Have you ever experienced a negative spiral, where it felt like your bad mood made everything worse? Just as negativity can be a self-perpetuating cycle, positivity can lead to even more positivity. To feel happier, you can cultivate an optimistic outlook simply by spending more time thinking about good things, affirming yourself, and associating with […]
Are You at Risk for a Microsleep Event?
You probably know that not getting eight hours’ sleep every night can damage your long-term health outlook. But sleep deprivation also puts you at risk for microsleep events: brief, involuntary lapses in attention that can be extremely hazardous. Microsleep carries a clear risk for drivers, but even people who seldom drive or operate heavy machinery […]
Vulnerability Is Not A Weakness
Brené Brown describes vulnerability as a measure of strength, not weakness. Expressing feelings of self-doubt and uncertainty, discussing uncertain situations, and sharing encounters with failure and hardship are all ways that we can practice vulnerability. Many Westerners have been raised to think of vulnerability as a weakness or a flaw. In fact, vulnerability is a tool […]
Stop Worrying, Start Living
If you’re plagued by worry—and who isn’t these days—one way to neutralize your fear is to accept the worst-case scenario and plan from there. Most of our worst fears will never come true. But if you accept the possibility that bad things can happen, your most persistent worries will likely loosen their grip. Planning for […]
Feeling Anxious? Here’s How to Reframe.
Giving a presentation can be nerve-wracking. But if you think about it, nervousness and enthusiasm are quite similar emotional states. The primary difference is that anxiety has negative associations, whereas excitement seems more positive. As a negative emotional state, anxiety can quickly escalate and spiral out of control. The brain begins to imagine different scenarios […]
The Secret to Aging Well
Telomeres are a hot topic among health and wellness researchers. Telomeres are cap-like structures at the end of each chromosome that have the capacity to accelerate or decelerate the aging process, depending on your lifestyle choices. Diet, sleep hygiene, and exercise all play a role. Telomeres shorten as we age, with longer telomeres indicating good health, and […]
How to Play the Game
As research for his book Tools of Titans, self-help guru Tim Ferriss interviewed hundreds of world-class performers to learn about the habits, tools, and tactics they used to become successful. One of the themes that emerged from these interviews was that all problems in life should be tackled with a two-pronged strategy, involving both offensive and […]
The Upside to Upending Your Routine
Distraction and change can be beneficial, even under difficult circumstances. Amid the global upheaval caused by the novel coronavirus, many of us are dealing with more distraction and change than usual. A small silver lining: the disruption might help develop your capacity for creative thinking and innovation. Changing plans, working in different environments, and negotiating general […]
Make the Leap
It’s better to jump than to be pushed. At some point in life, everyone experiences a nagging feeling that something in their life needs to change. Maybe it’s a job. Maybe it’s a relationship. Steve Harvey, the comedian and television personality, says that if you aren’t proactive in making that change, the universe is likely to […]
Are You a Team Player?
Coach Bill Campbell was one of the most valuable players in the history of Silicon Valley, working behind the scenes to create trillions of dollars of value for companies like Apple and Google. But he was content to stay out of the spotlight after retiring as a football coach for the Columbia Lions. Campbell’s selflessness […]
