like all our bodily muscles, we need to learn to control and take care of our mind in the same way that sportsmen look after their bodies lest they get physically injured, the consequences of which can be very tedious. The human brain is interesting since, in addition to regulating our metabolism, it is directly connected to many cognitive and psychological processes that can be very palpable, just like bodily pain from physical injury is keenly felt. We know when we are (not) fit to work, since just as we cannot do sport or exercise properly when we feel physical fatigue or pain, we cannot do serious work when our minds are not focussed or we are simply not in the mood. Our general mood can be a reliable barometer for our mental state on a par with our nerve system which detects physical pain, and in order to make sure that we are fit to work, we need to take care of our mind by making sure that we are in a good mood in the same way that sportsmen keep themselves healthy in order to continue playing the sport that they love. ‘Feel-good’ factor is a wonderful thing since it gives us pleasurable sensation (the healthy kind, not the type of pleasure that comes from addiction), and when we are in a state of positivity, we tend to work better as we can march on and make significant progress in our work. The key, therefore, is to find our groove i.e. ways to get into a positive state of mind where we feel that nothing can stop us from conquering the world. However impermeable water is, it cannot flow if the stream is blocked by dams and barriers. The same goes for mental flow, the optimal state of mind, which cannot be achieved if there are mental barriers blocking our minds from fully functioning. Our mind is indeed a funny organ, and a crucially important one for our well-being and existence. Let’s take good care of it by keeping ourselves happy. But how do we seek happiness?