1. Tap your emotions.

Our conscious thoughts are only a fraction of what's going on in our brains.At any given moment, the unconscious is taking in vast amounts of informationthat we're not even aware of and processing it all very quickly. Based on its conclusions,the brain generates emotions.

So don't disregard that subtle feeling telling you to avoid the salmonspecial. Your personal supercomputer is trying to tell you something.

2. Don't think under pressure.

If you have done something long enough, your mind develops an “autopilot”. Whenunder pressure, we must rely on this which eventually becomes the unconscious mind.Forget about the situation under pressure just analyze the details. Once we'vetaken the time to develop any skill (and it always takes time), we should trustour instincts.

3. Consider alternative points of view.

Professional poker players often use a simple trick when they suspectanother player of bluffing: They think about how the player would act if he orshe weren't bluffing. The brain naturally filters the world to confirm what italready believes. But this habit is limiting and dangerous; you could befixating on the wrong answers.

4. Challenge your preferences.

Like presumptive beliefs, your supposed likes and dislikes can limit yourmind. I used to be a bit of an expensive-wine snob. But then I did a blindtaste test of wines from different price ranges and discovered what scientistshave since confirmed: There is no correlation between the price of a bottle andhow much you'll enjoy it.

By figuring out what you truly like -- be it cheap wine or fancy shoes --you can enjoy life, not to mention spend more wisely.

5. Take long showers.

Studies show that moments of insight often arrive when you're not aware thatyou're thinking of the problem, such as during a warm shower or a long stroll.This is because insights are typically generated by a rush of high-frequencygamma-band neural activity in the brain's right hemisphere, and a mind isbetter able to tune in to that hemisphere when it is stress-free.

6. Be skeptical of your memories.

In recent years, scientists have demonstrated that human memories aresurprisingly dishonest. The act of recalling an event (say, your eighthbirthday party) changes the structure of that memory in the brain. Details aretweaked; the narrative is altered.

The more you think about it, the less accurate your recollection becomes,and the less reliable it is as a basis for making any kind of conclusion. (Somaybe you shouldn't hire a clown for your kid's party after all.)

7. Don't expect to diet and finish the crossword.

It turns out that the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsiblefor willpower and cognitive thought, is a rather feeble bit of flesh and easilydepleted.

In a telling study, people who were asked to remember a seven-digit numberand then offered a snack were much more likely to choose chocolate cake overfruit salad than were those who were asked to remember a one-digit number. Thefirst group's self-control "muscles" were exhausted!

It's important to realize that you can do everything -- just not all atonce.

8. Study your mistakes.

One common trait of successful people is their willingness to focus on theirfumbles. Even when they do well, they insist on looking at what they could havedone better.

Such perfectionism might not be a recipe for happiness, but it's a vitalcomponent of learning, since brain cells figure out how to get things right byanalyzing what they got wrong.

9. Go ahead and daydream.

Forget efficiency. Scientists have discovered that daydreaming is animportant tool for creativity: It causes a rush of activity in a circuit knownas the default network, which connects different parts of the brain and allowsthe mind to make new associations. The daydreaming brain is actually inoverdrive.

10. Think about thinking.

Metacognition, as this is known, is a crucial skill. Many scientists arguethat the best predictor of good judgment isn't intelligence or experience; it'sthe willingness to engage in introspection.

The brain is like a Swiss Army Knife, full of differenttools. When picking out a couch, we can trust our emotions, but we should relyon the rational brain when scrutinizing the fine print of a mortgage. Unlessyou think about which mental tool is best suited for the task at hand, youcould end up flustered, even sweating, in the sofa aisle at Ikea.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING