The Little Theories That Make Life Bearable

Here’s the thing about the brain: it’s both brilliant and dramatic. It throws tantrums when there are too many choices, it sulks when we force it into boring tasks, and it throws a party when we trick it with the right dose of pleasure. But the beauty of living inside this complicated, messy, utterly fascinating head of ours is that you can hack it.

Here’s how:

Paradox of choice hack: Imagine you’re standing in front of your wardrobe, drowning in outfits, but somehow, you swear you have nothing to wear. That’s your brain, overwhelmed by too many options. The cure? Shrink the menu. Two choices, max. “Do I wear the black dress or the white shirt?” “Do I go for a walk or do I read?” Narrow the field and suddenly, the brain stops whining and decides.

Dopamine Anchoring: Pair something you enjoy (music, coffee, a comfy spot) with a task you hate. Over time, your brain will associate the task with pleasure, making it easier to complete.

 Expectation effect hack: Your brain is that friend who can’t stand being wrong. Expect something bad, and it’ll serve you every single reason to be miserable. Expect something fun, and it’ll work overtime to prove you right. Try this: before a social event, whisper to yourself, “This will be fun.” Watch your brain roll up its sleeves and get to work making it true.

  The 90 Second Rule: Most emotions only last 90 seconds unless you keep fuelling them with thoughts. When you’re angry or upset, let the feeling pass without attaching a story to it.

 The Peak-End Rule: We judge experiences based on the most intense moment and the ending, not the whole thing. So end your days on a good one (a gratitude list, a favorite song, a small win). Your brain will remember your day as better than it actually was.

 The exposure hack: You become what you consume, newsfeeds, conversations, people, and podcasts. Your brain is spongey like that. Watch chaos all day, you feel it. Surround yourself with possibility, you live it. Which is why curating your feed isn’t superficial; it’s survival.

 Music prescription: Forget the pharmacy for a moment. Five songs a day: cheaper than therapy, safer than self-medicating, and your brain loves it. Music lowers pain, strengthens immunity, lifts moods, and douses anxiety in dopamine. Basically, it’s vitamins disguised as rhythm

 These little theories won’t solve all our problems. But they remind me that the mind, messy as it is, can be guided. With small tricks, it can find joy, calm, and even a little hope.

Have a lovely week ahead.