It might seem that mind control has something to do with superpowers , something like telepathy or the ability to control the mind of others. But mind control refers to our ability to be aware of our thoughts and emotions so that they do not dominate our behavior.

When we have poor mind control, we may regret some actions or behaviors that we do, for example, fighting with our partner and telling him things that we don’t really think, things that at a certain point, when anger gets the better of us, may seem true. On the other hand, when we think coldly, we may realize that emotions have taken over.

How to Improve Mind Control

Mind control is a set of techniques or habits that allow us to know our emotions and thoughts better and to know those of other people. As a consequence, it allows us to regulate our behavior.

In the following lines you can find a list of tips to improve mind control.

1. Connect with the here and now

Mind control is only possible when we are in the present moment, that is, in the here and now , connected to ourselves and to our surroundings. If we live in unrealistic expectations or simply allow ourselves to be carried away by our thoughts, we may carry out behaviours that we are not proud of afterwards.

Being in the present allows us to reflect on what is happening right now, which helps us to act according to the situation and what we want. We control what we do.

2. Make use of self-reflection

Living in the present moment does not mean that we should let ourselves be carried away by the situation without thinking about anything but feeling, but that it is possible to make use of self-reflection, which is very important in the development of a person and which allows us to learn from experience .

The fact is that self-reflection is linked to observation and therefore to mental control. Reflecting and focusing attention on what is happening not only around us but also in our internal experience helps us to have greater mental control.

  • You can read more about this in our article: “Personal Development: 5 reasons for self-reflection”

3. Work on self-knowledge

When we talk about mind control we are referring to emotional regulation and therefore to behaviour. And we cannot speak of emotional regulation if there is not first an understanding of our emotions . That is why self-knowledge is necessary to be able to control the mind and regulate our behaviour .

  • In our article “Self-Knowledge: 8 tips to improve it” you can learn how to improve this important skill.

4. Improve your emotional intelligence

Self-knowledge is an important aspect of emotional intelligence, but this type of intelligence also includes other skills that help regulate our behaviour , for example, empathy and the ability to understand the emotions of others.

  • To improve our mind control it is an interesting option to attend some emotional intelligence workshops like the ones listed here: “The 6 best courses in Emotional Intelligence and Personal Development”

5. Don’t live on autopilot

In the time in which we live and because of how the mind works, we can live on automatic pilot, that is, we go around the world without paying attention to anything. Our thoughts jump from one place to another and we rarely stop to observe or understand them.

We can wake up in the morning, turn on the TV and not even know what our breakfast tastes like. We can get in the shower and not even feel the water coming out of it. For greater mind control, it is necessary to stop living on automatic pilot and experience the present experience with full observation and attention.

6. Be aware

And this is achieved by being aware of our experience, both external and internal . The key is often the willingness to want to be aware. For example, we may be talking to someone and thinking about what we are going to say even before the other one has finished speaking, or we may observe the other speaker carefully not only in terms of what he or she is saying, but also in terms of what his or her non-verbal language is telling us.

Being aware helps us control our mind. In this sense, controlling the mind is an act of will.

7. Meditate

Many people have the belief that meditation is simply a relaxation technique, where you just have to put yourself in the meditator’s posture and your mind will go blank.

But meditation, while it quiets the mind and relaxes us, allows us to observe our thoughts or our experiences (even unpleasant ones, as in the case of TongLen meditation) and accept the experience. This makes us much more balanced and helps us to improve our ability to control our mind.

8. Practice Mindfulness

Although some people think that Mindfulness is a kind of meditation, it’s not exactly like that. It is true that Mindfulness includes meditation in its practice, but it also includes other techniques that help develop mindfulness, compassion, the ability to be in the present moment, non-judgmental thinking and other principles characteristic of Mindfulness .

As psychologist Jonathan Garcia-Allen says in our article “Mindfulness: 8 benefits of full attention”, “Full attention proposes finding the essence of who we are. It is not simply a method for improving well-being, but can become a philosophy of life that helps us relate better and more adaptively to ourselves and to our surroundings (people, events, situations, etc.)”.

9. When you see yourself losing control… stop for 1 minute!

One technique that can be very useful in many situations and that requires no more than a minute to practice is meditation in a minute. This technique is ideal, for example, when we are in the office and feel saturated , or when we want to take perspective of a situation that is affecting us (a fight with a partner, for example).

Below you can find a video explaining how to perform this exercise:

10. Develop yourself and avoid frustration

People who are happier with what they do in their life and feel fulfilled are more likely to relate better to other people, since they feel good about themselves and are not frustrated by who they are .

Frustration generates conflicts with other people, because we can project our failures onto them, and we can even make other individuals our scapegoats. Being well with yourself helps to see the future clearly and to continue in the same line without deviating.

11. Leave the comfort zone

It is also good to stimulate our mind to get out of the comfort zone to learn new things and be more aware of other situations that may go unnoticed when we do the same thing all the time.

12. Do new activities

And this includes doing new activities and discovering new tasks we are not used to . By doing this we leave behind the automatisms and therefore mobilize all our attention and resources, we become more present and more aware.

13. Have a Plan for Life

To enjoy greater emotional health as well it is necessary to have a life plan, as goals help us to continue on the path we want and we will suffer less from some temptations that may appear on our way.

In addition, other targets can also help us maintain mind control. For example, if we practice physical exercise and follow a diet because we want to achieve a slim body. Research shows that having clear, realistic, and motivating goals also helps prevent depression.

14. Reduces stress

The mind and the body are connected and therefore stress can cause many problems both in our organism and in our behaviour or thoughts. It is difficult to think clearly when we are stressed, especially if we feel burned out.

Sadness or anxiety can take hold of us, and our concentration and also our mind control suffer from it. In times of stress, for example, people are unable to control their eating habits. For greater mind control, it is good to have greater well-being.