by admin | Jun 4, 2022 | Mind
Help Yourself Before Others – Why It is Important
Do you find it hard to say no to people? Have you ever said yes to someone even when it was inconvenient or to your detriment? Maybe you find it hard to say no to others because you are afraid of being called selfish and self-serving. Many people struggle with this, and while it is great to be known as the go-to and reliable person, it is also a great responsibility.
Yes, it is necessary to help others but not when it is at a disadvantage to you. You will always be needed by others, friends, family, coworkers, etc. but remember that you’re also needed by… You. When you are not in the right space mentally and physically, there’s no way you can impart someone positively. Now let us discuss this intricate topic a little further …
Importance of Putting Yourself First
We can only give what we possess, and loving oneself before others is a pathway to fulfillment and happiness. When you prioritize yourself, you automatically multiply that, which you are able to give others, whether it is spiritual, emotional or material. And here’s why that’s important…
1. It Creates Happiness
Surely you want to give the best to your loved ones, and they want the same for you. Spending so much time loving others and not yourself could lead to resentment, especially when you are not getting the same energy back. Carving out time to care for yourself improves self-worth, which translates into happiness and a feeling of fulfillment.
2. You Will Gain More Respect
People will treat you how you treat yourself, so if you place yourself last, they will do the same thing. If you say yes at all times, they will take you for granted, so be kind but not a pushover. By putting a greater focus on yourself, confidence also improves and you then go on to become more respected.
3. Improved Relationships
Striving to please everyone around you can get exhausting and this strains all aspects of life, especially your relationships. Remember to focus more on yourself and ensure you are in great shape before taking care of others. Once your energy is revived, you have more to offer to those around you, and you will see your relationships with them get better.
4. It Helps your Health
Disregarding your own needs for others can leave you stressed, exhausted, and overwhelmed which can take a toll on your health. Stress is in fact, one of the biggest dangers for your health, due to its innate ability to buffer your body’s immune function and growth. You NEED your body to be relaxed and strong enough for all your activities and if you don’t find the time to rest, your body will do it for you and leave you sick.
How to Put Yourself First
There is a fine line between prioritizing yourself in a productive way and being overly selfish. To get others to love and respect you, you need to occupy the number 1 position in your own life… In the right way. Here’s how to do that.
1. Set Boundaries
Boundaries are necessary, and if you fail to do this, you start living for others. This doesn’t mean completely discarding other people’s feelings, but rather, learning to find the right balance. Learn to say no, and let go of the fear that people would stop loving you because it is not true.
2. Decide on Your Self-Care
Doing what you love is the greatest form of self-care and it’s time to start making this a priority. The more you do this, the more your self-care routine improves and the happier you become.
3. Be Around Those That Inspire You
Being around people that inspire you will help you develop those traits you admire in them. This elevates your energy instead of depleting it because you are challenged to become a better person.
4. Nutrition
A major part of caring for your body is paying attention to what goes inside it. Nutrition is the fuel of the body and it should be used to optimize functions, health and wellbeing Focus on whole food sources that are nutrient dense and avoid any highly processed foods and packed products.
Final Thoughts
Helping yourself first is not selfish, it is the responsible and right thing to do. Not only will it improve your wellbeing, but it will also make you a better person for those around you. Love those around you but remember that you come first, because you are that fountain for the love you give to others!
by admin | Jun 4, 2022 | Mind
Emotional Intelligence – What is it & How To Develop It?
In the 21st century, our senses get bombarded with loads of different information, which may often cause us to react in certain, more emotional ways. Oftentimes, this emotional response may leave us feeling lost and hopeless about a certain thing and that state can sometimes linger on for weeks and months on end.
But what is emotional intelligence and can you actually train your brain to respond less acutely to stressful situations? In this article, you’re going to learn more about emotional intelligence, what it is and how to take control over your otherwise automatic responses. Let’s get to it now, shall we?
By Definition…
Emotional intelligence, by definition, is one’s ability to recognize, be aware and in control of their own emotional reactions and those of others. The concept of emotional intelligence was first created back in 1995, when Daniel Goleman published a book called “Emotional intelligence”.
In his book, Daniel talks about how an emotionally intelligent person is able to differentiate between his emotions and is able to use them to navigate his/hers thoughts and actions. Though this is easier said than done, there are certain guidelines to follow if you want to take control over your emotions and reactions.
The 5 Abilities To Help You Take Control
In order to take control over your emotions and reactions and keep them regulated (instead of having them control you), there are 5 main abilities to focus on and develop.
#1 Empathy
At its very core, empathy is one’s ability to put themselves in other people’s shoes and understand their thought patterns, emotions, reactions, feelings and behaviors.
In doing so, you will realize that there is no ultimate truth- Everyone is bound to their own belief system and their own encoded emotional responses and thought patterns.
#2 Self-Awareness
This second ability can manifest on many different levels, but when it comes to emotional intelligence, it is in fact crucial. Being able to recognize your own emotions, feelings, thoughts, behaviors and reactions is of prime importance when you are becoming more emotionally intelligent.
And though recognizing them is important, it is just half the battle- The other half is to actually make conscious choices and break those patterns.
#3 Discipline
In the modern-day world, it is believed that there is a “once and for all” solution to all your emotional problems/depression. Well, the truth is that there is no such thing as permanent happiness, because as humans, we constantly surf the entire emotional spectrum, as long as we are alive!
Staying consistent and disciplined with the physical and emotional well-being practices is important when you are building your emotional intelligence.
#4 Self-Regulation
At its very core, self-regulation is an important ability to develop, which is at the very core of emotional intelligence. This is one’s ability to control their emotions and actions leading after the emotions.
And even if you lose it and fall for the automatic reactions encoded into you, well-developed self regulation would mean that you will recover much quicker, after an emotional reaction.
#5 Social intelligence
As emotional humans, we must realize that our emotional states affect others, especially when they are in our environment. Social emotional intelligence is one’s ability to control their emotions and reactions in a social environment.
Emotional Intelligence = Happiness?
As we already mentioned, there is this global idea that there are certain actions you can take, which will result in eternal, life-long happiness, with the absence of bad emotions. However, this is simply not true!
Even more so, as social beings, we are all different and we all have a set of emotional responses and reactions. The differences between people are a premise for problems and conflicts, but if emotional intelligence is present on at least one side, there would be a certain level of understanding, which can alleviate any personal/social conflict.
On top of that, emotional intelligence allows us to be more aware of what we feel under certain circumstances. This therefore gives us a greater level of adaptability, which in turn helps us make the right choices in the more important aspects of life.
Take Home Message…
For the most part, humans have a specific set of encoded, emotional responses and reactions, which, for the most part are automatic. You didn’t really choose to be that way; those things were literally given to you when you were a child. They were given to you by your parents, siblings, other relatives, teachers, friends, etcetera.
Emotional intelligence is about recognizing those automatic responses and asking yourself “Who gave me that and do I really need it to affect me that way?”. After setting that conscious realization, your next step is to take conscious action and take control over your emotions, instead of letting them control you.
Stay woke.
by admin | Jun 4, 2022 | Mental Health
Easy Psychological Tricks
Psychological tricks can add up flavor to your social life and give your communication skills an upgrade. Psychological techniques such as persuasion and social psychology can convince people to do something when they don’t want to. This is, however, not to be confused with manipulating.
Whether it’s making someone spill their secrets, getting your boss to give you a raise, or persuading someone to buy something, psychology will always be to your rescue. Here are some easy psychological tricks you can use in everyday life and get things done!
Calling Out The Bluffs
If you’re surrounded by deceiving people and want to call out their bluffs, we have a few tricks for you to follow!
1. Warm-up your hands:
Nothing reeks of a cold lie more than challenging and clammy hands. If you’re talking to someone you want to trust, you better warm up your hands before shaking them with the person or even touching them.
2. Be wary of the body language:
Lying and deceiving behavior is often associated with discomfort. If you notice it, all you have to do is catch that chink in their armor. Some people might scratch their head, some might repeat the same gesture again and again, and some might get too touchy. For catching them red-handed, noticing their body language will be of great help!
3. Look into the eyes:
It’s common that people who are lying to your face don’t usually make eye contact. You’ll notice them seeing here and there, either on your shoes or your shirt, but won’t make direct eye contact with you while talking. It is also a sign of discomfort people face while lying on your face. So, always look into the eyes; they never lie!
Getting Someone To Tell You Something:
People don’t usually share their secrets with anyone unless they’re family or friends. Still, sometimes, even your loved ones might not want to do that. We advise you to give them space, but sometimes it’s good to let things out. Well, here’s how you can get someone to tell you something.
1. Eat together:
According to recent research, eating together with a loved one releases endorphins called “feel-good hormones.” Eating with someone is always more than meets the eye. Inviting them to a meal, preferably their favorite place, might help them open up and express their thoughts. However, always remember that a polite invitation is more effective rather than pushing them.
2. Reverse Psychology:
Reverse psychology can be called the most underrated psychological trick in the world. But, if used properly, it can do wonders. If you want someone to spill their guts out without making it obvious, you need to do the exact opposite. In other words, you should seem least interested in their affairs and dealings.
When someone hiding a secret feels that their loved ones aren’t interested, their mind wanders, and they might end up spilling the beans. Reverse psychology can come to use in various circumstances, ranging from personal life to corporate dealings, so do consider it a powerful weapon in your arsenal. All you need is practice!
Some Other Psychological Tricks:
- If you want someone’s help, use the words “NEED” in your sentence. People love to feel needed.
- Always be in your best posture. By correcting your posture, you automatically look a lot more confident.
- Be enigmatic, and always keep a particular mystery about your personality. Such a personality has a more significant potential of attracting people to you.
Conclusion:
Psychological tricks may seem easy, but they need a lot of practice. Once you’ve had your training, there’s no stopping. We advise you to not use these easy psychological tricks for taboo or vicious activities like manipulation. If used positively, these psychology tricks can help you read the minds of people and save yourself from future problems!
Resources:
by admin | Jun 4, 2022 | Mental Health
Do I Need Mental Health Help?
It’s easy to decide whether we should see a therapist with extreme emotional problems; however, when we’re slightly uncomfortable, or having a few rough days, it’s harder to make that decision. Don’t wait until you truly can’t deal with it if you believe you have that problem and are getting overwhelmed. Being proactive also results in better outcomes. Prevention is always the best form of medicine.
Ask yourself the following questions and truthfully answer yes or no.
- How do you feel about simple pleasures? Do you get genuine satisfaction from them?
- Are you respectful of yourself?
- How do you cope with your own mistakes? Can you laugh at them?
- What are your experiences with handling situations that come your way? Do you feel prepared to deal with them?
- How well do you handle showing your own emotions, such as fear, anger, jealousy, guilt, and worry? Are you comfortable with them?
- Do you have personal relationships that are satisfying and lasting?
- Do you trust others and assume that others will trust you?
- Are you tolerant of differences in viewpoints?
- Do you refuse to be pushed around and refuse satisfaction from it?
- Do you feel connected to others?
- Are you able to love somebody?
- Are you accepting as much responsibility as you are given?
- Do you make your own decisions?
- Are you quick to resolve your problems when they arise?
- Do you shape your environment whenever possible and adjust to it whenever necessary?
Now if you are very honest you will get a good idea of where you are at. Think about the question a little, but not too long, and be natural in your reply, if it’s a no put no, if it’s yes, then write yes. Do not try to make it something it is not, there is no right or wrong reply, there is simply where you are at right now.
Count up the number of no answers. If you don’t have any, you are exceptional. Well done you !! A couple of no answers is normal and is absolutely nothing to be concerned about. If, however, you answered no to more than five questions, there is a good chance you could benefit from some type of counselling to help get you back on track.
The fact you are able to take this test is a good indicator that, with proper counselling, you will be just fine. Just don’t let it go until more answers turn to no. You deserve to enjoy the best mental health possible. Don’t neglect it.
And P.s – let’s not forget, that if you answered NO to taking responsibility for yourself, and yet you do this test and decide to get help, you have already taken responsibility and already turned a NO into a YES! You see, you are a hero and can do anything!
by admin | Jun 4, 2022 | Mind
Breakthroughs In Neuropsychology
4 Interesting Revelations About Our Brain
Psychology is one of the fields of science which is developed the fastest in recent years. With the growing interest in figuring out how our brains work, we have come to discover some very curious conditions, anomalies, and patterns.
Neuropsychology deals specifically with the physical part of the brain and is one of the most complex fields of study. Here we have listed some of the more curious studies and revelations in the course of the last year that prove how far we have advanced in this field.
New Brain Interface Systems
Using modern technology to map the way our brain works has always been difficult because of the complexity of the brain itself and the current limits of tech. In previous years science has used one or two sensors to sample up to a few hundred neurons. However, science has now developed a way to use up to 50 microsensors called “neurogranin’s”.
The challenge in building this interface came in two parts, one being the shrinking of the technology itself to reach more regions of the brain simultaneously, while the other was developing a complex reader receiving the information from the neurograins themselves.
The device itself is a thin patch no bigger than a thumbprint that attaches to the outside of the skull and works as a phone tower of sorts for the neurogranin’s, each of which has its own network address.
The study has a long way to go, with researchers hoping to be able to connect hundreds of microsensors and thus provide a seamless picture of the way our brains function in the moment.
How The Brain Understands Sign Language
Speech is one of the core ways humans differ from animals, and as such, we have done a lot of studies regarding its origin, development, and uses. Sign language, however, has been somewhat difficult to examine, and some essential revelations were made just recently.
Those revelations are namely regarding which regions of the brain are responsible for processing it as opposed to speaking or reading. Researchers concluded that Broca’s area in the left hemisphere of the brain is used for understanding sign language the same way it is for speech.
The difference between the two in the brain is that spoken language is processed only by this area, while sign language adds the right side of the brain to the equation.
It was previously believed that Broca’s area could only process written and spoken language, and this study proves that it’s connected to every sort of communication, maybe even body language.
Early Identification Of Alzheimer’s
Recent study focuses on the connection between Alzheimer’s disease and amyloid plaque. The latter is an insoluble accumulation of wrongly configured or misfolded proteins in the brain that leads to memory loss and is detrimental to cognitive functions.
The critical part here is that the researcher in question found that 42% of those without the amyloid plaque showed no signs of cognitive decline at all, while people with Alzheimer’s are sure to have it. This gives a new direction for identifying Alzheimer’s before it reaches a clinical state when it’s usually already too late.
The idea here is for people to start searching for accumulations of the amyloid plaques themselves instead of the visible symptoms because the latter is often found too late in development.
Computer Games And Memory
Video games have had their fair share of controversy ever since they gained popularity. Recently, however, science has proven that they can be positive in more ways than one, most notably their connection to our memory.
One specific study tests the brain’s cognitive functions, including reaction times, attention span, problem-solving, and memory before playing games, following the sessions themselves, and 15 days after playing every day.
The researchers concluded that although the short-term effects are minor, people who have played computer games as kids (both people who have and who have not been a part of the study) performed better with all memory tasks.
Different studies back up the fact that video games positively affect cognitive functions even years after they have stopped playing, most likely because of the functions your brain does while playing and turns into habits.
So, You See…
Neuropsychology as a field is incredibly interesting on all levels. It shows our understanding of ourselves and how our physical traits affect our mental state. Being on top of the news about neuropsychology is synonymous with seeing our species evolve step by step.
Although we have a long way to go before we can confidently say we understand our brains entirely, each step in the right direction counts and is captivating for its merits.
by admin | Jun 3, 2022 | Mind
Carl Jung’s Ideology in a Nutshell
Carl Jung first used the expression “collective unconscious.” The notion that a part of the innermost unconscious mind is biologically transmitted and not modified by human experience is oftentimes described as an “objective psyche.”
The collective unconscious, as per Jung’s theories, is shared by all humans and is essential to numerous well-established beliefs and impulses, including sexual activity, spirituality, and life-and-death impulses.
The Jung’s Idea of the Collective Unconscious
The collective unconscious, according to Carl Jung, is a set of information and images that every human is birthed with and that is inherited by all humans owing to hereditary experience. Although people might not have been aware of their collective unconscious mind’s contents, it is believed that at times of crisis, the mind may access the unconscious.
Instincts and Archetypes
The collective unconscious, according to Jung, is conveyed via timeless notions known as archetypes. Archetypes are hereditary signals, metaphors, or thought patterns and acting from our forefathers and mothers.
These mythical pictures or cultural signifiers, according to Carl Jung, are not set or unchanging; rather, several distinct archetypes can intersect or merge at any particular moment. Some of the archetypes postulated by Jung involve:
- Death
- Birth
- Rebirth
- Power
- The child
- The anima
- The mother
- The hero
The maternal archetype, according to Jung, is by far the most significant. He believed the archetype might take the actual form of a real grandmother, mother, mother-in-law, stepmother, or caregiver, but it could also take the metaphorical shape of a mother, such as:
- Cultivated field
- Garden
- Country
- Spring or a well
- Earth
- Church
- God’s Mother
- Forests
- Seas
The maternal archetype, according to Jung, might have either good or negative characteristics, such as maternal warmth and love, or unpleasant attributes, like the goddess of fate or the cruel mother.
Complicated Beliefs
Well-established spiritual and religious ideas are partly described as a result of the collective unconscious. The universality and homogeneity of global faiths, according to Jung, led to religion as an expression of the collective unconscious.
Ethics, morals, and notions of justice or wrong and right, for example, might be understood in the very same manner, with the collective unconscious playing a role.
Phobias
The collective unconscious theory was used to illustrate why toddlers and grownups might develop anxieties and social phobias and anxieties for no obvious cause. Fear of darkness, loud noises, heights, and blood are all thought to be based on this collective unconscious that has been postulated as a hereditary attribute.
Researches revealed that one-third of youngsters are terrified of serpents by the age of 6, although these reptiles are uncommon in the British Isles. Even though the youngsters had never been in a horrific encounter with a serpent, serpents nevertheless caused anxiety.
Dreams
Dreams were considered to reveal important information about the collective unconscious. Because of the archetypes depicted, Jung felt that certain patterns in dreams are ubiquitous. To put it another way, the same patterns have various meanings for diverse persons.
Unlike his colleague Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung thought that dreams are extremely individualized, and that dream meaning necessitates a thorough understanding of the dreamer. In contrast, Freud frequently stated that certain symbols reflect particular unconscious ideas.
Is It a Scientific Theory?
The collective unconscious needs a symbolic or literal understanding, and that has been a point of contention in the past. A to-the-letter interpretation of the collective unconscious is considered a pseudo-scientific idea in the scientific community. This is because empirically proving that mythological and other traditional symbolism is transmitted and existent at birth is problematic.
Rather, since all persons have some behavioral tendencies, a metaphorical explanation of the collective unconscious is believed to have a touch of pure science.
Interested to learn more about Jung’s ideology? Grab a book of his!
