Stress is a force that permeates every aspect of our lives and drains our minds. So, how can we cope with this greatest problem of the modern age and program our subconscious minds correctly? In this article, we discuss the most effective method for eliminating stress.

One of the most frequently asked questions is about stress management. Think of stress as a kind of poison inside a person—it seeps in drop by drop, just like what they call “Chinese torture.” That stress is the primary factor behind every problem in your blood vessels, your heart, and the cells throughout your body. Ninety percent of today’s illnesses stem from stress. Of course, nutrition and the deterioration of food quality are important factors, but believe me, the psychological aspect is crucial.

The brain is responsible for 90 percent of the illnesses in our bodies. The brain also generates stress, and we are the ones who impose that stress on our own brains. Does feeling stressed while doing a task help us work faster? No. On the contrary, we panic more and make more mistakes. Does being stressed make our work easier or help us get the job done? Absolutely not. Being stressed offers you no benefit whatsoever. On the contrary, it makes you sick, doubles the time it takes to complete a task, lowers the quality of your work, and poisons you from within.

Focusing on the Key to the Solution

What is generally the biggest problem with personal development experts around the world? They say, “Be mindful, live in the moment, be like this, be like that.” But in practice, how can I solve my problems? When you ask them to give you a method—a key—90 percent of these books don’t provide one. They say, “Walk through the door,” but the door is locked.

I’ll give you the key: All problems stem from the brain. Errors in both your old and new mental programming cause you stress and prevent you from succeeding. Therefore, what you need to do is change your subconscious mental programming. The best, most effective, and most efficient way to do this is through mantras. It’s a direct, definitive, and proven method. This is the shortest path.

Mantra Practice and the “It Doesn’t Matter to Me” Philosophy

So how are we going to solve this problem? Write down as many mantras as you can every morning and evening. You’ll see that the stress disappears. Dwelling on things causes stress. My third book, *It Doesn’t Matter to Me*, is designed to help you stop dwelling on problems. Dwelling on things doesn’t make them any easier. I’m not saying you should be indifferent, but don’t stress out—don’t dwell on things.

I’ll say it again: the secret lies in changing your subconscious programs. And the most important factor in changing your subconscious programs is the mantra.

Most of the time, when we can’t get out of bed in the morning, when our energy suddenly drains during the day, or when we constantly feel exhausted, we immediately look for the culprit outside ourselves. We hide behind physical excuses like, “I didn’t sleep much last night,” “Work has been really hectic lately,” “The change in weather is affecting me,” or “I’m not getting enough vitamins.” However, in my research on human biology, the nervous system, and psychology, I’ve found that fatigue doesn’t always stem from lack of sleep or overworking the body. True fatigue is mental, and its source runs much deeper.

Sometimes, when your brain and nervous system remain “on high alert” for a long time, you feel constantly exhausted. Without realizing it, you turn your mind into what is essentially an invisible battlefield. Your body may be sitting in a comfortable chair, but your mind is fighting on the front lines. So, what exactly does this state of “being on high alert”—which drains the nervous system so much and gnaws at a person from the inside out—really mean?

The Desire for Control

One of the biggest misconceptions of modern life is the idea that we can control everything. Constantly thinking about everything, trying to predict what will happen in the future, striving to please everyone, or constantly monitoring yourself wears down your mind without you even realizing it. Even if you’re not aware of it, that massive computer running in the background—your brain—constantly generates a sense of threat. As questions like “What if things don’t go as planned?”, “What if I make a mistake?”, or “What if people think badly of me?” swirl through your mind, your primitive brain assumes there’s a battle for survival raging in the outside world.

This situation is like pressing the gas pedal all the way down in a car with the parking brake fully engaged. The car doesn’t move a single millimeter; from the outside, it looks like it’s standing still, but inside, the engine is burning, consuming an enormous amount of energy, and wearing itself out. This is the hidden force behind why you feel completely drained—like a sack of potatoes—even when you’ve done nothing all evening, and why you suffer from that persistent, chronic fatigue that just won’t go away. Your brain and nervous system are constantly on high alert, operating under the command that “we’re in danger.”

Calming the Nervous System

Society teaches us that when we’re tired, we should go to sleep. But think about how many times you’ve slept for 8 or 9 hours and still woken up from a feather-soft bed feeling as heavy as a rock and exhausted. Why? Because rest isn’t just about sleeping. Even if you put your body to sleep, if the battle in your mind isn’t over, you’ll remain on high alert—even in your dreams.

Sometimes your mind also needs to receive the message, “You’re safe now.” True rest begins with that powerful “safety” signal sent to your mind before your muscles even relax. Unless you whisper to your brain that it’s safe, even the most comfortable bed in the world won’t relieve your mental fatigue.

Changing our lives and living a more peaceful, successful, and fulfilling life is a common desire we all share. However, most of us look for this change in the outside world, in our circumstances, or in other people. For nearly 40 years, I have been thinking about, researching, and practicing how people can train their own minds. At the end of this long journey, I have come to a point where I explain the key to transforming life with a single concept: Mental Commands.

Change begins by altering the commands you give your brain, rather than by external circumstances. This inner transformation then reflects in the rest of your life.

The Potential That Exists Within the Brain

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, we tend to think that external factors are what limit us. Yet what we should really be focusing on is the potential that already exists within our brains. As a researcher who reflects on training the mind, I’ve watched certain popular shows and movies about mental potential countless times. But what truly influenced me throughout this process was never some magic pill or artificial driving force from the outside. What truly influenced me was that immense and pure potential that is already present within the human brain—a potential we’re born with.

The human mind is like a boundless ocean waiting to be explored; for the most part, we use only a tiny fraction of its power. The solutions to the problems you face, as well as your creativity and resilience, do not come from some external miracle—they already exist in the depths of your mind. The moment you stop searching for a savior in the outside world, you begin the process of awakening that hidden power within yourself.

Transform First in the Mind, Then in Life

Lasting change does not occur from the outside in, but from the mind to life. Remember that a person changes first in their mind, then in their life. No success can be lasting in the outside world unless you are internally convinced of it and have nurtured and matured it in your mind. When you begin to train the potential within your mind with the right commands, this inner wave reflects in your behavior, decisions, and relationships.

Don’t judge yourself solely by your past mistakes or shortcomings; deep inside, there’s a magnificent version of yourself waiting to emerge with the right commands. If you want to change your life, you must first completely overhaul those invisible commands you’ve been giving your brain.

The heaviest burden we carry with us on life’s journey is the perceptions we hold about ourselves. The walls we build in our minds regarding who we are, what we can achieve, or what we’ll never be able to do are stronger than any obstacles in the outside world. I’ve witnessed thousands of people’s stories, and each time I’ve come face-to-face with the same striking truth: A person’s perception of themselves does not always reflect the whole truth. Sometimes, when we look at ourselves, we see only our shortcomings, our mistakes, and the places we haven’t yet reached. Yet this perspective is like looking at just one small, dark room in a vast palace and declaring the entire palace a ruin. If you count your flaws every time you look in the mirror, you’re falling into the trap of that great illusion your mind plays on you.

It Could Be Tomorrow's Greatest Power

One of life’s most beautiful secrets is this: A person is a dynamic being who is constantly evolving within time and space. A trait that you see as a flaw, consider a weakness, or look down upon today can become one of your greatest strengths at the right time and in the right place.

For example, you might see yourself as weak because you have a very sensitive heart; but the day will come when, thanks to that sensitivity, you’ll form bonds at a depth no one else can achieve, and you’ll become a wonderful leader or a one-of-a-kind friend. Today, you might criticize yourself for moving slowly because you’re so detail-oriented; but tomorrow, that attention to detail will become your greatest strength, leading you to perfection in the biggest project of your life. What matters is not rejecting what you have within yourself, but knowing how to shape it through mental guidance. A rough diamond may seem like just an ordinary stone at first glance. What makes it valuable is being cut at the right angle. You, too, must learn to shape yourself at the right angle within your own mind.

Waiting to Come to Light

Don’t judge yourself based solely on who you are today. Deep inside, there’s another version of yourself that you haven’t met yet. That version is someone who has overcome their fears, is confident, knows what they want, has shed the burdens of the past, and has become the master of their own thoughts. That person isn’t somewhere far away—they’re right inside you, at this very moment, waiting to emerge.

When you plant a seed in the ground, you don’t just look at it in its current dry, tiny state and say, “Nothing will come of this.” You know that when it meets the right soil, the right amount of water, and sunlight, the potential for that massive plane tree within it will be revealed. The human mind is just like that. If you judge yourself solely by your current stagnation, your current fears, or your current economic and social circumstances, you’re doing that plane tree inside you an injustice.

Transformation begins with changing the way you view yourself. When you choose to treat yourself with kindness, see your mistakes as learning experiences, and—most importantly—give your mind new, powerful, and constructive commands, that hidden version of yourself will gradually come to light. As you believe in yourself and nurture that immense potential within your mind, life will open wonderful doors for you that are perfectly suited to this new version of yourself.

Addiction, in a word, is weakness. It is the inability to exercise one’s own will, a complete bypassing of the decision-making process. Today, many people live as if they were on autopilot. Some are addicted to social media, some to other people, and some to the television screen…

Social media, in particular, draws people in like a magnet. There’s an algorithm behind it that insidiously hooks you; it knows what you like better than you do. For example, a video pops up on TikTok and you watch it for just a few seconds—and you’re hooked! The algorithm keeps feeding you one option after another of the kind you like. Before you know it, three hours have flown by!

I ask you: What could you have accomplished in three hours? Yet when you look back, all you see is a big fat nothing. You ask yourself, “What did I learn in those three hours?”—nothing! Time completely wasted. Of course, social media can be used positively; it can serve as a means of communication. But if it’s used solely to kill time, then in my opinion, that’s addiction.

Let There Be No Purpose in Life

The need to form attachments—not just to technology, but to people—also plays a major role in our lives. People form attachments as if that person were the sole purpose of their existence. Feeling dependent on someone actually reveals an inner void. Because the individual isn’t happy within themselves, they believe they’ll find happiness when that person calls or sends a message.

The moment you send the message to the other person that “I can’t be with anyone but you; I’m dependent on you,” you lose that person. Because thoughts always become reality. The more you fear, “Will I lose them?,” the more your brain brings about the very loss you’re focusing on. You must first love yourself and become whole. When you respect yourself and believe you’re perfect, the other person will respect you too and won’t want to leave you.

Don't Clutter Up Your Subconscious Like a Trash Can

The same applies to television addiction. When you sit in front of the TV, you aren’t choosing what to watch; you’re just watching whatever they’re showing you. Sitting in front of the screen aimlessly has a hypnotic effect on people.

Watching TV or using social media is, in fact, a way to escape reality. When people face economic, social, or family problems in life, they get lost in the screen and forget everything. However, this doesn’t solve the problems—it only puts them off. You’ll be happier if you tackle them head-on and look for ways to resolve them. We should limit TV watching to a certain number of hours.

Some people watch the same news stories from morning till night. For something to be newsworthy, 90 percent of it has to be negative. You leave the TV on and let all that negativity seep into your subconscious like trash. This is an addiction; it messes with your mental health.

We may have certain desires. Just as we have our own plans, the universe has its own plans as well. For example, we may want to advance in our careers or move up the ladder. Sometimes, what we want may not happen exactly when we want it to. We shouldn’t immediately interpret it as a bad thing when the things we want don’t happen.

Impatience can prevent us from taking successful steps. We must not block the path of what is meant to be by making negative statements like, “The universe doesn’t love me” or “God doesn’t love me.” We have our plans, but the universe has a plan as well. The universe’s plan is the most ideal one. When we look back at the past from a broader perspective, we can understand that the timing of certain events—or even the fact that they didn’t happen—was ultimately for our own good. For everything we initially interpreted as a bad thing because it didn’t happen, we may later say, “Thank goodness it didn’t happen.”

Trust in the Universe's Plans

The universe always has the best plan for us. Even if we don’t realize it at the time… We may have often made requests of the universe for an ideal partner, job, or child. Sometimes, when we’ve been looking for a partner, a job has come along—or when we’ve been looking for a job, a partner has come along. The universe always knows better than we do what’s best for us. Sometimes what we want isn’t what’s best for us at that moment or what will help us move forward. That’s why we need to trust the universe’s plan.

Everything works out in the end. The things that happen to you at that moment are meant to help you grow. They’re meant to lift you up. If it doesn’t work out, just say, “It doesn’t matter to me.” It will definitely happen. And even if it still doesn’t, be confident that the universe has a better plan for you. With calmness and patience, trust yourself and the universe’s plans.

It is very important to steer clear of selfish desires and attitudes that say, “Only me, me, me.” When you ask for something, doing so in a way that benefits everyone ensures that your wish will be granted. The universe will give you more than you ask for.

We all have automatic behaviors, habits from childhood, and prejudices in our lives. Let’s say you don’t like a certain dish. This isn’t a decision you make in the moment; it’s the result of preconceptions or experiences that have been ingrained since childhood. Factors such as your upbringing, family structure, and social environment all influence that decision at that moment.

In order to program our subconscious mind according to our current desires, judgments, and goals, we first need to learn how to access it. The key to programming our subconscious lies in “brain waves.” There is constant electrical activity in the brain, and an EEG machine records this electrical activity. The patterns of electrical activity in the recorded neurons are called “brain waves.” There are four basic types of brain waves in our brain:

Beta Waves: Beta waves range from 15 to 40 Hz per second. This is a state of full wakefulness and awareness. These waves are observed during states of maximum mental clarity and during intense emotions such as anger, fear, and excitement.

Alpha Waves: Alpha waves range from 9 to 14 Hz per second. This is a state of deep relaxation but full awareness. In the brain, these waves are observed during activities such as meditation and deep relaxation.

Theta Waves: Theta waves are observed when our mind is in an unconscious state. Their frequency is 5–8 Hz per second. They are associated with drowsiness, lethargy, and the first stage of sleep. These waves can also be observed during deep hypnosis.

Delta Waves: Delta waves range from 1.5 to 4 Hz per second. This is the brain’s deep sleep state.

When the brain is in the “beta” state, a person is fully awake. We call this the “state of consciousness.” We think, speak, make decisions, solve problems, make plans, and take action… In short, it is the mental state we are in most of the time in our daily lives. In order to implant new images into our subconscious and convince it, the brain must be in the “alpha” frequency—a state where the body is quite relaxed, but the brain is in the state just before falling asleep. Through meditation sessions, we can relax our bodies and tune our brains to the alpha frequency. In the alpha frequency, our conscious mind—which acts as our brain’s “bodyguard”—can be deactivated. This allows us to implant the images we desire into our subconscious and install new programs. The moment we say to ourselves, “I’ll think things over, I need to think, I’ll spend some time alone with myself…” is the moment to calm down; it is the moment when we need meditation to enter the alpha phase.

When our heart rate is high, when we’re angry, or when we’re very excited, we shouldn’t make decisions; we should wait until we’ve calmed down a bit and thought things through. Because when we take a deep breath and calm down, more blood flows to our brain, and we can analyze everything more effectively. But we need to recognize these moments and manage our anger effectively. In risky situations, we need to guide ourselves in the right direction.

What shortcomings do you see in yourself? A lack of self-confidence, a lack of concentration, or bad habits like smoking… You can change all of these. But you have to do it yourself. First, you have to want it yourself. I don’t really recommend other methods like hypnosis. I believe you’ll be healthier through natural awareness and by making changes to your subconscious mind on your own. You can achieve this on your own.

The mistakes you make also accumulate bit by bit in your subconscious without you even realizing it. You won’t be able to notice this buildup in a very short time. You’ll need to commit to a long process and start by saying, “Starting today, I’m changing.” That’s why you’ll have to take it one step at a time.

Our current relationship with money dates back to our childhood. Our ability to earn money is shaped by the programming we received during our childhood. Thoughts, patterns, verbal affirmations, imitation, and so on become key factors in our relationship with money. Our relationship with money is shaped by our thought patterns. Generally, children from wealthy families—with some exceptions—achieve financial success in the careers they pursue. This is because their families’ discourse always includes positive statements about earning money. A wealthy person does not harbor negative thoughts about their child’s ability to earn money.

Generally, low-income or poor families—with some exceptions—use restrictive language regarding their children’s relationship with money. A person can only achieve financial success if they break free from their family’s patterns. The thought pattern of a person with a scarcity and deprivation mindset is limited to “I’ll cover my expenses, pay my bills, and provide for my family—that’s how I’ll be happy.” Because they think this way, they cannot transcend the limits they’ve set for themselves. In contrast, a person with a mindset of wealth and abundance has the potential to achieve that level of success precisely because they envision millions of dollars.

Choose Role Models

Our main idea about money should be this: Money is a means to live comfortably. In other words, it is not—and should not be—an end in itself. One of the factors that hinder happiness is financial difficulties. We can think of money as fuel for a car. If we want the car to move forward and travel comfortably, we need to have enough fuel. Therefore, we must find methods that work for us to earn a good income and improve ourselves so that we have enough “fuel” to live comfortably.

An average of 60,000 thoughts pass through our minds in a single day. If we can control these thoughts and become aware of them, we will succeed in matters related to money—just as we would in many other areas of our lives. A person who frees themselves from a mindset of scarcity and deprivation through awareness will also break free from the patterns imposed on them and be able to shape their relationship with money as they desire. To achieve this, a person may need to choose new role models for themselves. It would be beneficial to read the biographies of economically successful, wealthy, and entrepreneurial people and follow the paths they took. For example, Donald Trump was the child of a very wealthy family. He had billions of dollars. But his family went bankrupt. Yet, despite everything, Trump regained billions of dollars in a very short time. This is because his mindset of wealth—which was second nature to him—had never disappeared and was always active. Ninety percent of our society tends to view wealth as a divine miracle that will fall from the sky. Getting rich the easy way is most people’s dream. Yet, the majority of those currently at the very top of the world’s economic rankings have become wealthy through sheer determination and hard work.

You Must Pay the Price

Another way to manage our relationship with money is to establish honest communication with it. Let’s not fool ourselves—money is an important tool in human life. Of course, money is necessary. It is one of the indispensable factors for a person’s well-being. We shouldn’t say, “I don’t like money at all.” If you tell someone, “I don’t like you at all,” will that person like you? Of course not. Then money won’t love you either—it won’t come to you. If you say, “Money means nothing to me,” money won’t care about you either. There’s also a tendency to disparage the concept of wealth. This kind of talk sends the following message to the brain, and the brain thinks: “Wealth is bad; I shouldn’t make my master rich.” That’s why we must always instill positive thoughts and patterns regarding money in our minds. Just as you receive positive responses from others when you approach them with positive behavior, our relationship with money is the same. We must communicate with money in the same way we communicate with people. Money is not attracted to minds that harbor negative thoughts about it. You must be positive. Set high limits for yourself when it comes to money. Believe that you must work to earn money. No matter what your job is, do it to the best of your ability. Just as we attract love and health through positive thoughts, we can also attract money. Never expect money to simply fall from the sky. You must pay the price for it—and that price is work. Don’t say, “We worked hard, but the money never came to us.” Remember that everything has its time. Some people, despite doing everything they can, don’t experience prosperity until much later. They obtain money much later. But eventually, at some point in their lives, they may achieve what they desire. Everything has its time. The universe sets this time. You must wait with patience and trust.

Illness arises when communication between the mind and the body is disrupted. It is important to recognize this communication problem. When we view illness as a warning signal from our body and direct our awareness toward the thought patterns in our mind that create the illness, we can resolve the problem at its root.

While 10 percent of the causes of illness are genetic, 90 percent stem from our thought patterns. We must be able to control our thought patterns with the highest level of awareness and identify the thought patterns that make us sick. We must instill in our minds the thought patterns that enable us to be healthy and maintain our health.

To maintain a healthy mindset, we must meet the brain’s needs. To achieve a healthy body, high energy levels, and a positive mood, we need to instill positive thought patterns in our brains. Through our inner dialogue—using positive affirmations—we can preserve our health. It is important that our affirmations be positive. If we fill our minds with negative thoughts that can cause illness, we make ourselves sick. The stress hormones triggered by negative self-talk pave the way for many diseases, such as heart and vascular diseases, cancer, and allergies. The healthier and more positive our mindset is, the healthier and more energetic our bodies become, and the less likely we are to get sick.

Don't Let Negative Thoughts Take Over

The brain takes every command it receives seriously. For example, even if we think based on a seemingly absurd logic—such as “I’ll get sick if the door is left open”—we might actually get sick because our mind will try to carry out that command without considering how absurd the thought is. Or saying, “There’s a history of cancer in my family, so I’ll get cancer too,” amounts to the same thing. This is setting a target for the brain and loading it with negative thoughts. However, if a person doesn’t bring the word “cancer” to mind and believes they will be strong and healthy, they won’t invite the disease. Even avoiding mentioning the name of the disease prevents a person from attracting it to themselves.

People always reap what they sow. If a person has an illness, they must first change their way of thinking in order to heal. Back pain, conditions that compromise the immune system, and many other illnesses arise from hormones produced by the brain. When we plant positive thoughts in the brain, we reap positive results. If we plant illness, we reap illness. If we plant health, we reap health. Without blaming anyone for the cause of our illnesses, we must change our mindset and our inner dialogue.

How do you develop a millionaire mindset from scratch? Is wealth just about money? If we start with the second question, the answer is short: wealth is not just about money. A person’s success, the point they’ve reached, and the legacy they leave behind in this world are all forms of wealth. In other words, the books they’ve written are a form of wealth. The help they’ve given to others is a form of wealth. The contributions they’ve made to this world are a form of wealth. The investments they’ve made in themselves—in their character and mindset—are also a form of wealth.

In other words, wealth isn’t just about money. Money is necessary; it makes many things in life easier. It’s true that it’s essential for success—and for most things. But above all, it’s a tool. In my opinion, money shouldn’t be an end in itself. When you make money your goal, it slips away from you.

Be Clear

But if you think like this: “I want to make a lot of money because I want to help people. I want to make a lot of money because I want to provide well for my family.” “I want to make a lot of money because I don’t want to depend on anyone”—if you keep coming up with examples like these and clarify in your mind exactly where you’ll use your money, the money will come to you.

Because you know what to do. If you’re asking for money to satisfy selfish desires, you won’t get it—that’s for sure. Nothing happens overnight. No one can reach the top right away. Take a look, for example, at the lives of those millionaires—the lives of people who’ve succeeded.

Patience First!

Nothing ever really happens in just two days… And even if there are people who seem to succeed in two days, be careful—they also hit rock bottom within those two days. Because they have no foundation, no basis. You know, there are some songs that seem to become hits overnight—they get popular. But then, six months later, no one even recognizes those artists anymore. It’s the same with this. But there are artists who have left their mark on Turkey for 30 or 40 years. So, to achieve success and wealth, you have to take it step by step. You have to think of it like climbing a staircase. You have to move forward a little bit every day.

Sometimes you need experience, sometimes you need luck, and sometimes you need vision. And all of these need to come together. But first and foremost, of course, you need to be patient. In this day and age, patience is the one thing people lack the most. Everyone wants things right away, wants them quickly, but doesn’t put in the work. Patience comes first!