10 things you didn’t know about the power of music:
in 25K+ subscribers. No spam, ever. Enter your email here: Background music does not improve your ability to concentrate but will help you when you're at the gym. It can affect how you work. A little background noise makes you more creative, a lot hurts creativity. Your favorite song is probably your favorite because you associate it with an emotional event in your life. Both social influences and quality affect which songs you like. You don't like the original…
2 minutes
What are seven things that can make you happier in seven seconds?
in 25K+ subscribers. No spam, ever. Enter your email here: Think about something you love. Imagine how you would feel if you lost it. Now be happy you have it. Research shows savoring has powerful affects on well-being. Take a nap. Studies show we can process negative thoughts just fine when we're exhausted -- but not the happy ones. Smile. Happy or not, just smile. Studies show it can trick your mind into thinking you feel good. And it…
1 min read
Is improving your life as easy as changing how you sit or stand?
in 25K+ subscribers. No spam, ever. Enter your email here: Your mind moves you, but how you move also affects your mind. Recent research in the area of embodied cognition confirms we can improve how we think and behave by changing how we sit, stand and move. What are the practical implications and how can we use this to our advantage? Posture is vital. The military makes soldiers stand up straight for a reason; there's an implicit connection between…
2 minutes
7 steps to being a better person:
in 25K+ subscribers. No spam, ever. Enter your email here: Context, context, context. Your context dramatically affects your behavior, so manipulating it is the easiest, most painless way to change yourself. This is why the religious are nicer on Sundays and mentioning god makes people clean up their act. Thinking about your childhood (seriously, get a teddy bear) and seeing others do nice things can make you act more ethically. Our circumstances can make it hard to be objective…
2 minutes
5 things you didn’t know about habits:
in 25K+ readers. No spam, ever. Enter your email here: You spend 40% of every day on autopilot, just performing habits. The secret to breaking bad habits is to not try to eliminate them but to replace them. You can resist bad habits by avoiding the triggers that make you want to do them. Context is key. The key to new good habits is to do the minimum and be consistent. To make good habits stick, create if-then plans…
1 min read
10 quick ways to improve your life, distilled from tons of research:
in 25K+ readers. No spam, ever. Enter your email here: Richard Wiseman's excellent book 59 Seconds: Change Your Life in Under a Minute ends with a top ten list of quick, research-based advice. Here are some highlights: Develop the Gratitude Attitude. "Having people list three things that they are grateful for in life or three events that have gone especially well over the past week can significantly increase their level of happiness for about a month." Be a Giver. "People…
2 minutes
10 things you didn’t know about willpower:
in 25K+ readers. No spam, ever. Enter your email here: Practicing a little willpower every day increases self-control over time. For immediate results: tighten your muscles, sit up straight or cross your arms. Or just think about money. Get enough sleep and don't miss meals. More shut-eye will stop you from wasting time on the internet. Skipping breakfast can lead to murder. Context is key. Those around you exert more influence on your behavior than you think. Don't get…
1 min read
Will Romney win just because he’s taller?
bsp; Romney is six-two. Obama is six-one. And... Since television started bringing candidates into voters' homes for the first time roughly six decades ago, the taller candidate has won more popular votes in 12 of the last 15 presidential general elections. This and more of the shallow side of politics here. Join 25K+ readers. Get a free weekly update via email here. Related posts: Are liberals more intelligent than conservatives? Who's better at pretending to be the other side: conservatives or liberals?…
1 min read
