Kwik Team

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR WILLPOWER

October 21, 2023 by Kwik Team

Who doesn’t want stronger willpower? It can be instrumental in learning new skills, help you adapt to a different environment, create new habits, and help kick the old habits that aren’t working for you anymore. In short, it can help you build the necessary qualities to help you get ahead in life. That’s why learning how to increase your willpower is essential to reaching your goals.

But contrary to popular belief, willpower is more than simply forcing yourself to do something. In our last article, we talked about being aware of those marshmallow moments. The unexpected craving for a cupcake when you’re on a diet, or the urge to binge Netflix instead of studying or cleaning. These moments when left unaddressed can create anxiety, fear, and sense of failure if you’re not careful.

Even knowing what willpower is, the idea of it can still feel elusive. Often it’s mistaken for stubbornness or an innate resistance to temptation. But willpower is simple the ability to exert self-control in difficult situations. And that’s something you can build on and improve. When you’re faced with a marshmallow moment, those distractions usually offer you one of two things: avoiding stress or feeling good. Your brain wants it, and sometimes, it needs it. But you want to identify when you genuinely need a rest, and when you might simply be looking for the easy path.

One of the best ways to cultivate and grow your willpower is by making the hard thing an easy habit. When you change your behaviors and mindsets around what you believe you are capable of, it’s much easier to listen to your body and brain to maximize your productive output. Here are six ways you can increase your willpower.

Fix your routines

The first thing to look at is to make sure that you are giving your body and brain all the resources it needs to function properly. Studies show that when you don’t get enough sleep, you crave processed and sugar-laden foods. It’s a lot harder to eat the nutrient rich foods when you can’t stop thinking about a donut. Make sure you create a nighttime routine that helps facilitate healthy sleep. And if you know you’re starting your day off tired, make sure you take steps to make healthy eating easier. Pack a nutritious lunch, avoid walking by your favorite grab-and-go meals, and increase your protein to help keep you fuller, longer.

Another part of your routine is staying hydrated. Your cognitive capabilities decrease significantly when you’re as little as 2% dehydrated. It impacts your memory, your ability to reason, your decision-making skills, and more.

Choosing a healthy morning routine is just as important as your nighttime routine. You set the tone for the day and start with a focus on what’s important. This gives you clarity on what your goals are and helps prompt your brain to stay focused on those outcomes. Take five minutes and assess your state, and then create a plan to help you stay on track. You’ll find that this goes miles in reducing the moments of indecision and will help you gain momentum that carries through your day.

Don’t follow good milestones with bad rewards

Who hasn’t celebrated sticking to their diet by indulging in a cheeseburger? While one meal won’t derail a diet, it’s a mindset you want to be aware of. If you’ve struggled with staying away and have thought of nothing but that cheeseburger, you’re actually rewarding the unhealthy thought patterns, and not the healthy new behavior.

This phenomenon is called moral licensing, in which we give ourselves permission to do something “bad” since we have done something “good”. But before long, the temptation to do the bad thing becomes the driving force, pushing the focus away from your goal, or the good. Doing the good thing becomes a way to achieve the bad thing, and before long you stop doing the good thing and go straight to the bad. It can also make it easier to give in to these thoughts in more private moments.

Instead, make sure that you are aware of the desire to give in to these moments. Try to find healthy alternatives to support your new habits, goals, and mindset. When you find yourself thinking about the cheeseburger, remind yourself of why you don’t want to eat it and what you do that will satisfy the craving right now. Replace the cheeseburger with an equally satisfying alternative. Eventually, you’ll think about the cheeseburger less and find the healthy habits come more naturally.

Practice mindfulness

Meditation and mindfulness training are great exercises to strengthen your willpower. These practices gently train your mind to establish control over itself in a safe and relaxed way. But practicing mindfulness is possible outside of meditation exercises, in your everyday life. You can practice deep breathing exercises at traffic lights or subway stops. Choose the longest line at the grocery store or park as far as you can and walk. Being present and in the moment will help control your impatience and build the self-control muscle that makes doing the hard thing easier over time.

These practices also help reduce stress. Stress often pushes people back into old habits. Part of the reason is how habits are coded in the brain. Once the behavior is a habit, it stops producing the dopamine reward. But if you start the behavioral pattern after ending the habit, the reward is reactivated. Depending on how much stress you’re under, it can be very tempting to go after that dopamine burst. Which is why managing your stress is so important when trying to stay away from old bad habits.

Mindfulness allows the areas of your brain relating to attention and emotional regulation to function more efficiently. This is crucial when it comes to willpower. When your stress levels rise, these areas shut down. It’s harder to focus, which can derail you in terms of reaching your goals. And your emotions might take over, making that donut sound way better than it actually is.

Break down your goals

It can be easy to lose steam when working towards a goal. Particularly one on a long timeframe. Your brain wasn’t designed to power through obstacles with no rewards for long periods of time. Which is why breaking your goal down into small, simple steps is so vital in building your willpower.

Instead of only counting a diet as a success when you lose twenty pounds, celebrate every pound. Even better, add inches, muscle tone, exercise stamina, and healthy meals choices into the mix. Every milestone or win you celebrate, activates your reward center and gives you a new goal to anticipate. This builds momentum, which helps get you to the next step, and the next, and the next. Before you know it, you’ll reach your goal—maybe even surpass it.

And don’t forget to reframe your rewards in ways that further your goals. If you want to diet, buy new clothes when you reach a milestone. If you’re working towards a degree, perhaps ordering business cards or investing in supplies you’ll need for a new job can help keep you focused. Come up with rewards that promote your new habits and behaviors to help keep your brain engaged and entirely focused on your goals.

Don’t say “I won’t”, say “I will”

The language you use while thinking has a huge effect on your actions. Research suggests that positive reinforcement serves better in achieving goals than negative ones. One famous experiment highlights this. It’s known as the White Bear Analogy. Essentially, if someone tells you not to think about a white bear, you won’t be able to stop thinking about a white bear.

In terms of your life, instead of telling yourself what to not think about, create a list of new thoughts. When you think about the white bear, don’t force the thought away, simply think about a black bear instead. If French fries or cheeseburgers are your white bear, think about a new healthy snack you’ve been excited to try or the new outfit you want to buy.

You can’t force yourself not to think about things. But you can replace those thoughts with new ones. And by finding replacements for those thoughts, you will activate other areas of your brain and stimulate the reward centers at the same time. It can become a game and give you new experiences to look forward to. And that’s the best way to stay engaged and motivated.

Avoid decision-fatigue

A little bit of decision making every day is good exercise, but when it becomes your whole day it can deplete your cognitive resources. Decisions require willpower, but they also require attention, focus, and problem-solving. If you do this too much, it can tire your brain out.

This is known as decision fatigue. It’s essentially the term that encapsulates a few things we’ve talked about before. When you’re tired, hungry, stressed, and overwhelmed, decisions are harder. Eating the healthy foods, going for a run, not staying up late to watch a movie, all become harder.

You can offset this fatigue by making as many decisions as you can when you’re in a clear, focused state of mind. Meal prep on a day when you can come up with that week’s menu, buy the groceries, and prepare the ingredients for easy cooking. It’s much easier to go home and cook when you know everything is ready and waiting for you. Schedule your workouts and have your gym bag ready. Set your clothes out either the night before, or even the entire week in advance. Pre-plan your workouts or run routes.

The more you do to help make these smaller decisions easy, the more energy your brain will have to focus on the harder, more complicated tasks.

Conclusion

Willpower is not something you have, it’s something you build. It all comes down to habit. Instead of blaming yourself for failing, you can reframe your mindset, break down your goals, and change your language to ensure better outcomes. Before you know it, you’ll be smashing down goals and your willpower will become stronger with every milestone you reach.

THE SCIENCE OF WILLPOWER

October 13, 2023 by Kwik Team

People are successful for different reasons. But there is one trait that runs through all high achievers: willpower. The simple definition of willpower is “the ability to control one’s own actions, emotions, or urges” and “strong determination that allows one to do something difficult”.

No matter what your goal is, how hard you train, how detailed your plans, they will all hit roadblocks and obstacles. You’ll have days that feel overwhelming. Your emotions get the better of you. A you’ll frequently question if success is even possible. But if you want to achieve your goals, no matter how hard, audacious, and ambitious they may be, you have to develop the ability to persevere and overcome these difficulties. That’s where willpower comes in.

Decades of research on the science of willpower have created some interesting insights. And understanding them will help you learn how to increase willpower in your daily life. We’re going to explore the fascinating science of willpower. Once you understand the mechanisms behind willpower, you can learn to build your resistance and unlock your limitless goals.

Small instances of exercising willpower can help build perseverance for bigger ones

Walter Mitchel’s famous “Stanford Marshmallow Test” had children choose between eating some marshmallows now, or waiting 15 minutes and having a double-helping. He then tracked those children till they were roughly 32 years old. The children who were able to delay gratification for 15 minutes were more successful in their adult life. They achieved more and were able to reach their self-imposed goals more frequently than the children who ate the marshmallows first. The ability to delay gratification of a simple thing like a marshmallow prepared them for resisting bigger vulnerabilities and distractions later in life.

This can be exercised in your daily life. There’s always a marshmallow, so to speak. Instead of watching that Netflix show, spend thirty minutes cleaning, organizing, exercising, or reading before you allow yourself to sit down and zone out. You can work towards intermittent fasting, take more control of where you’re spending your time and focus, and so much more. Start noticing the marshmallow moments in your life and work towards delaying that instant gratification.

Willpower is a muscle

We all get muscle fatigue sometimes, right? Well, willpower gets fatigued too. And it can be just as debilitating. A study by scientist Roy Baumeister found that willpower acts just like your muscles. It tends to get fatigued when a lot of your tasks require self-control. If your willpower is exhausted, your performance will actually decrease when it comes to those specific tasks, which can lead to trying to exert more control and staying in that cycle.

This study led to two principles, that can help in training your mind to increase willpower:

To strengthen muscles, you need to exercise. That means you need to exercise your willpower frequently. As we mentioned above, find your marshmallow moments and practice delaying gratification.
But too much exercise leads to muscle fatigue. You need rest. Every moment of your day can’t be a battle of the internal wills, otherwise you deplete your ability to effectively delay gratification. In other words, sometimes it’s a good idea to put off Netflix, and sometimes you need to let yourself relax.

Make sure you find the balance between exercising and resting your self-control.

To increase willpower, you first have to believe that it is possible to change

A 2010 study by Veronica Job found that your beliefs about willpower can affect how much willpower you display while pursuing your real-life goals. The Stanford University team ran a series of experiments looking at individual beliefs when it comes to willpower. They found that if an individual believes that they a limited amount of willpower that decreases every time they use it, those same individuals displayed lower levels of willpower in their daily lives.

On the other hand, the people who believed willpower is not fixed and cannot be depleted, had much greater control over their selves. They displayed more willpower and were able to push through distractions and difficulties in order to achieve their goals.

Why willpower is crucial for learning

One thing will always encounter when learning something new is an obstacle. Usually, more than one. For every step forward, it’s common to experience one, two, sometimes five steps back. And that’s where building your willpower comes in. It doesn’t matter if you want to break a habit, build a new habit, learn a new skill, or manage your time more efficiently. There will always be a marshmallow waiting to derail you.

The one thing you need is strong willpower. It’s an essential quality to move forward in life. Learning a new skill or building a new habit requires the ability to know when to push forward, when to take a break, and how to analyze obstacles from different perspectives. Training your willpower will help you understand how to do exactly that.

Habits take anywhere from 28 to 66 days to truly solidify. And not every one of those days will be good. Willpower helps you stick to your new routine—even when you don’t want to. But the stronger your willpower gets, the easier it is to exert. And the same goes with learning. As you get better at sticking to your schedule, minimizing distractions, and doing the hard thing first, the more these behaviors will seep into your daily life. You’ll be able to learn more efficiently, which opens the door to learning more. And soon, you’ll be living the life you both desire and deserve.

Conclusion

Willpower is a complex subject. While researchers have worked hard to identify and measure it, it can still feel elusive in your daily life. But it is the key to unlocking your momentum so you can achieve your goals in life. Pay attention to your marshmallow moments, learn to listen to your body when you need to rest, and challenge yourself daily and you’ll be on your way to building this very important skill.

For more on how to develop willpower and self-discipline, watch this video:

Want to Master Your Memory? Use Your Brain Animal

September 7, 2023 by Kwik Team

Knowing your brain animal can become your biggest secret weapon in unlocking your limitless mind. Each animal has unique strengths and cognitive preferences in how they learn, read, interact with others, and yes, even actively recall information. If you’re curious how each animal can develop memory techniques that work best for them, we’ve compiled some suggestions below.

Remember to take the quiz and unlock the C.O.D.E. to your unique brain type. Once you do, you’ll have taken the first step towards understanding how to leverage your strengths and develop strategies to overcome your biggest challenges.

Owl (Logical Thinker):

Owls love organization and structure. That’s why mnemonic devices are perfect when it comes to remembering complex information. No matter how complicated the material, connecting it to a well-known pattern or rhythm will help you recall the information quickly and easily.

You can also use your organizational strengths to categorize information into logical groups or hierarchies. Maybe you have the grocery store laid out in your head, which makes remembering your list by aisle and food groups easier. You might learn the names of different people in your company based on the management structure. If you learn the information based on a structure that makes sense, you’ll have a much easier time recalling it when necessary.

Because Owls prefer a more methodical approach to learning, spaced repetition can be incredibly helpful to cement information into your memory. Practice reviewing flashcards at set intervals, taking breaks, and then repeating the process. Increase the intervals so that you have to remember the information for longer and longer, and watch how much you start to retain.

Cheetah (Instinctive Doer):

Cheetahs prefer a hands-on learning style, which means you want to use this same approach for memory. Use the body list to attach information to your physical self and come up with motions to help trigger the memory when you need it. If possible, use movement and activities to help give yourself experiences to tie information to.

While you’re using your physicality, you want to try to create mental images or visualize scenarios related to the information you want to remember. Your hair might have the movement of running your hands through it on your body list, but maybe it’s spaghetti so you don’t forget it at the store.

Another way you can solidify your understanding and memory is by teaching it to someone else. It might not seem like explaining it to another person is action-oriented, but it helps ground you in the moment. And having someone ask questions helps keep you focused and engaged, two traits perfect for a Cheetah.

Dolphin (Creative Visionary):

The Dolphins creative brain can use mind maps with stunning accuracy. You can create detailed and dynamic visual representations of information and connect them easily to different concepts. The more outrageous the visualization, the more likely you are to remember it.

You also have strength in storytelling. For each location in your mind map, you can create a story that ties it to the next piece and the next, and so on for quite a long list of information. These narratives can be used to remember anything from the periodic table to a vocabulary list to a speech.

The creative experience is essential to a Dolphins learning process, but it’s also important to memory. Listen to music, tie certain smells to different study sessions, use drawings in your notes, or create a vision board representing what you want to learn.

Elephant (Collaborative Connector):

Elephants do best when you study with others. The process of discussing and sharing information can be a game-changer in reinforcing your memory. You can extend this by asking people to study with you and quiz each other. The collaborative process will help embed the information into your long-term memory easier and faster than on your own.

You can work with others to create vivid “memory palaces”. Associate specific locations or objects in a familiar environment with key pieces of information. Using places like your home or office, where you have an emotional connection can reinforce the memory and make recall effortless.

When you have someone to practice with, or even in a group setting, practice active recall exercises. Summarize information to another person or have them summarize to you. Teach each other key elements and then test each other. You’ll strengthen your memory connections through the interactive process. And because you’ll also have an emotional memory thanks to your interactions, you’re even more likely to remember what you’re learning.

Conclusion

Each animal brain type has unique strengths and preferences. By adopting the techniques tailored for you, you can enhance not just how you learn, but your ability to retain and recall information faster and more effectively.

If you want to learn more about what habits can help improve your memory, watch this video:

The Neurology of Kindness

September 2, 2023 by Kwik Team

You already know kindness is good for your soul. But did you know it’s good for your brain? It turns out, being kind can actually reshape your brain.

Kindness Rewires Your Brain for Positivity

When you practice kindness, chances are you are familiar with the warm feeling that goes along with those acts. You might notice that your mood is elevated, your confidence is bolstered, or you’re motivated to do more. These effects go beyond just feeling nice.

It turns out, when you’re kind, you brain releases a plethora of neurochemicals afterwards. These include dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, all the so-called “feel good” chemicals. Combined, they elevate your mood, increase your overall sense of well-being, and activate your empathy. Being kind not just makes you feel good, it makes you want to continue being kind.

Researchers have discovered that engaging in acts of kindness can also form new neural connections by activating multiple parts of the brain. These new connections can enhance your brain’s ability to process positive emotions and regulate stress.

Kindness Creates a Ripple Effect of Happiness

Have you ever engaged in a random act of kindness? Maybe you decided to pay for the coffee of the person behind you, or showed up at a friend’s house to help with a massive chore as a surprise. Not only do you receive the brain benefits of all those feel-good neurochemicals, you also activate the same response in the recipients brain. This phenomenon is known as the “ripple effect of kindness”.

Research shows that when you’re performing kind acts, the ripple effect casts an incredibly wide net. The more you practice kindness, the more likely the people around you will do the same. And the effect continues to spread from there. It becomes a self-perpetuating cycle that can build a momentum of its own. The best part is, that kindness will eventually come back to you, and you can start the cycle all over again.

Kindness Boosts Your Emotional Intelligence

It should come as no surprise that practicing kindness can actually boost your emotional intelligence, or your EQ. EQ is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions while empathizing with the feelings of others.

There are five elements to emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. And kindness helps improve them all. You have to be self-aware and have the ability to self-regulate. You’re not always going to be in a good mood, but self-aware people who can regulate themselves know that yelling at the barrista isn’t going to make them feel better.

Kindness triggers your empathy. You start to understand how people work, which gives you insight into yourself. This helps you become in tune with unspoken cues signaling emotional needs and the corresponding feelings. This heightened emotional awareness strengthens your relationships, which motivates you and builds your confidence.

And because you have to engage with others to be kind, it improves your social skills by giving you the ability to navigate complex social situations with grace and understanding.

Putting Kindness into Action

Now that we’ve unraveled the science behind the magic of kindness, it’s time to put this superpower to work in your everyday life. Here are a few simple ways you can incorporate kindness into your routine.

Start Your Day Right: Begin your morning by sending a heartfelt message to a friend or family member. It could be a simple “Good morning!” or a genuine compliment. Watch as your day – and theirs – lights up!

Random Acts of Kindness: Challenge yourself to perform at least one random act of kindness each day. Whether it’s holding the elevator, offering a genuine smile, or leaving a positive note for a coworker, these little gestures go a long way.

Listen with Intent: When engaging in conversations, practice active listening. Put away distractions and genuinely tune in to what the other person is saying. Your undivided attention is a gift. Learn to give it abundantly and watch how you receive it in return.

Volunteer Your Time: Find a cause you’re passionate about and dedicate some time to volunteer work. Not only will you make a difference in the community, but you’ll also experience the positive effects of giving back.

Practice Self-Kindness: Remember, kindness starts with you. Treat yourself with the same compassion and understanding that you extend to others. Practice self-care, set healthy boundaries, and celebrate your achievements.

Conclusion

Kindness can rewire your brain leading to a happier, more confident you. It spreads positivity, improves the lives of those around you, and builds your emotional intelligence. It costs you nothing, but it can give you everything. The world can always use more kindness. And your brain will thank you.

For more on how kindness and gratitude rewires your brain, watch this video:

HOW YOUR BRAIN CHANGES AS A NEW PARENT

August 25, 2023 by Kwik Team

It’s no secret that becoming a parent changes your life. But did you know it also changes your brain? Parenthood is a remarkable journey that rewires your brain in fascinating ways. Understanding these changes can help provide a map for new parents, but it can also help friends and family provide the support parents need. Whether this is your first baby, you’ve been a parent for a while, or simply want to be there for a parent in your life, we have the latest brain science to help harness you with the information you need to make parenting as stress-free as possible.

Neuroplasticity Overdrive

Your brain has the amazing ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. And when you become a parent, neuroplasticity goes into overdrive.

Researchers found that parts of the brain responsible for caregiving and nurturing, areas like the prefrontal cortex, literally grow in size when you become a parent. It’s like your brain puts on a superhero cape to gear up to handle both the challenges and joys of parenting.

And the best part? These changes are not only about keeping your little one safe. They’re also about tuning into their needs, emotions, and understanding the meaning behind every cry and baby babble.

Developing Your Empathy Superpower

One of the most incredible changes in your parent brain is the boost in your empathetic abilities. It’s like you suddenly gain the ability to understand your baby’s needs, both physical and emotional, from gurgles and cries. And it doesn’t stop there. After you become a parent, this empathetic shift happens in all areas of your life.

Research shows that the brain’s mirror neuron system—the one responsible for recognizing and then mirroring emotions in others—gets a major upgrade when you become a parent. This means you might find yourself tearing up during heartwarming commercials or feel a stab of understanding when you see a fellow parent struggle at the grocery store. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and the empathetic response supports this by helping you establish support and compassion.

Upgrade Your Multitasking Skills

Some days, multitasking feels like juggling flaming swords while riding a unicycle. Part of that is because there is no such thing as multitasking, only task-switching. But the part of your brain that handles complex tasks, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, becomes more active and efficient as a parent.

This rewiring of your brain means you become far more adept at juggling tasks, priorities, and all that baby gear without breaking a sweat (okay, maybe just a little bit of sweat). Your brain knows life gets a little harder with a newborn, and you have to be able to respond to their needs quickly and effectively. You can use this bump in flexibility to effortlessly switch between comforting a crying baby, whipping up dinner, and replying to that work email you almost forgot about.

Turning Stress into Success: 3 Kwik Tips for New Parents

Now that you know how your brain adapts to handle this incredible journey of parenthood, let’s talk about how you can use these changes to your advantage and keep your stress minimized.

1. Embrace Mindfulness: Your enhanced empathy and neuroplasticity can make you more in tune with your own emotions. Take advantage of this by practicing mindfulness. When things get chaotic, take a few deep breaths and ground yourself in the present moment. This can help you stay calm and centered amidst the whirlwind of parenting.

2. Delegate and Connect: Your multitasking capable brain might make you think you can do it all, but remember that asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. Delegate tasks to your partner, family, or friends. Building a support network not only eases your load but also your body and brain the time and space it needs to rest and recover in the between the hectic moments of parenthood.

3. Prioritize Self-Care: Your newfound superpowers shouldn’t come at the expense of your well-being. Make self-care a non-negotiable part of your routine. Whether it’s a quick workout, a chapter of a book, or a soothing cup of tea, these moments recharge your brain and help you navigate the parenting adventure with grace.

Supporting the Superparents in Your Life

If you’re not the one in the baby booties but you’re cheering on a friend or family member who is, here are some ways you can be the ultimate sidekick:

Offer a Listening Ear – Sometimes, the most powerful support is simply being there to listen. Let the new parent share their experiences, frustrations, and triumphs. Your empathetic presence can do wonders.

Be a Helper – Offer concrete help. Everything from babysitting for an hour to bringing over a warm meal can be a lifesaver. Every little bit counts in the whirlwind of parenting.

Celebrate Small Wins – Parenting is a rollercoaster, and celebrating even the tiniest victory can make a huge difference. A congratulatory text or a small treat will help not just boost their spirits, but let them know they’re not alone.

If you want to learn more about these incredible changes, be sure to watch this episode:

THREE REASONS TO BECOME A REAL LIFE HERO

August 18, 2023 by Kwik Team

In 2009, the UN designated International Humanitarian Day as a way to embody the idea that anyone can be a hero. Celebrated every year on August 19, the day is both a way to honor those who have lost their lives working on humanitarian causes and encourages everyone to recognize ways they can give back in their daily life.

It’s easy to look at a police officer, firefighter, doctor, or nurse and recognize their heroic deeds. But what about the person who helps a stranger in a store? Or shares their umbrella at a bus stop? Being a hero is more than volunteering time or engaging in a specific career, it’s helping others everyday in situations big and small.

You’ve heard us say, reasons reap rewards. And there’s a reason helping others feels so good. It’s hard-wired into our neurology. So let’s dive into three reasons why you should become a real life hero.

Embrace Kindness

When you are kind to others, your brain releases three neurochemicals in response. The first chemical is oxytocin, the brain’s love chemical. This is the hormone that bonds you to others through love. Oxytocin elevates your trust levels, encourages you to be generous, and helps you become friendlier. When you engage in random acts of kindness, your brain releases oxytocin, which then triggers the rest of your reward centers.

The second chemical released is dopamine, the feel-good neurochemical. This hormone induces a pleasant state of short-term euphoria, which helps your brain reinforce the activity you just engaged in. Dopamine is strongly tied to your reward center. That’s what helps you develop habits. The more you engage in kind acts, the better you feel, which encourages those actions to become things you do frequently.

Your brain then releases a third hormone, serotonin. This hormone stabilizes mood and is generally attributed to your sense of happiness. Normal levels of serotonin helps you stay calm and focused in stressful situations, which leads to better outcomes.

This powerful combination helps sustain overall levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Both are incredibly motivating. When you live a life filled with acts of kindness and purposeful service, your brain chemistry works to encourage you to continue. You feel happier, fulfilled, and satisfied, triggering you to want to engage in kindness more. It’s a wonderful cycle. And one that’s easily introduced into your daily life.

One of the easiest ways to embrace kindness is simply working on how you see the world. We all get frustrated with our spouses, kids, co-workers, and even strangers. The next time you find yourself cursing the slow driver in front of you, or the co-worker who dropped the ball on a project, take a moment and reframe their behavior in a positive light. Instead of driving slow to irritate you, maybe they have a sick baby in the car or at home. When you change your frustration and outlook, you’ll be kinder to the person in response. And those small acts will not only make you feel better, they’ll make a world of difference to those around you.

Practice Gratitude

Gratitude also releases dopamine and serotonin. However, unlike with kindness, you only need to focus on your internal gratitude or express external gratitude to trigger these releases. That makes gratitude a powerful source of happiness and mental well-being that you can do anytime.

Every time you practice gratitude, you reinforce the neural pathways that release these neurotransmitters. And the more they’re released, the more entrenched these pathways become. And because these neurochemicals also work to reduce stress, improve memory, and stabilize your emotions, gratitude can be an effective tool to help redirect your mind and recenter your focus.

The beauty of gratitude is the multitude of ways in which you can express it. Every time you say thank you when someone opens a door or smile at a stranger, you release these feel-good neurochemicals. You can use gratitude when you’re stressed or frustrated by simply pausing and finding something to be grateful for. It disrupts the negative thought patterns and can help shift your mindset and outlook in that moment.

Gratitude not only reduces stress and anxiety, it also activates the part of your brain associated with altruism. The more you express gratitude, the more you want to give to those around you, which then gives you more to be grateful for. It’s a cycle that sustains itself and leads to a happier, more fulfilled life.

Other ways you can express gratitude is by keeping a gratitude journal. Every night end the day with three things you’re grateful for, and on tough days, review your previous entries. You can keep a gratitude jar, where you add to the jar daily and pull a piece of paper when you need a reminder. Write thank you notes to friends and families, or send random gratitude letters to those who mean the most to you.

When you take the time to reflect what you’re grateful for, you start to notice more of the abundance around you. It helps change your perspective and your mindset. Expressing gratitude not only increases your happiness and satisfaction, it also helps you find focus and clarity. And that helps you discover your purpose.

Unlock Purpose

It’s common to mistake passion for purpose. And while passion is vital in finding your purpose, it isn’t the sole ingredient. On one of our podcast episodes, Jim interviewed Jay Shetty, author of Think Like A Monk. Shetty also hosts his own podcast, On Purpose, and often discusses the purpose recipe. Passion + Service = Purpose.

Before you can plug in the formula, you have to start by embracing the sparks of curiosity. Curiosity can lead to finding things we’re passionate about. But as we all know, passion does not always lead to purpose. You can find your interest waning for a variety of reasons, but stomping out creativity by adhering too stringently to rules or waiting for the perfect moment will likely end in your passion fizzling out.

Researchers believe that the primary function of curiosity is to stimulate learning. And learning stimulates growth. When you allow the sparks of creativity to lead you down a path of learning, you can discover not just your passion, but also your purpose. And when you include kindness, generosity, and gratitude in your daily life, they can become the fuel that drives your passion and purpose forward.

When you find your purpose, you become an inspiration for others. Even if you aren’t saving lives, you never know who is watching and how you’re motivating or encouraging them to follow their curiosity and passion to discover their purpose. Your overall well-being improves, which improves everything from your productivity at work to forming deeper, more intimate relationships at home. In short, unlocking your purpose helps you become an everyday real life hero to everyone in your life.

Conclusion

Becoming a real life hero doesn’t require traveling the globe or engaging in monumental feats. By embracing kindness, practicing gratitude, and discovering your purpose, you improve the lives of everyone around you. This ranges from immediate family and friends, but also to those you work with, people you live around, and anyone else whose lives you unknowingly touch.

If you want to hear more about Jim’s real-life hero story, watch this video:

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