This month’s theme for our blog posts has been ‘Logical Thinking in an Emotional World.’
So far, you’ve learned the difference between the left and right side of the brain, and how to stay rational, adaptable and solution focused in high pressure situations.
Today’s blog post will be focusing on the tangible and real-world health benefits of logical thinking – watch out Kombucha and kale!
Logical thinking can help to improve both physical and mental health. This assists the decision-making process, and ensures we are consistently putting our best foot forward. By approaching stressful situations in a rational way, we can decrease anxiety and depression, as well as executing a calmer and more calculated approach. Rational thinking has also been identified as a key skill working in a team, as a leader or as a participant.
So how can we be more logical and less emotional? And why does it improve our health?
People experience challenges every day. These can be individually, as part of a team or even a larger business organisation. Logical thinking allows us to analyse the pros and cons of situations, and clearly analyse the facts available.
When a person is overwhelmed by these challenges, they are driven by their thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Subsequently, these processes guide the decision making process to less than ideal results.
Emotions block our logical mind and ability to think clearly. When a person is frustrated, they often come across as agitated. This can result in a failure to effectively communicate, which then leads to increased anxiety and depression. These negative emotions can also influence and encourage people’s more irrational behaviours and urges.
On the other side of the coin, positive emotions increase and broaden behavioural receptors. This leads to increased creativity and intuition. When we think logically, this activates the right side of the brain, but also allows the left side to function more effectively. This can help people work cohesively in teams, as well as control their irrational behaviours and work towards better solutions.
So now that we know why logical thinking improves health, how can we actually be more logical?
To improve logical thinking, fundamentally, we need to be open minded. Creating a team environment that encourages asking questions is a good start. This allows an individual or team to be curious and provides an opportunity to understand other people’s perspectives.
This also allows a person to understand their own biases and blind spots in order to understand the facts. Some popular methods include using minds maps, dot plots and pros and cons lists. Through employing an open-minded attitude, we can begin to eliminate black and white thinking. We also need to introduce aspects of the emotional mind to begin bonding with our team. Achieving the right balance between logical thinking and emotions can help to drive performance, positivity, and the subsequent associated health benefits.
