Think Tank: The Neuro Blog
How Stress Negatively Impacts the Body and What You Can Do About It
Think that your daily stress is just something you have to cope with? It’s a part of living, right? Unfortunately, chronic stress can take a toll on your body as well as your mind. And just because it seems to be a part of daily life doesn’t make it okay. The saying is true; stress really does kill. And its toxicity can seep into different parts of your body. But you aren’t helpless. Find out how stress may impact you and what you can do to get some control back in your life.
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What Are the Most Compelling Theories of Consciousness to Date?
Consciousness is the defining trait of humankind. It is the state of being aware of our surroundings and, more importantly, of ourselves. In short, we can categorize everything we experience and perceive under the umbrella term of consciousness. From the pain you feel when you stub your toe to the wonderful sensation that washes over you when you think about a fond event from the past. The plans you make are conscious, as are your efforts to follow through with them.
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What Are Some Interesting Psychological Facts That You Might Not Know?
Need a leg up in life? Don’t fight against your inherent nature. Instead, embrace it and arm yourself with how you and the world around you work. Check out these 8 interesting psychological facts to gain a better understanding of why you do the things you do, and how to do some things even better.
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The Surprising Impact Happiness Has on Health, Relationships and Even the Economy
“Happiness” is a term that is familiar worldwide, yet there is not a single definition for it. Is it a state of being? Can it be chased down and attained? Regardless of how you “get” happy, it has a trickle-down effect that starts within your own body and radiates to encompass the world around you.
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Benefits of Creative Thinking for the Logically Inclined
It’s doubtful you could find a person who hasn’t lamented their supposed lack of creativity at least a couple of times in their life. There is definite merit to the claim that people who are inclined toward logic would stand to benefit greatly if a creative spark were to be introduced into their line of thought every once in a while, but before we get to said benefits, we really need to get to the bottom of this whole “creative thinking” versus “logical thinking” issue. It is a debate that’s been raging for countless years and the scientific breakthroughs which have allowed us to glean information about the inner workings of the brain have only increased its intensity.
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Sports That Improve Your Cognitive Ability
Even though the all-too-familiar sight of an overpaid professional athlete trying to string together two proper sentences during an interview may not inspire confidence in this notion, the link between engaging in sports and improved cognitive ability is well known and supported by sound scientific evidence, as you will see further on in this text. But, if you want to know which particular sports to go for in order to try and increase your intellectual capabilities, the best we can do is provide a short answer followed by a long, science-backed explanation. That short answer would be: any sport, although there are two additional points which will allow us to give you a slightly more concrete explanation. However, before we can get to any of that, we first need to explore the general connection between sports and cognitive ability.
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How Does the Human Brain Differ from the Brains of Other Primates?
There is no doubt that humans are the dominant species on Earth. While we are yet to fully subjugate the planet itself to our whims, with the occasional catastrophic earthquake or a similar natural disaster serving as an apt and humbling reminder that we are still at the mercy of nature, our place at the top of the proverbial food chain is undisputed by any other inhabitant of this planet. We occupy this lofty position solely thanks to our intellect, as we are otherwise not all that impressive as a species – we are not the strongest out there, we are not the fastest, and certainly not the biggest.
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Is Smart the New Sexy?
The ins and outs of what makes a person attractive is a topic that virtually everyone has spent a great deal of time thinking about – it would be safe to say that it only stops being at the forefront of the average person’s mind after that person has finally decided to settle down and withdraw from the dating scene. Countless psychologists have attempted to get to the bottom of this issue and even more dating experts and gurus have tried to take advantage of the average person’s inborn desire to be perceived as attractive and worthy of affection. Many traits which are considered universally desirable when one is searching for a romantic partner are self-evident and easy to guess, but a new theory has appeared in recent times and this notion puts forward the idea that a person’s intellect is the defining characteristic when it comes to determining the level of attractiveness one possesses. This belief has been dubbed sapiosexuality and it will be our topic of the day.
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Dealing with Difficult People – the Dos and Don’ts
Dealing with Difficult People – the Dos and Don’ts Unless you’ve spent a sizeable chunk of your life living under a rock in some remote and desolate part of the world, you have undoubtedly found yourself in the situation where you’ve had to contend with difficult people far more times than you’d care to count. If you happen to work in customer support, then dealing with ticked-off people is, quite literally, your bread and butter. But even in pretty much any other line of work, or in school, or under the most common everyday circumstances, you are guaranteed to at least occasionally encounter people who are behaving irrationally or aggressively, and sometimes these encounters can occur at an alarming rate. Being able to effectively maneuver these situations is a vital self-preservation skill because they can sometimes leave lasting consequences if not handled properly. This holds particularly true when you need to deal with difficult people in your work surroundings, because those potentially lasting aftereffects can also carry a financial connotation. Difficult behavior at work can take numerous forms – the person in question might be unable to meet deadlines, they may be unwilling to cooperate, or they may even sabotage you intentionally, act in an overtly confrontational manner, or attempt to pin their failures on you. Either way, having to deal with a coworker acting in a severely unprofessional manner is bad enough as it is, but things take on a whole new level of dread when the person acting like a petulant child happens to hold a position of higher authority compared to you. What to Do Even though work-related confrontations are what we’ve primarily had in mind when writing this text, these unfortunate occurrences can also take place virtually anywhere else – in your household, when you’re having a get-together with your friends, while you’re driving (the infamous road rage), basically in any location occupied by at least two people. It doesn’t matter where they happen, these events are always bound to raise stress levels through the roof. This is why it is of such paramount importance to always come equipped with a couple of techniques which can be used to deescalate matters before things get too out of hand. Conflict resolution is a topic which has been given a great deal of attention in recent times, and what follows is a handpicked list of tips and techniques which ought to provide the very best results when one faces adversities of this nature. Bear in mind that not every solution is applicable to any given situation and you will need to make decisions on a case-by-case basis (for example, it is hugely important whether you’re dealing with someone you know or a complete stranger). However you should be able to find at least a couple of suggestions which will help take the edge off whatever conflict you’ve found yourself a part of. Employ Empathy Empathy represents the ability to share another person’s feelings and view things from their perspective – in other words, it’s being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. When it comes to deescalating conflicts, you may or may not feel sympathy for whatever plight has caused the other person to lash out at you, however you should still make every attempt to look at the situation from their point of view because that is the quickest way to figure out where all the angst is coming from. Once you know the root of the problem, you’ll be in the best possible position to propose a satisfactory solution – you’ll either be glad you’ve helped the person, or you’ll be glad they’re out of your hair. Either way, the conflict will have been resolved. As to how you can establish empathy with a person who’s being difficult, the one golden rule is to really listen. Even if you don’t end up thinking of a viable solution, simply feeling heard and acknowledged is often quite enough to calm things down to a manageable level. Also, remember to look at the broader context – there is always an underlying reason for any type of behavior, you just need to remember and put in the effort to look for it. Tackle the Issue, Avoid Judging the Person The fact that someone is acting in a difficult manner does not have to indicate that the person is always unpleasant to be around – most likely, they’re simply having a bad day because of some specific reason. By focusing on the person, instead of on the problem, you are likely to only exacerbate matters by further antagonizing said individual. In his book, “How to Communicate Effectively and Handle Difficult People”, Preston Ni states that being tough on the person rather the issue is a surefire way to anger your interlocutor and evoke feelings of resentment, among other negative consequences(1). Therefore, in order to maximize your chances of solving a difficult situation in a painless manner, make sure to set your sights on the issue at hand – you can’t change a person who is set in their ways, but you may be able to fix this one particular problem. Don’t Bark Out Orders Another point made in the book referenced previously is that using “you” language plus directives (sentences such as “You have to do this…”) creates a fertile ground for defensiveness and conflict. Nobody likes to be ordered around, particularly when they’re worked up, so it’s wise to refrain from such phrases when dealing with a tricky situation. Set Boundaries There is a world of difference between lending a sympathetic ear and allowing yourself to be treated like a doormat. If an angry person senses an opportunity to vent, they’ll most likely take it, and this will just make you upset as well, without getting you anywhere closer to a resolution. Therefore, you need to be helpful, but you also need to know where to draw the line. Be Wary of Humor A well-placed joke can immediately defuse the hostility of a situation, but it can also backfire and make matters infinitely worse if the other person feels ridiculed. Therefore, unless you’re 100% sure it’s going to work, stay away from jokes, particularly when dealing with people you don’t know well. Walk Away, if You Can When someone is acting in a difficult manner, your first instinct may be to try and set them straight. However, not every battle is worth fighting, and sometimes you might be better off just leaving it be. If nothing else, walk away for a while and take a breather – perhaps things will cool down in the meantime. Dealing with difficult people is an unfortunate, but ever-present, aspect of everyday life. Hopefully, this text has given you a few tactics you’ll be able to employ, but if you only come away with one thing, let it be to remember to listen – more often than not, the other person will tell you what they need to hear. Resources: http://nipreston.com/publications/excerpts/How_to_Handle_FINAL_2006-SAMPLE.pdf
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