Monday was bluer than Tuesday or Wednesday? The peak-end heuristic is the tendency to emphasize peaks and recent experience when one summarizes over a period of time. In the case of the blue Monday belief, it is likely that heuristics are at work. Thinking that Monday is the worst day of the week may be based on our innate attention to change: the shift from…
“Blue Mondays” Aren’t Really Blue – So Why Do We Think They Are?
Talking to Yourself: Not So Crazy After All
Self-talk, the act of giving ourselves mental messages can help us learn and perform at our best. Self-talk isn’t just motivational messages like “You can do it!” or “Almost there,” although this internal cheering section can give us confidence. There’s another kind of mental message that is even more useful, called “instructional self-talk.” This is the kind of running commentary we engage in when we’re…
The Six Best Ways to Decrease Your Anxiety
We all know the uncomfortable feeling of anxiety. Our hearts race, our fingers sweat, and our breathing gets shallow and labored. We experience racing thoughts about a perceived threat that we think is too much to handle. That’s because our “fight or flight” response has kicked in, resulting in sympathetic arousal and a narrowing of attention and focus on avoiding the threat. We seem to…
Exercise Does a Body – and a Mind – Good for Adolescence
Exercise is not just good for physical health. Daily physical activity can also boost our mental health. 1. Self-image Physical activity has positive effects on body weight and body structure, leading to positive feedback from peers and improved self-image, and ultimately improving mental health. Adolescents who were physically inactive or who perceived their bodies as either “too fat” or “too thin” were at greater risk…
What is Boredom?
We have all experienced boredom. Sitting in a class where the teacher is droning on about a topic you don’t care about, you may find yourself daydreaming or staring at a clock that doesn’t seem to be moving. Waiting for a delayed flight to take off at the airport, you may search in vain for something to distract you. What is boredom? Boredom is unpleasant…
How Your Cell Phone Hurts Your Relationships
Do you find yourself constantly checking your cellphone while you’re out with others? Most of us are no stranger to this scenario: A group of friends sits down to a meal together, laughing, swapping stories, and catching up on the news – but not necessarily with the people in front of them! Nowadays, it’s not unusual to have one’s phone handy on the table, easily within reach…
10 Non-Secrets To Happiness
Happiness is not an exit off the freeway. The only way to reach this destination is to look within yourself. Here are a few tools that may help you find your way. Think of them as a Happiness GPS. 1. Be easily amused. People who laugh and smile are happier and usually live longer than people who lack a sense of humor. 2. Don’t dwell on the negative. If…
Traits of the ‘Get It Done’ Personality: Laser Focus, Resilience, and True Grit
Traits of the ‘Get It Done’ Personality: Laser Focus, Resilience, and True Grit Angela L. Duckworth (left) of the U. of Pennsylvania studies personality traits, including grit, that help people succeed. The Successful Academic People who get things done and accomplish their goals often share these traits: Resilience The ability to recover from setbacks and cope effectively with stress Grit Perseverance and passion for challenging long-term…
What Colour Best Represents Who You are
THOUGHT EXPERIMENT Imagine you are an artist. You are asked to paint the dress of the girl in the illustration. You have before you an array of colors: 1. RED 2. PINK 3. YELLOW 4. ORANGE 5. BLUE 6. PURPLE 7. GREEN 8. BROWN 9. BLACK 10. WHITE You are asked to use a color to convey an emotion or feeling. (Write…
How to Overcome Being Anxious About Being Anxious
Anxiety sensitivity is “the tendency to respond fearfully to bodily sensations associated with fear and anxiety.” Put simply, it’s “the fear of fear.” People who are prone to anxiety sensitivity tend to catastrophize, or automatically assume that the worst will happen. According to authors and clinical psychologists Margo C. Watt, Ph.D, and Sherry H. Stewart, Ph.D, in their excellent book Overcoming the Fear of Fear: How…