Does a wandering mind make you more creative – and more unhappy?
ople whose minds wander a lot might be more creative and better problem solvers. Via 100 Things Every Presenter Needs to Know About People: Mind-wandering allows one part of the brain to focus on the task at hand, and another part of the brain to keep a higher goal in mind. Christoff (2009) at the University of California, Santa Barbara has evidence that people whose minds wander a lot are more creative and better problem solvers. Their brains have them…
3 minutes
Why do bad moods increase self-defeating behavior?
d moods sap your willpower which leads to greater risk-taking: Increased risk taking may explain the link between bad moods and self-defeating behavior. In Study 1, personal recollections of self-defeating actions implicated bad moods and resultant risky decisions. In Study 2, embarrassment increased the preference for a long-shot (high-risk, high-payoff) lottery over a low-risk, low-payoff one. Anger had a similar effect in Study 3. Study 4 replicated this and showed that the effect could be eliminated by making participants analyze…
1 min read
These Types Of People End Up More Successful And Make More Money
lf-discipline is a better predictor of success than IQ. Happiness translates into success and happier people are more successful. Just don't be too happy. Gay men have 12 percent lower personal incomes and lesbians have 15 percent higher personal incomes than heterosexual men and women. Nice guys make less money, rude people have higher credit scores and being ethical can hurt your income. Taller people make more money and it's because they're smarter. Thin women make more money. Weight has…
2 minutes
Here’s A Quick Way To Reduce Procrastination
rgive yourself when you procrastinate. Research shows it has many positive effects. It reduces future procrastination: The key finding was that students who'd forgiven themselves for their initial bout of procrastination subsequently showed less negative affect in the intermediate period between exams and were less likely to procrastinate before the second round of exams. Increases creativity: Self-judgmental individuals displayed lower levels of creative originality in the control condition, but equal levels of creative originality in the self-compassion condition. And increases self-control:…
1 min read
7 Steps To Never Procrastinating Again
, you won't do better work by procrastinating. And you will not have more time next week. In fact, leaving things unfinished makes you stupid. Here's what works: Make specific plans. Just setting a date and a time when you're going to do something makes you more likely to follow through. Or write down the steps necessary to do the work. Use short, painless dashes of effort. Just have at it for five minutes and feel free to watch the…
1 min read
15 Research Based Secrets To Bulletproof Willpower
ed willpower right now? Clench your fists, cross your arms, tense your muscles, and stand up straight. (Improving your posture can improve your self control.) Mental control is important too. A wandering mind is not a happy mind. Meditation can improve this. Just making too many decisions can leave you depleted and burned out. To reduce this, build good habits and automate behavior as much as possible. Want to eat less at a meal? Wear a tight shirt. Context is…
3 minutes
10 Ways To Turn Yourself Into A Productivity Dynamo
u're only productive at work three days out of the week. How can you improve that? The secret to getting more done is to make things automatic. Control over your schedule stops you from getting tired at work. Progress motivates us more than anything else. Your mind moves you, but how you move also affects your mind. Superstition can improve performance and when people wish you luck you do better. Mood matters. Happiness and overconfidence both boost productivity. Think positive…
2 minutes
Achieving Goals: Everything You Need To Know
h? Set goals? Why? Setting goals can improve your life. Goal setting is one of the four techniques the military used to increase Navy SEAL passing rates from 25% to 33%. Studies have also shown it makes you happier. How do you set goals? Initially, the research says, aim high. Set ambitious goals. (But later on down the road don't be afraid to settle to be happy.) Keeping goals vague sometimes produces higher rates of success but being specific will…
3 minutes
