Emotional Stability is a Rich Habit

We are all hardwired for negativity.

Psychologist Rick Hanson, Senior Fellow of The Greater Good Science Center in Univ. of Caliornia Berkely, found that our old brain (Limbic System and Brain Stem) are predisposed for negativity. This negativity bias is a relic of millions of years of human evolution.

The amygdala, part of the limbic system, is a major player in emotions. It is one of the oldest, most evolved parts of the brain. Worry, fear and doubt are all negative emotions that emanate from the amygdala.

Because of its advanced evolution, the amygdala is extremely powerful and can be hard to control. When out of control, concentration, focus and decision-making are impaired.

But the amygdala can be controlled. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex, part of the new brain known as the neocortex, has the power to overrule the amygdala, and thus control emotions.

The job of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex is to process risk and fear and thus, plays a major role in controlling emotions and decision-making.

This ability to control the amygdala, however, requires practice. Or, more specifically, it requires that you forge the Rich Habit of exercising control over your emotions.

Ninety-three percent of the self-made millionaires in my Rich Habits study agreed that controlling emotions was a major factor to their success. Their ability to moderate good and bad emotions was seen as one of the main reasons people liked doing business with them.

The rich employ certain techniques to tamper down the overactive amygdala and keep the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in control of their emotions:

• Daily aerobic exercise – Aerobic exercise releases certain neuro-chemicals that have a calming effect on the amygdala.
• Healthy Eating – A study by the University of Warwick in London and University of Queensland, in Australia, asked 12,000 Australians to eat 8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The study found a measurable increase in happiness due in large part to their altered diet. Further studies had isolated the reason – fruits and vegetables produce healthy probiotics and pre-biotics, improving the health of the gut (large intestine). Your gut sends information directly to the brain via the vagus nerve. When the gut is out of balance, it sends a distress signal to the limbic system, amping up the amygdala.
• Meditation – A study from Emory University found that 20 minutes of daily meditation had a calming effect on the brain and helped improve focus and concentration.
• Music – Listening to calming music tampers down the amygdala, allowing the ventromedial prefrontal cortex’s job easier.
• Pleasant Conversation – The mere act of engaging in pleasant conversation calms the emotional center of the brain. This is one of the reasons you want to surround yourself with upbeat, enthusiastic, positive individuals.

No one likes doing business with people who are volatile. Individuals who allow their emotions to control their decisions and reactions to events, make others feel ill at ease – essentially, pushing away those who could have a positive influence over your life.

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