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Throughout Women’s History Month, we picked the brains of influential and inspiring female authors, entrepreneurs and editors from across the globe, in order to give you inside access to their unique brain hacks for creative and emotional success. These women have come to offer up some of the most effective brain hacks and tips they think everyone should actively be using for a better personal and professional lifestyle.
There was a common theme uncovered in each of the brain hacks these women had shared; emotional awareness. When we are able to reflect upon our personal and emotional awareness, we are able to open up opportunities for ourselves we once may never have thought were an option. Each of these women are a testament to that very statement, as many of them used their own brain hacks to reach the success that they have today.
Check out their list of brain hacks below, and further inspire yourself to reach your full potential with these simple tips:
Brain Hack: Keep your anger in check with a simple list.
This clever, and extremely simple brain hack, entails writing down a list of the people you may be frustrated with at a current moment in time, and reviewing it each day. This helps the brain recognize these feelings so that you can process them before you may irrationally snap on someone.
“This helps you be more aware of what you want, so next time you are in the heat of the moment when you become angry, this list will come to mind and make you aware that you have a choice to not get angry” – Sandra McDevitt, the founder of the Emotional Intelligence Institute
Brain Hack: Reflect back on your childhood in order to determine the ways in which you have been emotionally conditioned.
The emotional conditioning that we undergo during early childhood affects all of our relationships into adult life whether we know it or not. We can be emotionally conditioned to think, believe, or act in specific ways. But luckily, we each possess the ability to actively alter these conditions.
“Decide how you will act differently based on this new understanding. Commit to being the person you want to be instead of following your emotional conditioning.” – Dr. Christine Adams, M.D., Child/Adult Psychiatrist & Author of Living on Automatic: How Emotional Conditioning Shapes Our Lives and Relationships.
Brain Hack: Create your own personal meaning and purpose.
This hack places emphasis on the belief that we all have our own personal meaning, and from this meaning, we can create our own individual purpose. This is all a unique experience and as we find and further connect ourselves to a higher power, we can then uncover this greater meaning.
“Don’t wait for other people or society to give you a purpose. Just look at your life and do something you think is important. Find your meaning. Take action and do it.”- Sana Brauner, Author of The Borrowed Daughter.
Brain Hack: Clean out tangible clutter in order to clean out your head.
This hack allows you to clear up space in that overworked mind of yours. When you clear out the physical clutter within your surroundings, we can actually clear out the mental clutter within our minds; Allowing us to reach greater emotional clarity without being preoccupied by running thoughts.
“Clearing spaces as a way to reorganize your brain. There are very few simple things you can do that change how you think as much as changing your environment. Everything that takes space in your life takes up space in your brain. When you throw it away it no longer consumes that energy in your life.” – Tracee Sioux, Author of The Year of YES!
Brain Hack: Harness your inner spirituality and power.
We all possess our own inner connection with a God that does not necessarily have to be seen in a religious light, but rather a more spiritually based connection. When we are able to take the time to mentally uncover that power, a sense of clarity is created within the mind, making us the strongest version of our self.
“It all boils down to the very simple concept that there is a power inside us that can make us stronger and we need to tap into that.” – Trice (1uniquewriter), Author of 70 Chronicles of Confessions: Poems & Prose and 70 Ways to Hear God
Brain Hack: Make your own choices.
This hack stresses the importance that comes from your individual “choice-making” skills. If you constantly allow others to make all of your decisions for you, you will lose your sense of self. We should all aim to make and stick to each personal decision we make in order to remain as an individual.
“Most people fall into the mistake of letting others make their decisions. I have a process that helps people find their own voice and make their own decisions. The more we care about a decision the more fearful we are to make our own decisions because of the fear of making the wrong one. My book shows people this process, but my brain hack is to suggest everyone think about their personal choices and the process they use for it.” – Teresa Novak, Author of Hypothesis: An HPV Healing Experiment.
Brain Hack: Live in the present.
Living in the now can prevent us from getting too ahead of ourselves and creating future problems that don’t even exist yet. By focusing on the current moment in time, we are able to see everything much more clearly in the grand scheme of things.
“I want people to live in the now. Many think as we lose weight or get married or have a life change, we put off our dreams to later in life. So many people are not living in the moment. Live in the now, In the present and enjoy the things you have now.” – Ava Brown, Author of THE MANGO GIRL
Brain Hack: Place your needs first.
Self-awareness allows us to ditch the stress that usually comes along with overthinking by reflecting upon our personal thoughts and feelings. It’s okay and is often actually important to be selfish and put yourself and your personal care first so that you may reach emotional clarity.
“Put yourself first. take care of yourself, your body. Take a moment to love yourself. First off, it starts with our self. Set boundaries, say no when you need to. Listen to your inner wisdom and if it feels off don’t do it.”– Dr. Dolores Fazzino, Dr. Dolores Fazzino, DNP, RN, Nurse Practitioner, CEO and Founder of Recovering Healthcare
Brain Hack: Use art and poetry to cope.
This hack places a strong emphasis on utilizing the arts as a coping mechanism for past or present traumatic life events. These activities often encourage one to engage in reflective thinking that can later assist in the promotion of a personal emotional healing process.
“Use art and poetry to deal with conflicting thoughts.” – Sandra McMurphy, Author of Journey Through My Heart.
Brain Hack: Take charge.
Facing true and more often than not, harsh realities, no matter how difficult it may be, is the best tool for one to reach future success. Actively taking charge to pursue your own personal goals is the best way to ensure that you actually reach them.
“Take charge and stick to your principles.” – Jean Krisle, Founder, 10,000 Beds, an addiction and recovery non-profit 501c3 organization
Brain Hack: Pursue your own personal development and explore new cultures.
Anyone and everyone have the ability to improve their own personal development in order to lead the type of life they want to live. No matter where you may be at this current point in your life, there is always room for more personal growth.
“No matter what your present state is, you can achieve the life you want” – Katherine Webster, Author of Becoming Madam Widow.
Brain Hack: Create your own business or project.
Entrepreneurship is a career route that could allow women in business avoid potential discrimination. When women become their own boss through self-employment, they no longer have to overwhelm their minds with the thoughts and hardships of inequality and judgment that occur within the workplace.
“We are all unique on this planet so finding that unique business and project that everyone can use.” – Lorri Allison Craig, Author of the upcoming book The Future is Feminine and LunchBag MBA
Erin Proud is currently a Junior at the University at Buffalo, pursuing a degree in Communications. She previously was a writing intern for Glitter Magazine, and currently is a PR/Marketing intern at Farrow Communications.
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