Daily Minor Stressors Impact Long-Term Mental Health

A new study finds that our emotional responses to everyday stressors impact our long term mental health. A Ten Year Study Dr. Susan Charles of the University of California, Irvine and her colleagues used data from two national surveys to examine the relationship between how people respond to daily emotional stressors and the state of their mental health ten years later. A major strength of…

The 12 Cognitive Biases That Prevent You From Being Rational (Part 2)

Humans are subject to cognitive biases, those annoying glitches in our thinking that cause us to make questionable decisions and reach erroneous conclusions. Here are the most common and pernicious cognitive biases that you need to know about. Status-Quo Bias We humans tend to be apprehensive of change, which often leads us to make choices that guarantee that things remain the same, or change as…

The 12 Cognitive Biases That Prevent You From Being Rational (Part 1)

A cognitive bias is a genuine deficiency or limitation in our thinking — a flaw in judgment that arises from errors of memory, social attribution, and miscalculations (such as statistical errors or a false sense of probability). Some social psychologists believe our cognitive biases help us process information more efficiently, especially in dangerous situations. Still, they lead us to make grave mistakes. We may be…

How Successful People Approach A New Year

Want to come out ahead in 2013? Here are the resolutions the most successful people make and then keep for both business goals and personal gain. 1. Spend more time on your not-to-do list. 2. Do what’s essential first, then email second. 3. Not make excuses. Not cheat. Not waste time. 4. Books are important. 5. Take time to do something slower than you normally…

New Year’s Resolutions – How To Keep Your 2013 Resolutions

13 New Year’s Resolutions – and How to Keep Them 1. Lose the Weight From wearing a pedometer to surrounding yourself with the color blue, there are all kinds of small changes that can help you finally drop those extra pounds. Make a commitment that 2013 will be the year you get rid of what’s weighing you down. 2. Get Organized If your home is…

10 Tools For Dealing With Holiday Depression

There has been a long standing myth that suicide rates increase over the holiday season. According to the Mayo Clinic, this is completely false. What is true is that the rates of depression and stress do increase. Here are ten solid tools to help you and deal if Santa also brings you some holiday blues. Keep your expectations balanced. You won’t get everything you want, things will go wrong, and…

To Clear Negative Thoughts, Physically Throw them Away

Bothered by negative thoughts? Clearing your mind of them could be as simple as writing them down and physically throwing them away, according to a new study, published in the journal Psychological Science. “At some level, it can sound silly. But we found that it really works — by physically throwing away or protecting your thoughts, you influence how you end up using those thoughts,” study researcher Richard Petty,…

Reasoning is Sharper in a Foreign Langauge

The language we use affects the decisions we make, according to a new study. Participants made more rational decisions when money-related choices were posed in a foreign language that they had learned in a classroom setting than when they were asked in a native tongue. To study how language affects reasoning, University of Chicago psychologists looked at a well-known phenomenon: people are more risk-averse when…

New Love: A Short Shelf Life

In fairy tales, marriages last happily ever after. Science, however, tells us that wedded bliss has but a limited shelf life. American and European researchers tracked 1,761 people who got married and stayed married over the course of 15 years. The findings were clear: newlyweds enjoy a big happiness boost that lasts, on average, for just two years. Then the special joy wears off and…

7 Worst Habits of Workaholics

“Many people feel like they have to push themselves to unhealthy levels in order to succeed. But high-pressure jobs and long hours take a real toll on your immediate and future health,” says George Griffing, M.D., professor of internal medicine at Saint Louis University. Here, according to Griffing are the seven worst habits to watch out for in these workaholic times. 1. Forgetting to relax: While some stress can be…