Try and outsmart the mind and you will lose. You will get pummeled. You will feel as though you're facing off in chest against Kasparov, Karpov or Kramnik. The mind is far too complex and our understanding of it is elementary at best. I'd wager that our exploration of the mind rivals that of the ocean. Just 5%. Instead, we must work to manipulate the mind––we must by-pass the mind through the body. To change the mind, we must change our physical state.

When we feel numb, we must submerge ourselves in cold water. When we feel anxious, we must control our breathing. When we lethargic, we must lie down for a 30-minute nap. When we feel angry, we must sprint a time or two against the wind. When we feel hurt, we must slip into a warm, tepid bath.

If we attempt to think our way out of these feelings, we will only dig ourselves deeper into them. The mind has evolved to find problems everywhere. It's how we've kept from going extinct at the hands of saber-tooth tigers, disease, famine, war, etc. Instead, we must circumnavigate the minds physically.