NEWS OF MIND

The 4 best tricks I learned while studying psychology in college and being around personal development in my free time are: 1. If you want others to open up to you or like you, make them the most important thing in the world.  In psychology this is referred to as “Active Listening.” All you need to do is give your  entire  attention to them when they talk. There are various ways you can implement this: Think that you have to give an hour-long presentation on what they talked about the next day.Act like they have something to share that will give you a million dollars.Listen like you would if you were talking to your hero or god. Doing so will make sure you pay full attention to what they say. The difference is minute in your eyes, but the subconscious effect it has is massive! People will feel it and will love to talk to you, because you make them feel like they matter. Which is one of the most sought after feelings in the world. Try going an entire day...

Educators often say that practice makes perfect. But what should that practice look like? Psychological research reveals that not all practice is equally useful. Mindless repetition is an inefficient way to improve any skill, and short sessions of high-quality, deliberate practice matter much more than a larger quantity of such repetition. In his recent book  Peak , Anders Ericsson describes the principles of deliberate practice that research has found to be effective in improving people’s skill in fields ranging from surgery to playing the violin. How can teachers use deliberate practice to improve what they do every day in the classroom? Drawing on Ericsson’s principles and research applying practice-based approaches to teacher education,  Deans for Impact , an organization composed of leaders of programs that prepare new teachers, recently produced  Practice with Purpose , a report exploring the application of deliberate practice to teaching. We identify five essen...

BY LEO BABAUTA One of the things that held me back from pursuing my dreams for many years was fear of failure … and the lack of self-confidence that I needed to overcome that fear. It’s something we all face, to some degree, I think. The key question: how do you overcome that fear? By working on your self-confidence and self-esteem. Without really thinking of it in those terms, that’s what I’ve been doing over the years, and that’s what helped me finally overcome my fears, and finally pursue my dreams. I still have those fears, undoubtedly. But now I know that I can beat them, that I can break through that wall of fear and come out on the other side. I’ve done it many times now, and that success will fuel further success. This post was inspired by reader Nick from Finland, who asked for an article about self-worth and self-confidence: Many of the things you propose make people feel better about themselves and actually help building self-confidence. However, I would be int...

Nina Zipkin Staff Writer. Covers media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends . Shy, retiring, socially inept -- these are some of the stereotypes that plague introverts. If you are looking to promote someone in your office, don't let a reserved demeanor take someone out of the running. And if you are a card-carrying introvert who has a time limit for big parties or is drained by all-day conferences, you are still entirely capable of being a charismatic leader. "Introverts need to do two things to become charismatic: make people feel liked and show them your power," says Carrie Keating, a professor of psychology at Colgate University. "Charisma is just that balance between inviting us in close and letting us feel your power by standing apart. Many introverts are halfway there." Keating notes that a great way for introverts to get out of their own heads and work on being more expressive or comfortable in crowds is to look into acting classes or ...

Pregnancy is filled with many emotions and sensations.  Not only are our bodies changing, there are wishes, hopes, plans and expectations that bombard us both from the inside and outside. Typically during pregnancy, appetite increases, there’s an eager anticipation of the new life to come, and  sleep is good (except for the usual physical adjustments).  Normal doubts and worries can be sprinkled throughout the pregnancy experience, but they shouldn’t dominate our days or nights. When you ask yourself, “Do I emotionally feel like ‘me’ most of the day?,” “Am I able to sleep at night?,” “Am I generally looking forward to the baby coming?,” and “Am I feeling hungry?,” the answer should be “Yes.” If not, seek out a specialized health care practitioner who can help determine what’s happening.  Depression and anxiety affect just as many pregnant women as new mothers, and can happen to the strongest, most intelligent and loving moms. Every trimester you should eith...

While it is generally accepted that work must occur in order for an individual to receive the income necessary to support himself in life, few people would argue the point that work is not always easy or enjoyable.  In fact, many individuals would readily admit that their jobs are difficult, challenging and demanding on a regular basis.  However, if you ask these same individuals whether they are happy with their jobs, many will state that they are–largely because the challenges they have to work through are actually fun to overcome. As a general rule, people are usually happier when they have something to do.  One can make an experiment of this and simply sit staring at the clock for five minutes, or spend five minutes cleaning.  The five minutes spent in action will often pass more quickly and produce a sense of satisfaction.  An individual who is not industrious is often bored and unhappy in general, and may even complain that their life is pointless and...

If you can't seem to find yourself motivated because of several reasons, take a deep breath and try to motivate yourself with these simple yet effective tips: 1.Close your eyes, and visualize yourself reaching your goals. 2.Try something new today. 3.Take a walk in a park, and let nature reset your mind. 4.Make a to-do list. You'll feel encouraged as you cross off items. 5.Get more sleep. Sleep deprivation could be making you less motivated. 6.Drink coffee for a quick jolt. 7.Start exercising, and you'll feel like yourself 8.Take a small step. You don't have to immediately immerse yourself in the project and see it until completion right away. Just make baby steps, and take it one day at a time. 9.Wake yourself up from your slump with a cold shower. 10.Have a reward system, so you'll have something to look forward to. 11.When doing a task you don't want to do, play energizing music to help you get through it. 12.Get the hard stuff done first thing in...