Ever had a tune you couldn’t get out of your head?
That occurred to me the opposite day. Pink Pony Membership. It’s in all places proper now; I can’t escape it. And although I actually don’t like that tune, it’s catchy. And as you’ve in all probability skilled, when you get a tune like that caught in your head, it might really feel not possible to get out.
What you would possibly not know is there’s a scientific purpose for this: It’s known as ironic course of concept. Or, you might have heard it by its extra widespread title: The white bear downside.
However there’s a tried and examined mind hack that lets you get a tune out of your head. What’s extra, you should utilize it to interchange unfavourable or dangerous ideas with constructive, useful ones. With sufficient observe, you may change your whole mindset.
I prefer to name this methodology the Blue Dolphin Rule.
What’s the Blue Dolphin Rule, and why is it so useful? How are you going to use it to hack your mind and alter your considering from dangerous to useful? To reply these questions, let’s return to the white bear downside.
The White Bear Drawback
The white bear downside was popularized by Harvard psychologist Daniel Wegner within the late Eighties. Also called ironic course of concept, Wegner’s downside said that makes an attempt to suppress ideas can really improve their frequency.
Wegner primarily based the title on a quote in an essay by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky from over a century in the past:
“Attempt to pose for your self this activity: not to think about a polar bear, and you will notice that the cursed factor will come to thoughts each minute.”
Over the course of a decade, Wegner found that not less than a part of the explanation why this occurs. Whereas we strive our greatest to keep away from a thought with one a part of the thoughts, one other a part of us retains “checking in” to ensure the thought isn’t developing. Wegner described this as an “ironic course of.”
That helps clarify why I can’t get Pink Pony Membership out of my head. Additionally, why you might wrestle to push out anxious ideas or limiting beliefs.
However there’s a approach to conquer your white bears, and it entails emotional intelligence, the flexibility to know and handle feelings. Enter the blue dolphin.
Utilizing ‘Blue Dolphins’ to Cease Destructive Ideas
Over time, Wegner and different researchers discovered a trick to scale back the rebound of undesirable ideas. As a substitute of attempting not to think about one thing, you need to deliberately focus your thoughts on a totally completely different thought.
For instance, as an alternative of a white bear, strive to think about a blue dolphin.
A blue dolphin is a substitute thought. It’s a substitute, or “go-to,” one thing you may instantly focus consideration on in case your white bear involves thoughts. In psychology, this emotional regulation method is named thought substitute or thought substitution.
For instance, if Pink Pony Membership is ringing round in my head, I’ve acquired to begin singing one other catchy tune. As I shift my consideration and go all in with my new tune, Pink Pony Membership fades into the background . . . and finally disappears.
You are able to do the identical together with your unfavourable ideas.
Earlier than a presentation, do you retain considering to your self: “I’m so nervous”? Strive telling your self repeatedly: “That is going to be over in half-hour, and by subsequent week I gained’t even be fascinated by it.”
Or perhaps you’re down as a result of a product launch did a lot decrease numbers than you anticipated. Remind your self: “Merchandise take time to get proper. Let’s work on bettering this model and take a look at once more.”
See the way it works?
Each time you consider a blue dolphin, write it down or document it in a word in your telephone. Finally, you’ll have a set of substitute ideas you should utilize everytime you want them.
Use your dolphins
Keep in mind, white bears generally tend to maintain coming again. However emotional intelligence means recognizing that, when you don’t have management over a thought getting into your thoughts, you can do one thing about it.
So, the following time a white bear rears its ugly head, you may pull out your record. Give attention to considered one of your blue dolphins. Learn it out loud in case you like.
As you observe, you’ll begin to do that extra naturally. And finally, you’ll discover you’re retaining these nasty white bears at bay—and singing the tune you need, as an alternative of the one which acquired caught in your head.
—Justin Bariso
This text initially appeared on Quick Firm‘s sister publication, Inc.
Inc. is the voice of the American entrepreneur. We encourage, inform, and doc probably the most fascinating folks in enterprise: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters that symbolize probably the most dynamic pressure within the American financial system.
