Mindfulness Meditation Linked With Positive Brain Changes, Study Suggests Scientists have found that a kind of Chinese mindfulness meditation practice is linked with actual physical changes in the brain -- changes that may even have protective effects against mental illness. Researchers from the University of Oregon studied past data from a 2010 study of 45 undergraduate students, as well as a past study on 68 students at the Dalian University of Technology in China, who practiced integrative body-mind training. The meditation technique places heavy emphasis on being aware of the mind, body and environment. Using diffusion tensor imaging, a kind of MRI imaging technique, the researchers were able to look at the brain structure changes that occurred in connection with the mindfulness meditation practice. The researchers found that after two weeks of practicing this kind of meditation, the study participants had an increase in the number of signaling connections in the brain, called axonal density. Close It Makes Your Brain Plastic
How To Understand An Introvert, In One Chart What do you picture when you think of an introvert? Many people associate the personality type with being shy or aloof, when really they just tend to reflect inwardly. In fact, introverts can just easily be social butterflies like their extroverted counterparts, they just approach it differently. But that's not all that makes up an introvert: They also are extremely detail oriented, tend to be old souls and make the most of downtime. But if you just don't identify with any of these characteristics (and don't understand how anyone else does, either), fear not.
How To Lose Your Self-Esteem: A Psychologist's Fascinating TED Talk Dr. Matthew Whoolery, a professor of psychology at Brigham Young University-Idaho, has an unorthodox recommendation: let go of your self-esteem. "Notice I'm not saying lose your high self-esteem, or lose your low self-esteem," he said in a new TEDx talk. "I'm saying, lose your self-esteem altogether." It's a thought-provoking message about gratitude and human connectedness. Whoolery's talk draws on thinkers ranging from famed psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl to Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy to the teachings of Buddhist monk Geshe Jampa Tegchok. We've highlighted three noteworthy points below, but you should really watch the full talk: Excerpts of Dr. All of the good we have in our lives comes from others. Now I know this disagrees with the way you and I usually see the world. But let's just start with the clothes you're wearing today. We often speak in America about self-sufficiency but it's an illusion of sorts. This is the way I explained our reasoning [to my daughter].
Kindness Really Does Make You More Attractive If teen movies have anything to say about it, the hottest people are usually also the meanest, while the nice guys are the ones who can't get a date. But according to some rather encouraging new research, an attractive personality may be one of the most important factors in perceived beauty. In other words, being a good person could actually make people perceive you as more attractive. A recent study, led by Yan Zhang of Huazhong University in China and published in the November 2014 issue of Personality and Individual Differences, found positive personality traits to increase perceptions of facial attractiveness. The researchers tested 120 male and female adult Chinese participants, randomly divided into three groups, and asked each participant to rate 60 photos of unfamiliar Chinese women making neutral facial expressions. Two weeks later, participants rated the same pictures again. All three groups had similar attractiveness ratings in the first round of photo rankings.
5 Important Reasons To Embrace A Little Adventure Where would we be without a little adventure? As Eleanor Roosevelt once stated, "The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience." In other words, we grow and become our best selves when we take advantage of new adventures. If that isn't motivation enough, check out five more things you should know about embracing experience: We rarely try something new... As human beings we default to the familiar (research even suggests we're wired to do so). ...but new experiences are at the top of our bucket lists. One of our greatest flaws as employees is that we don't always use our vacation days. Sharing our adventures with others makes them more enjoyable. Not only is it important to seize new adventures, you should also share those experiences with others. Experiences make us happier in the long run. New experiences can change how we view time.
The Myers & Briggs Foundation - Extraversion or Introversion The first pair of psychological preferences is Extraversion and Introversion. Where do you put your attention and get your energy? Do you like to spend time in the outer world of people and things (Extraversion), or in your inner world of ideas and images (Introversion)? Extraversion and Introversion as terms used by C. G. Jung explain different attitudes people use to direct their energy. Everyone spends some time extraverting and some time introverting. Take a minute to ask yourself which of the following descriptions seems more natural, effortless, and comfortable for you? Extraversion (E) I like getting my energy from active involvement in events and having a lot of different activities. The following statements generally apply to me: I am seen as "outgoing" or as a "people person." Introversion (I) I like getting my energy from dealing with the ideas, pictures, memories, and reactions that are inside my head, in my inner world.
A Surprising Treatment For Depression That May Be Just As Effective As Talking To A Therapist Even though a growing body of research has demonstrated the legitimate mental and physical health benefits of meditation, some people still consider mindfulness to be merely a New Age fad rather than a serious treatment option. Now, a new Swedish study offers more compelling evidence for the effectiveness of mindfulness-based practices in treating anxiety and depression. Researchers from Lund University found group mindfulness treatment to be as effective as individual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in treating individuals suffering from anxiety, depression and severe stress responses -- and it may be more affordable and convenient. The research was conducted at 16 health care centers in Southern Sweden. A total of 215 patients with anxiety, depression or severe stress reactions were randomly sorted into either a regular treatment group, in which they underwent individual CBT sessions, or underwent 10-patient group mindfulness treatment sessions. Both programs lasted for eight weeks.
7 Success Tips for Introverts If you like the article below, you might also like 4 Social Tips for Introverts. credited bottom of article 1. Develop a positive overall view of your temperament and personality. Until I read Susan Cain's book Quiet I never consciously realized I was ashamed of being an introvert. I personally don't need to believe introversion is a virtue but no longer seeing it as a flaw has been extremely helpful. Learn to acknowledge things you find difficult without piling on the self-criticism. 2. Some of my biggest professional successes have come from pitching something I have to offer. I feel most comfortable pitching when I'm offering something win-win, and when the other party will benefit from accepting the offer more than I will. Once you accumulate some experiences of pitching and achieving good results from it, it'll get easier. 3. Introverts come in different stripes. Another fundamental aspect is often that your natural tendency is to want to digest information before responding back. 4. 5.
10 Tips to Make Therapy Work for You | Dr. Gary Trosclair There's plently of research evidence out there that shows that therapy can help people. But we also know that it helps some people more than others. Just why that's so is a complex question that I can't explore thoroughly here. That second factor -- the client's contribution -- isn't so clear or well understood. Before I go on I should clarify that the sort of therapy I'm referring to isn't directed or based on a manual. But there's a potential problem with depth therapy: while there's substantial evidence that it can be effective, if we aren't mindful we may wander, losing focus and diminishing efficacy. Therapists do try to explain what it means to work in therapy, but it's difficult to describe briefly how the process works, and delivering even a short discourse in session can be disruptive to the natural flow of the work. The content of therapy -- the specifics of what clients talk about in sessions -- differs widely from person to person, and can't be prescribed. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
The Introvert Personality - Self Help Sanctum A Definition of Introvert Introversion is the tendency to focus one's attention towards the inner, mental world rather than external, physical "reality". Introversion is a natural characteristic occurring in about 25% of the population according to psychotherapist Dr Marti Olsen Laney in her excellent book The Introvert Advantage. Dr Laney offers a further definition of the introvert personality, ie that introverts are those who draw energy from the inner world of ideas and emotions as opposed to extroverts who thrive on external experience and interaction. Introversion is not something we have or not, rather we all occupy a specific point on an introvert extrovert continuum. Dr Laney suggests introversion may be rooted in physiology with the parasympathetic (slowing down) brain system being dominant over its sympathetic (speeding up or fight-or-flight) counterpart. Know thyself: are you an introvert? We are each born with unique characteristics. Accept no single test as definitive.
5 Ways Exercise Can Help Improve Your Mental Health | The Active Times There's no denying that regular exercise brings many physical benefits -- it's recommended by medical professionals, health organizations and governments as a key part of a healthy life -- but physical fitness isn't the only benefit of exercise. Click Here to see the Complete List of Ways Exercise Can Improve Your Mental Health In addition to increased strength, a lower risk for many health issues and weight loss benefits, regular exercise is also great for your mental health. Research has been growing on the subject of exercise and mental health and physical activity is now recommended to patients suffering from depression, anxiety and other mental health ailments. Even those without health problems greatly benefit from exercise. Boosts Your Mood Keeps the Brain Sharp When stuck at work or struggling to make a decision, your best bet may be to fit in some exercise. Click Here to see the Original Story on The Active Times - Diana Gerstacker, The Active Times
Succeed Through Using Your Senses by Ron Kurtus - School for Champions Your senses are the important gateway for receiving information about the world around you and what is being communicated to you. By processing the information you receive through your senses, you gain knowledge, allowing you to respond by talking, writing or using some other means of communication. This material follows the Kurtusian theory concerning other senses than the five commonly listed in textbooks. I believe that becoming aware of your senses and using them in best way possible is important in being able to achieve goals, excel in activities and prove your worth and value. In other words, your senses are part of what makes you a champion in your chosen endeavors. The purpose of these free online lessons is to give you a start at improving your awareness of your senses, as well as to show you how to possibly optimize their use. Senses Contents Basics of senses Standard 5 senses Lessons on the standard 5 senses Hearing Vision Smell Sensing Smells Taste Sensing Tastes (coming soon) Touch
Mental illness and Slow Death by Solitary Confinement | Christopher Zoukis On June 7th, the American prison system took another life. Kalief Browder had not been confined behind the walls of a prison for several months, but the system remains largely responsible for his death nonetheless. On that Saturday afternoon, Kalief's mother made the discovery that no parent should have to endure: he had hanged himself outside the family home. It would be easy to write this story off as being just one of a "troubled youth," but it would be a tremendous disservice to his memory were we not to make clear that our entire judicial system set the stage for this tragedy. Browder was a child of just 16 when he was arrested for robbery and imprisoned at the notoriously violent RNDC at Rikers prison. Bowder had done much to better himself both prior to and after his release, to put the past behind him, but experiences like his are not easily swept under the rug. A full account of Browder's ordeals can be read here.
INFP Relationships INFPs present a calm, pleasant face to the world. They appear to be tranquil and peaceful to others, with simple desires. In fact, the INFP internally feels his or her life intensely. In the relationship arena, this causes them to have a very deep capacity for love and caring which is not frequently found with such intensity in the other types. INFPs do not share their intensity of feeling with anyone; they tend to be reserved about expressing their inner-most feelings, and reserve their deepest love and caring for a select few. Most INFPs will exhibit the following strengths with regards to relationship issues: Most INFPs will exhibit the following weaknesses with regards to relationship issues: INFPs feel tremendous loyalty and commitment to their relationships. INFPs' tendency to be idealistic and romantically-minded may cause them to fantasize frequently about a "more perfect" relationship or situation. Sexually, the INFP is likely to be initially slow to open up to their mates.