--- title: What Are the Three Ways to Train Your Brain to Be Happy? description: Is there a way to get your mind out of these negative loops? Yes canonical: https://time.com/3476138/three-ways-train-your-brain-be-happy/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-10-09T04:01:25.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:43:14.266Z article:section: Ideas og:title: What Are the Three Ways to Train Your Brain to Be Happy? og:description: Is there a way to get your mind out of these negative loops? Yes og:url: https://time.com/3476138/three-ways-train-your-brain-be-happy/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2afc6d0cafad1f44/6986a73ad0b6f260b9306827/happy-brain.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4470 og:image:height: 2514 og:image:alt: Happy brain og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What Are the Three Ways to Train Your Brain to Be Happy? twitter:description: Is there a way to get your mind out of these negative loops? Yes twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2afc6d0cafad1f44/6986a73ad0b6f260b9306827/happy-brain.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # What Are the Three Ways to Train Your Brain to Be Happy? > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=aa88ad30-eaf7-40f5-b1d2-053f73547792&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Inside The Operating Room During Awake Surgery [Watch (HLS stream): Inside The Operating Room During Awake Surgery](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/lyJruvm0.m3u8) (4:57)  _Published 2015-03-02. Brittany Capone is having a benign tumor removed from her brain and because it is so close to her speech center, surgeons will keep her awake and talk to her during the procedure_ by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Oct 9, 2014 4:01 AM UTC  Happy man with lit up fairy lights inside of head Happy man with lit up fairy lights inside of head Derek Bacon—Getty Images/Ikon Images by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Oct 9, 2014 4:01 AM UTC You can train your mind to be unhappy and you can train it to be happy. Training your mind to look for errors and problems (as happens in careers like accounting and law) can lead you toward a pervasive pessimism that carries over into your personal life. Via [One Day University Presents: Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness (Harvard’s Most Popular Course)](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049B2G1M/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0049B2G1M&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- Why are lawyers 3.6 times more likely to suffer from depression and more likely to end up divorced? Martin Seligman, psychology professor at UPenn and author of [Authentic Happiness](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743222989/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20), explains they have trained their minds to seek out the bad in life because [pessimists excel at law](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/why-are-lawyers-so-unhappy-and-how-can-we-use): --- > “” --- Is there a way to get your mind out of these negative loops? Yes. Here’s how. **Three Blessings** You must teach your brain to seek out the good things in life. Research shows merely listing three things you are thankful for each day can make a big difference. Via [Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439190763/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- This technique has been proven [again](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/was-grandmom-right-about-counting-your-blessi) and [again](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-are-quick-little-things-you-can-do-to-in) and [again](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-any-of-this-make-yourself-happier-stuff). One of the reasons old people are happier is because [they remember the good and forget the bad](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/why-are-older-people-happier). **Social Comparison** People probably encourage you to not compare yourself to others. Research shows it’s not necessarily harmful — but only compare yourself [to those worse off than you](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-a-quick-and-easy-way-to-overcome-dis): --- > “” --- **Tell Yourself the Right Stories** When your vision of your life story is inadequate, depression can result. Psychotherapists actually help “rewrite” that story and this process is as, if not more, effective than medication. Via [The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0547391404/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0547391404&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- “Retrospective judgment” means reevaluating events and putting a positive spin on them. Naturally happy people do it automatically, but it’s something you can teach yourself. Via [Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1405146613/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- Timothy Wilson, author of [Redirect: The Surprising New Science of Psychological Change](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316051888/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20), has [talked about](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-stories-the-secret-to-changing-our-lives) how the process of “story-editing” can help us improve our lives: --- > “” --- And when it comes to the future, be [optimistic](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/10/optimists-vs-pessimists-right/). Optimism [can make you happier](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-are-two-easy-things-you-can-do-to-be-hap). So, to sum up: --- > “” --- What else can make you happier? The things proven to help are [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/08/here-are-the-things-that-are-proven-to-make-y/). **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/12/train-brain-happy/)**_._** **Join 25K+ readers.** Get a free weekly update via email [here](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD). Related posts: [Can one word sum up everything you need to do to be happier?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/12/word-sum-happier/) [What 10 things should you do every day to improve your life?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/what-10-things-should-you-do-every-day-to-imp/) [Here are the things that are proven to make you happier](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/08/here-are-the-things-that-are-proven-to-make-y/) ### You Asked: Your Top 10 Health Questions Answered  You Asked: Are Cleanses Healthy? Potions that claim to clear your body of toxins might sound alluring, but do they deliver? Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Eating Dessert Really That Bad For Me? Bad news for sweet-eaters—except if you end your meals with this kind of treat. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth? Yes, teeth whitening actually works—but here's why you have to dish out major bucks to see results. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Meditation Really Worth It? From easing stress to lowering heart disease risk, focusing your mind can do some amazing things for your body. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Healthiest Sweetener? Take a taste of the unsettled science of sweeteners. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Should I Go Paleo? The pros and cons of eating like a caveman. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Cracking Your Knuckles Bad? Here's what really happens to your joints when you snap, crackle and pop. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Running on a Treadmill as Good as Running Outside? You'll fool your body into thinking it's outside with this one small treadmill tweak. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Does Laughing Have Real Health Benefits? Here's proof that everybody could use a belly laugh. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What Is My Poo Telling Me? If you listen hard enough, you'll hear all kinds of health stories from #2. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME ## Transcript [00:00] Are you pretty comfortable dear? The [00:05] first time I found out I had a tumor, I was 20. Where do [00:07] you live dear? I would go get something and when I got [00:10] there, I wouldn't know what I was going to get. Do you [00:12] know where you are? I couldn't remember things [00:16] good, so I was nervous. So that it's crazy. [ MUSIC ] I [00:18] just want water. [00:31] I first heard about the surgery, where I would have to [00:32] be awake, about a month ago. [00:36] It's not a matter of being awake or not. It's just the [00:39] whole thing about having surgery of the brain period, [00:42] is going to be, like, the hardest thing. Very [00:46] nervous. I'm a nervous guy. [ LAUGH ] It's going to be [00:46] the longest four hours of our life. We just [00:52] hope this all turns out good, that's all. No. You did not [00:54] get me a teddy bear. What am I going to do with this [00:56] thing? [ LAUGH ] [ INAUDIBLE ] [ APPLAUSE ] [ LAUGH ] [00:56] Brit baby. What? A [01:03] few more hours it'll be all over. Thank god, I'm tired. [01:05] So how do you guys all feel? We want it to be over. [01:06] That's all. If they would let me scrub up, I would love to [01:14] come in the operating room. [01:18] I would love it. The idea is to take out the tumor and [01:19] leave the brains behind. [ MUSIC ] It's [01:27] sort of a misnomer. You're not awake for the entire [01:29] procedure. For most of the surgery, you're gonna be [01:32] quite deeply sedated so that you won't be aware [01:33] [ CROSSTALK ] It's [01:37] not terribly traumatic for patients. I always reassure [01:39] them that we're gonna sedate them. We're not gonna [01:41] put them to sleep except during the opening and the [01:43] closing. You're going to be really comfortable. You're [01:43] going to be surprised. One of the [01:48] most important people in the room is [01:49] anesthesiologists. No smiling, no laughing. If you go to [01:53] sleep smiling you wake up smiling. [ LAUGH ] The art [01:56] part of this is tailoring those medications to the point [02:00] where the patient is sufficiently sedated that they [02:02] tolerate the procedure. Timeout, this is. Brittany [02:06] Capone, she has a left posterior temporal tumor. [02:08] Everybody agree we're on the [02:38] left side? Yup. [ MUSIC ] [ INAUDIBLE ] Left sided [02:42] tumors we we're worried about speech. And it includes [02:45] both motor speech and receptive speech. Name a [02:47] word that starts with B. Brittany. Brittany, there ya go. [02:53] You can hear the sort of a cadence the patient gets [02:55] into. And if you notice any hesitancy we can, we could [02:58] hear it instantaneously. Name something you paint [02:59] with. Paint brush. That's. [03:04] The most memorable ones now are, are [03:08] the, the patients who, who carry on interesting [03:10] conversations with us during surgery. No fennel. I like [03:15] fennel too. The whole thing is pretty surreal actually. [03:19] But reassuring all that's reassuring to us. What time is [03:22] it? It's ten o'clock. You got a date? You got a [03:27] date? Do I get to see the tumor? No. Not really. [03:37] It's going to be hard for you to see it. Are you going to [03:38] put me back to sleep? Very soon, yes. After the scalp [03:39] is closed and the head is bandaged, we turn off all the [03:42] medication. And the patient will wake up. Brittany. [03:46] Brittany. Brittany. Can you open [03:50] your eyes? Brittany? It's really, quite amazing how [03:53] quickly they wake up and how bright and alert they [03:55] are, after several hours of neuro surgery. Show me [03:58] your teeth. Big smile. Smile, smile, smile. Good. Stick [04:02] out your tongue. Good. Craniotomy is not a terribly [04:06] painful operation. It's not like a chest surgery or an [04:09] abdominal surgery. Can you lift this leg up? The next [04:12] day you're walking on the ward after a craniotomy. Try [04:15] to touch my hand here. There's just not much to hurt in [04:17] the brain. That's the good thing. Today's a sunny day [04:18] in New York city. [ MUSIC ] Today is a sunny day in [04:19] New York City. Mmhm. 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