Psychology plays a part in every aspect of our lives, to the extent that an individual’s life can turn 180° if they can turn a negative mindset into a positive one.
We are not suggesting that this is something that can be done overnight, but it can happen quickly.
What can accelerate the change in the mindset of someone is using tried and tested psychological techniques, or hacks, as they are often referred to,
To be honest, the term “hacks” does not give these psychological techniques the credit they deserve and makes them sound as though they are underhanded or by using them you are somehow cheating. That is certainly not the case.
Hack is a word used to make each of the techniques used seem less daunting and achievable for everyone. Besides all of them are recommended by professional psychologists.
As for the psychological hacks that you can use in advance of a major challenge, we have ten of them for you.
These can be used whether the challenge is a sporting one, a work challenge, a challenge within your education such as an exam, or simply a personal challenge to do with anything within your life.
You can use one, some, or all of them, depending on how positive you feel about each and the results that they help you achieve.
#1 – Develop A Routine: Ideal for sporting challenges but useful for all others too, it will help if you practice a routine that involves positive thinking and building your confidence before embarking on any challenge.
#2 – Focus On The Now: It does not serve you to think of past failures, nor to worry about what the future holds in any situation.
Instead, focus on the here and now which is a great way to prevent yourself from being distracted and to stay focussed on the task or challenge at hand.
#3 – Set Clearly Defined Goals: The oft-quoted phrase about having no target means you hit nothing still applies to this day.
You must set yourself clearly defined goals in every aspect of your life so that your mind can identify what it is you wish to achieve and inspire you towards it.
#4 – Use Cue Words: You may have seen top achievers repeating mantras to themselves, and you should try this too.
A simpler technique is to develop a series of cue words that have a positive meaning for you and either say them out loud or repeat them in your mind before a challenge.
#5 – Visualise Your Success In Your Mind’s Eye: What you do here is simply close your eyes and, with your mind, create an image that depicts you already having achieved whatever it is you are aiming for and repeat this thought over and over again.
#6 – Practice Deep Breathing: The power of deep breathing is hugely underestimated. Whenever you can, stop for a few seconds and breathe in and out slowly and deeply.
You will be amazed at how much it helps you to relax and focus.
#7 – Control Your Emotions: Contrary to the myth, your emotions do not control you, you control your emotions.
As such, make sure that you retain positive emotions when they occur, and dismiss as soon as possible any negative emotions that appear.
#8 – Get Fully Relaxed Before You Embark On Your Challenges: Before any challenge, take a few seconds to calm your mind and then gather your thoughts in a relaxed and positive frame of mind.
#9 – Allow Only Positive Thoughts To Enter Your Mind: No matter how positive you try to be, negative thoughts can still try to trespass the mind.
The key is to recognise them and replace them immediately with positive thoughts
#10 – See Success As Inevitable: It stands up to scrutiny that those who expect success, are the ones who seem to find success most often.
Be like them and whenever you embark on achieving a goal, tell yourself that you are going to be successful regardless of the challenges that may lie ahead.