The brain is constantly listening to and responding to our emotions and thoughts. Negative emotions and thoughts trigger the release of harmful neurotransmitters in the brain, while positive emotions and thoughts stimulate the release of those that make us feel happy. This article compares 44 types of negative emotions and thoughts to “dragons” and “ants,” including: 13 types of dragons related to past trauma, 7 types of dragons caused by external distractions, 9 types of negative thoughts like ants, 10 types of bad habits represented by dragons, and 5 types of deceptive dragons. It helps us recognize these negative emotions and thoughts, and offers a 12-step brain training method to break bad habits, making the brain healthier and continuously releasing happiness-inducing neurotransmitters.
The Impact of Dragons on the Brain
Dragons significantly affect the brain. The book summarizes six major types of emotions and thoughts that exert a strong impact on the brain.
- The Dragon of the Past: Past emotions and events continue to fuel resentment, affecting our actions.
- The Dragon of Others: People who have appeared in your life each have their own dragons.
- Ants — Automatic Negative Thoughts: These automatically triggered negative thoughts accumulate and attack you, fueling anxiety and depression.
- The Dragon of Bad Habits: Habits influenced by dragons may increase the chances of obesity, depression, and brain fog.
- The Dragon of Deception: It may come from advertisements, news feeds, social media, or those small electronic devices in your pocket that steal your thoughts and money.
- The Dragon of Addiction: Repetitive behaviors that harm health, steal wealth, and destroy relationships.
Unless you can identify and redefine the impact of these dragons, they will steal your happiness, ruin your relationships, harm your health, diminish your ability to cope with stress, and limit your future. The good news is, once you recognize and tame the dragons and eliminate the ants, you can break bad habits, stop self-destructive thoughts, enhance your ability to deal with uncertainty, reduce the likelihood of being deceived, and free yourself from addiction.
Taming the Dragon of the Past: The Past Doesn’t Define Your Future
Taming anxiety-related dragons requires tools to help you overcome past trauma and negative emotions.
Tool A: Identify Anxiety-Related Dragons
Do you frequently experience common anxiety symptoms or physical reactions?
Tool B: Shift to Positive Thinking
The anxiety dragon may lead people to build a psychological safety system, which benefits both themselves and others. It is essential to maintain some anxiety when preparing for upcoming activities, potential emergencies, or unexpected situations. Those who live in the moment are often the first to face unexpected troubles or illnesses.
Tool C: Use Techniques to Calm the Brain
The following steps will help retrain the emotional brain and calm it down:
Strategy 1: Diaphragmatic Breathing
- Inhale through your nose for 3 seconds.
- Hold the breath for 1 second.
- Exhale for 6 seconds (twice the inhale time).
- Hold the exhaled breath for 1 second.
- Repeat for 10 cycles. This will take less than two minutes.
Shallow and rapid breathing during anxiety, frustration, or anger alters oxygen levels in the blood and intensifies the anxiety. This vicious cycle causes irritability, impulsiveness, and confusion, leading to poor decisions.
Learning to control breathing yields instant effects. For example, controlling the breath calms the amygdala, reduces the fight-or-flight response, relaxes muscles, warms hands, and regulates heart rate.
Strategy 2: Prayer and Meditation
Prayer and meditation can calm the amygdala and train the prefrontal cortex (which serves as the “tamer” of dragons). Studies have shown that prayer helps treat anxiety and depression. Meditation can also train the emotional brain and help regulate emotions.
Strategy 3: Hypnosis
Many view hypnosis as a trick, but Stanford University psychiatrist David Spiegel argues that hypnosis is a powerful tool for controlling cognition and the body. Learning hypnosis or similar techniques such as guided imagery and progressive muscle relaxation can enhance attention and help induce a relaxed state.
Clearing the Ants: Distinguishing Thoughts from Truth
The “ants” represent automatic negative thoughts that can quickly accumulate and cloud judgment. Use the following five questions to examine your thoughts:
- Is this thought true? (Sometimes, simply asking this question can stop the “ants” from invading because you may realize the thought isn’t true.)
- Is this 100% certain?
- How do I feel when I believe this thought?
- How would I feel without this thought?
- From the opposite perspective, is this thought still true, or is the opposite thought more truthful? Then explore this shift in thinking.
By applying these questions, you can reframe your thinking and remove the negative emotional impact.
Reversing the Dragon of Bad Habits: Examining Unconscious Behavior
The key to overcoming the dragons of bad habits is awareness. Before doing anything or saying something, ask yourself: “Will this benefit my brain or harm it?”
The dragon of bad habits often sneaks in when the “tamer” is distracted or asleep. Unconscious behaviors, once established, can become harder to control.
Taming the Dragons: 13 Health-Stealing Lies
- “A little bit of everything is fine.” This lie leads to poor health decisions and excuses for not taking care of your body.
- “My memory is poor, it’s normal.” Memory decline isn’t normal; it’s a sign of unhealthy habits.
- “Staying healthy is too difficult.” In reality, illness is much more difficult.
- “I don’t want to deny myself the pleasure of food.” Eating unhealthy foods is, in fact, denying yourself health.
- “I travel a lot, so eating healthy isn’t possible.” With a bit of planning, it’s entirely possible to stay healthy while traveling.
- “My family has issues with weight or conditions like diabetes; it’s genetic.” Genetics account for 20%-30% of health issues, the rest is determined by lifestyle choices.
- “Health is too expensive.” The cost of illness is far greater than staying healthy.
- “I don’t have time to exercise.” Proper exercise can actually save you time.
- “It’s a holiday, so I can indulge.” Don’t let temporary celebrations derail your long-term health goals.
- “I’ll start tomorrow.” Tomorrow never comes.
- “The company provides low-quality food.” Bring your own healthy meals to work.
- “I’d rather deal with Alzheimer’s or diabetes than give up sugar.” This reflects an addiction to sugar and ignorance of its consequences.
- “I can’t play with my kids the same way because of my health.” Plan healthier activities that bond you with your children.
Escaping the Dragon of Deception: Choose What Benefits You in the Long Term
By using simple 5-step strategies, you can outsmart the dragon of deception. For example:
- Step 1: Recognize when the dragon of deception strikes.
- Step 2: Question the true motives behind what you’re being told.
- Step 3: Understand the full picture before taking action.
- Step 4: Avoid easy traps set by deceptive forces.
- Step 5: Choose long-term benefits over short-term gains.
The brain perceives everything. By changing the information it receives, you can quickly alter your mood and improve your emotional state. Use your senses to calm the emotional brain and make healthier decisions in life.
By following these principles and steps, you can reshape your brain’s responses, overcome harmful patterns, and cultivate a healthier, more balanced life.