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17 September 2023 17 Min Read

Your Brain Is Your Own Application: Program Yourself for Success

The human brain is a marvel of evolution, a powerful machine, and the most complex organ in our body. It controls every process, handles vast amounts of data, and generates countless outputs, just like a sophisticated computer program.

While it’s impressive, the brain is also a bit of a mystery. It’s capable of creativity, emotion, and self-awareness, yet we often struggle with negative thoughts, fears, and anxieties that seem to control us. But what if we could take charge of our minds and steer them in the right direction? What if we could control our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and live a more fulfilling life?

Fortunately, you can think of your brain as your personal application, a tool to navigate the world around you and achieve your goals and aspirations. And sure, just like any other app, the human brain can malfunction. Yet, the thing is, you can take care of it.

Today, I’ll try to take you a step closer to understanding the processor of your body, how it works, and how to take control of it to make the most of your life.

Introducing the Human Brain

The human brain is a highly complex organ and the control center for the nervous system. It processes sensory information, regulates bodily functions, and enables thought, emotion, and behavior.

The human brain consists of three main parts, i.e., the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brainstem. Each is responsible for different tasks. For example, there’s a part of the brain that helps you see, another that enables you to hear, and so on. These sections work together to help you understand and respond to the world around you.

The cerebrum is the brain’s largest and most developed part, responsible for higher cognitive functions, such as thinking, learning, memory, and conscious perception. It is divided into two hemispheres (right and left), which are further divided into lobes:

The frontal lobes are associated with reasoning, planning, problem-solving, emotions, and motor control.
The parietal lobes process sensory information, such as touch, temperature, and pain, as well as spatial awareness and coordination.
The temporal lobes process auditory information, memory, and speech.
The occipital lobes process visual information.

The cerebellum plays a crucial role in motor control, coordination, and balance. It also contributes to cognitive functions, such as learning and memory.

The brainstem connects the cerebrum and cerebellum to the spinal cord and regulates vital functions such as heart rate, respiration, and digestion. It consists of three main parts: the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata.

How Does the Brain Work?

The brain is like a control center of billions of tiny messengers called neurons that send and receive information. These messengers help different parts of your brain work together to understand and respond to the world around you. More precisely, our brains receive signals from our body’s sensory organs and output information to the muscles.

When you do something, say, touch a hot surface, the neurons in your brain send messages to each other through electrical and chemical signals.

Tip

Imagine the neurons as a friend group, passing along information through a game of telephone.

Therefore, when you learn something new or have a unique experience, the connections between the neurons in your brain can change and strengthen. This is how your brain adapts and learns throughout your life.

Fun Facts About Your Brain

Our brains are similar to other mammals, such as whales or elephants, in structure but larger in relation to body size.
The human brain is relatively lightweight – it weighs around 3 lbs or 1.4 kg and makes up just 2% of our body weight. Yet, it uses about 20% of the body’s total oxygen and blood supply.
Male brains are about 10% larger than female brains (78 cubic inches vs. 69 cubic inches).
The cerebrum, the brain’s superstar, takes up 85% of the brain’s weight and sits in the front of our skulls, playing a crucial role in our thoughts, emotions, and actions.
The human brain contains about 86 billion neurons, which comprise the ‘gray matter’ and about the same number of non-neuronal cells forming the basis of the brain’s ‘white matter.’
Contrary to popular belief, we actually use 100% of our brains all the time.
Human brains are quite the little powerhouses that can generate around 23 watts of electrical power, sufficient to power a small lightbulb.
Our brains cannot multitask, which is why focusing on a single task enhances time management, reduces errors, and increases efficiency.
When you experience a “brain freeze” while enjoying a cold treat, the sensation activates nerves in the roof of your mouth, which your brain misinterprets as pain coming from your forehead. That’s why you experience a sudden headache, a classic case of “crossed wires” in the brain!
The human brain is always working, even when you’re asleep. In fact, some parts of the brain are even more active during sleep as it processes the day’s events, forms memories, and rejuvenates itself for another day of activities.

The Human Brain as A Machine

As we live in the digital era, it’s essential to examine the similarities between our brains and technology that strongly affects our lives, especially if you seek to understand how your mind functions and adapts. Understanding these parallels can provide valuable insights and help you navigate the challenges of the modern age.

Note

I like to perceive the human brain as a sophisticated machine due to its intricate neural networks and astounding ability to process and store vast amounts of information.

As mentioned before, the human brain consists of approximately 86 billion neurons communicating through synapses, forming an intricate web of connections that set the foundation of our cognitive abilities. Our brains utilize these neural networks to process and retain information, just like modern machines, including computers and smartphones, rely on processors and memory storage to perform complex tasks.

Next, our brain’s plasticity is akin to a computer’s ability to be reprogrammed. This phenomenon, also known as neuroplasticity, enables you to continually evolve, acquire new skills, adapt to new situations, and recover from injuries. For example, when you learn a new language, you strengthen your brain’s neural connections and might even promote new neuron growth.

Your brain also resembles the ever-expanding array of mobile devices and applications that cater to various needs and preferences. Similarly, the human brain has developed specialized regions responsible for different cognitive functions, as noted earlier.

Finally, both the human brain and digital technology can process and transmit vast amounts of data at remarkable speeds. For instance, you can instantly access the internet as a vast repository of information. Similarly, your brain can process complex information in milliseconds, allowing for fast communication and sharing of information.

Note

Research has shown that the average human brain can store approximately 2.5 million GB of information, rivaling the storage capacity of many modern supercomputers.

The Importance of Programming Your Mind

It’s clear that the brain plays a critical role in our daily lives – from thinking, feeling, and perceiving the world around us to making decisions and learning new skills. No doubt, our brain is at the heart of our existence. However, it is a physical organ in our head. So, understanding the brain’s structure and function is only one aspect of harnessing its true potential.

It is equally important to recognize the significance of controlling our minds to maximize our personal and professional growth. The mind refers to our thoughts and feelings that come from the brain’s activity.

Important

I like to imagine the brain as the computer hardware that makes everything work, while the mind is more like the software that runs on the computer hardware, i.e., the brain.

Even people in ancient times were aware of the power of the human mind. Philosophers knew that internal thoughts directly affect external circumstances. For example, they understood that if an individual focused on wealth, they would become wealthy, while dwelling on poverty or failure would lead to corresponding outcomes.

Nowadays, modern science has recognized the validity of these observations.

What Are Thoughts?

Thoughts are the product of your brain activity. They encompass your mental experiences, including ideas, beliefs, images, memories, emotions, and internal dialogues.

As an integral part of your cognitive and emotional experiences, your thoughts help you make sense of the world, solve problems, plan, and engage with the environment.

Note

Thoughts arise from the complex interactions between neurons and the connections formed within different brain regions.

The thing about thoughts is that they can be conscious or unconscious. They are conscious if you are actively aware and can direct your thoughts. On the other hand, if they occur without your direct awareness or influence, they are unconscious. Yet, it is interesting that they both shape your perceptions, decisions, and behaviors – subtly or not.

Considering that we have approximately 60,000 to 80,000 thoughts a day, the nature of these thoughts significantly affects our lives. Your thoughts and inner voice can be your best friend or worst enemy. They can be the source of positivity and growth or draw you back, limiting your potential and reminding you of your failures.

What Is Mind Control?

Mind control refers to effectively managing your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It involves developing self-awareness, discipline, and mental resilience to achieve personal goals, overcome challenges, and maintain a sense of well-being.

When you align your mind, body, and emotions, you can improve your physical and mental health or emotional well-being.

Changing your way of thinking can also boost your focus and productivity, reduce stress, and help you fight anxiety and depression. By developing a higher sense of purpose and self-awareness, you’ll also be able to form better relationships and achieve greater life satisfaction.

Mind control is an essential life skill, especially for those who overthink, over-worry, or overstress. However, you must be dedicated to it as it requires intentional practice in activities, such as mindfulness, meditation, setting boundaries, limiting exposure to negativity, setting goals, and physical activity.

Warning

You either control your thoughts or let your thoughts control you.

What Happens When You Don’t Control Your Thoughts?

Simply put, you’ll crash. Life is often overwhelming for the untrained mind. Unwanted thoughts disrupt your mind-body-emotion connection, making them more than a distraction. These thoughts can seriously harm your well-being and health.

Limited thinking makes you reactive and compulsive. For instance, when you allow your thoughts to control you, a single critic can send you down the rabbit hole of self-doubt, and an emotional outburst can trigger a burst of anger.

Worse yet, a lack of mind control can harm your focus, decision-making, and coping capacity, reduce self-esteem, and lead to overthinking, stress, anxiety, or depression. Moreover, it can damage your relationships and lead to overall dissatisfaction.

Essentially, unwanted thoughts keep you away from what you want or need. It can make you lose your vision, drive, passion, or sense of hope.

Remember the last time you took the what-if approach but with a negative connotation? What if I am late? What if I forget my lines? What if they don’t like me? What if… You probably felt a sense of fear build up as you mentally listed all the things that could cause you to fail.

So, what if you went the other way? What if you reprogram your mind to think of all the things that could go right?

Note

When you take control of your thoughts, you accept the reins of your life and create unlimited possibilities.

Training, or as I like to call it, programming your mind, takes you a step closer to making changes and taking action toward success.

How To Reprogram and Master Your Mind?

The good news is that you can train your brain. So even if you have programmed it otherwise, say to see the worst in things, be fearful, and be skeptical, there’s always space for a change. Here’s what you can do to set things right.

Stop and Redirect Destructive Thoughts

Your smartphone and computer have built-in filters to protect you from harmful content. Similarly, parental controls enable you to block access to specific content or set time limits for usage.

Likewise, you can set a mental filter to recognize and stop negative thoughts before they manifest into words or actions. Your boundaries will prevent you from dwelling on negative thoughts or spending excessive time worrying about situations beyond your control.

Note

You can reprogram your mind to focus on positivity and productivity, just like you update your devices to improve functionality.

Do you know how an algorithm works? Essentially, it suggests content based on your preferences. Think of TikTok and the videos you watch. Fortunately, you can follow this same example to train your mind. When you face a negative thought, you can consciously shift your focus to something more positive or constructive, thereby training your brain to seek out healthier thought patterns, i.e., your preference, in the future.

The way it works is neuroplasticity, which allows us to rewire limiting thought patterns and create healthier mental cycles, just like we optimize our devices for better performance.

Neuroplasticity is highly effective for establishing good habits, as repetition reinforces these pathways. However, it can be counterproductive regarding destructive habits like negative self-talk, which the brain tends to repeat almost automatically.

Fortunately, by recognizing your thought patterns and practicing new ways of thinking, you can reshape your neural pathways and establish new, constructive thought processes.

Always Plan and Prepare

Just as systems rely on structured frameworks and coordination, we can benefit from systematically organizing our thoughts and emotions.

When you prepare timely, you remove intrusive negative thoughts from ruining your day, which helps enhance your mental resilience and overall well-being. For instance, you can say to yourself, “That’s under control; nothing to worry about.”

Developers outline the desired outcomes for a software project. Similarly, it would help you to set clear objectives for mental growth and resilience. Next, break them down into manageable steps and allocate the necessary mental resources, like allocating memory and processing power in technology.

But also, don’t forget to reflect and revise your thought processes and emotional responses. Like constant technological updates and improvements, reflecting and revising will help you adapt to changing circumstances and efficiently overcome challenges.

Tip

Never stop learning from your experiences and incorporating feedback to refine your mental strategies and become more resilient in adversity.

Utilize Emotional Mapping

Our emotions are vital in shaping our well-being. Fortunately, applying technology-inspired techniques, such as emotional mapping, can help you reprogram your mind.

Note

If you understand your emotional landscape as precisely as technological systems, you can cultivate healthier emotional responses and foster greater self-awareness.

For instance, you can use tools like Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions to identify and analyze your emotional responses. Say you feel “out of control.” The emotions wheel can point out that the underlying core emotionis fear. And as soon as you recognize the core emotion, you can further explore and address the source of your fear.

This process resembles how modern technology uses diagnostic tools to detect and address issues within complex systems. Similarly, data visualization aids in interpreting large data amounts.

Limit Your Exposure to Negativity

Reprogramming your mind requires a conscious effort to shield your brain from negativity.

While the internet has brought us closer to global connectivity, it has also increased our anxiety and depression levels due to this exposure. Alarming news and events worldwide can affect your coping capacity, mental health, and resilience.

Tip

Shielding your brain from harmful thoughts and emotions fosters a healthier mindset.

Think of firewalls and antivirus software that protect systems from potential threats and harmful content and content filters that block unwanted material. Similarly, you need to build mental firewalls to guard your mind against negativity.

For instance, meditation can help you keep negative thoughts at bay and maintain a positive environment. Similarly, cognitive reframing can help you change your perspective and view the same situation in a more positive light.

Note

Continuously “updating” your thought patterns will help you rewire your brain and minimize the impact of negative emotions.

When you are selective about the people you interact with and the information you consume, you can create a supportive and uplifting environment that encourages personal growth and fosters a positive mindset.

Relax Your Body and Mind

You must learn to calm and quiet your mind through breathing or meditation to prevent overwhelming it. As technology needs rest periods to function at optimal performance, so do you.

Consider a computer with too many tabs and applications open, overwhelming its processor and causing it to slow down or even crash. Similarly, when your mind is cluttered with thoughts, worries, and stressors, your cognitive abilities suffer. For instance, you can experience reduced focus, impaired decision-making, and worse overall performance.

Important

In both cases, it is essential to “close some tabs” and declutter to restore efficiency.

Mental breaks help you alleviate stress and prevent burnout in the same way that technology requires occasional reboots to clear the cache and avoid system overload. As mentioned earlier, you can reboot your mind through meditation, deep breathing exercises, or engaging in hobbies.

Furthermore, think of your phone’s power-saving mode or sleep mode. As you know, it conserves energy and extends battery life, preventing unnecessary system wear and tear. Likewise, if you establish a regular relaxation routine for your mind, you can ensure that you maintain your mental and emotional energy. Ultimately, this will increase your resilience and promote long-term well-being.

The Ultimate Tip: Treat Your Brain as An App

Your brain is your application installed in the first few years of your life when you are still unconscious of its importance. We all get the same installation but differ in how we develop and maintain it further in life. Some of us try to make the best of it, while others let the environment program their brain instead of them.

I would say a reinstallation is impossible, but you can always take matters into your own hands and reprogram your mind.

You must build mental resilience and program your mind to be growth and solutions-oriented. To do so, you must have your eyes on the prize, emphasize success as your primary goal, and adopt a “failure is not an option” attitude to keep you focused and motivated.

Tip

Accept failure as an inevitable barrier and an opportunity to learn, grow, and adapt.

When you convince your brain to believe in yourself and your dreams, you can achieve practically anything. Your mind can empower you to overcome obstacles and navigate life’s challenges more effectively. So, the only question left is, how?

First, you must continuously “update” your mind with new information, experiences, and perspectives, just like you regularly update apps to access new features and improvements. When you embrace an “update-ready” mindset, you can ensure that your brain remains relevant and primed for success.

Next, apps often have customizable settings to tailor their functionality to individual preferences. Similarly, you can “personalize” your mental well-being by identifying your unique strengths, weaknesses, and thought patterns. This way, you can reprogram your mind and build an environment relevant to your goals.

Furthermore, efficient apps have user-friendly interfaces, making it easy for us to navigate and access essential features. Likewise, you should strive to simplify your thought processes, focusing on what truly matters and eliminating unnecessary mental clutter.

Finally, just as you occasionally clear the cache and data in your apps to improve their performance, remember to “clear the cache” in your mind. When you take the time to rest and recharge, you can maintain mental clarity, foster resilience, and prevent burnout.

Conclusion

Your brain is your most remarkable and powerful tool. It’s the processor that drives your body and mind, the application that allows you to achieve your goals and aspirations.

Understanding the science of the human brain and learning how to control your mind can help you unlock your full potential and live a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life.

While it requires patience, practice, and perseverance, reprogramming your mind is indeed worth it. So go ahead and start exploring the power of your brain and the amazing potential that lies within today. Learn new things, face new challenges, stop the virus attacks, reboot, and don’t forget to update!

Frequently Asked Questions

We recognize the human brain as the processor of our body because it receives and processes vast amounts of information from the environment and our internal systems to control and coordinate all bodily functions. Its processing power consists of billions of neurons communicating through electrochemical signals and enables us to interact with the world around us and navigate life. Additionally, the brain can learn, adapt, and reorganize itself following new experiences, allowing it to continually improve its processing capabilities.

The human brain utilizes a complex network of neurons that communicate with each other through electrical and chemical signals to process information. For instance, when you experience something, you activate the neurons in the sensory areas of the brain, which generate electrical signals. These signals then transmit to other brain parts for processing, interpretation, and storage.

Estimates show the human brain can store at least 2.5 petabytes of information, equivalent to 3 million hours of TV shows. Moreover, the brain's capacity is not just about storage but also the ability to process and use information effectively.

Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change and adapt in response to experience, learning, and injury. It enables the brain to reorganize following new challenges and demands by creating new neural connections or strengthening or weakening existing ones. Neuroplasticity is important for brain development, learning, and recovery from injury. You can enhance neuroplasticity through meditation, exercise, and cognitive training to improve your quality of life at any age.

Genetics, upbringing, and other external factors largely determine our behavior. Yet, you can exert control over your mind. You can learn to better control your thoughts and emotions and make conscious choices about your behavior by understanding how the brain works and developing mindfulness and self-awareness. Several effective techniques include meditation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and mindfulness-based stress reduction.

Stress affects the human brain by triggering the release of stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline, which can alter brain structure and function. Worse yet, prolonged stress may impair memory and learning, shrink the hippocampus, weaken the immune system, and increase the risk of mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. Additionally, stress can disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters, leading to altered mood and cognitive function.

Yes, your emotions and thoughts impact neural activity, chemical balance, and connectivity. Positive emotions enhance cognitive processes, decision-making, and problem-solving, while negative emotions can impair these abilities.

Yes, you can reprogram your mind to react differently. Start by recognizing and challenging negative thoughts, then replace them with more positive and rational ones. Next, gradually expose yourself to situations that trigger undesired reactions while employing coping strategies like deep breathing or visualization. At the same time, practice mindfulness and meditation to better control your emotions and build healthy habits, such as regular exercise, proper sleep, and a balanced diet. And remember, change takes time, so be patient and persistent.

Start with the easiest tasks that include your daily routine. For instance, exercise regularly to release endorphins and improve your mood. Next, maintain a healthy diet rich in nutrients and antioxidants and limit caffeine and alcohol consumption. Also, make sure to prioritize sleep and maintain a consistent sleep schedule. Then, turn to your mental health. Don’t overwhelm yourself; manage time effectively and set realistic goals. Furthermore, practice mindfulness techniques, like meditation or deep breathing exercises. Engage in enjoyable hobbies and activities, develop strong social connections and seek support from friends and family. Finally, if necessary, make sure to seek professional help.

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