Think Tank: The Neuro Blog
The Ideal Amount of Exercise
Exercising is a topic that’s been at the forefront of the public’s attention for a good while now. Flip through some TV channels in the morning and you’ll likely come across a medical expert or two trying to get everyone to exercise more, or at least exercise a bit. Some may even feel like this issue is being shoved down their throats, but all this attention that exercising has been receiving of late is simply a reaction to the modern lifestyle which seems to only be getting unhealthier with the passing of time – the number of people who spend 8 hours a day staring at a computer screen at work only to come home and do more of the same is rising by the day.
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Using Fear as a Motivator
Fear is a primal emotion and one of the most basic instincts that has seen the human race through all stages of its civilization. As our society evolved, so did fear, and in addition to the primordial chill that runs down our spine when we hear something go bump in the dark, we now also have to contend with things such as being afraid of losing our jobs, social anxiety, and the fear of change – with the last one being the focus of our text. After we’ve gone over the basics of what is one of the most researched emotions in the human repertoire and tried to explain how it could be just the thing which is holding you back from realizing your true potential, we’ll attempt to give you some advice on how to turn this sensation from a debilitating factor into the driving force behind your actions.
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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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Eating for Best Energy Results
Nutrition has been a hot-button issue for several decades, one that influences all of us on a daily basis. Modern lifestyle and its ever-increasing sedentary tendencies have brought about a slew of new challenges, chief among them being the attempt to maintain healthy eating habits in an environment which somehow seems designed to hinder such efforts. While we will briefly touch upon the global situation with regard to obesity, the focus of this text will be to provide you with an underlying approach to eating which will help you stay energized and ready to tackle the tasks ahead of you, whatever they may be, along with some tips and tricks to ensure you make the most out of your day.
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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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Getting Your Creative Juices Flowing
It would be a very safe bet to claim there’s never been a person who hasn’t experienced some sort of a creator/writer’s block at one point in their life or another. It may actually have to do with writing, but more often than not, you simply find yourself in the position where you need to figure out a way to get something done, but things just won’t budge an inch. Before we can give you some concrete tips on how to overcome this debilitating ordeal, we need to get to the bottom of what we actually mean by the term “creativity”.
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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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Science Facts to Blow Your Mind
The world we live in has become an incredibly hectic place to be a part of. A busy lifestyle combined with an overabundance of information provided by the media and the Internet has caused the average person to become so engrossed in their day-to-day routine that it’s all too easy for any one of us to lose track of just how amazing of a planet we have the privilege of inhabiting. And it even goes far beyond the scope of just one planet – merely thinking about all the wonders and endless possibilities that lie in outer space and realizing how minuscule Earth is in the grand scheme of things is enough to provide some serious food for thought. Because we’ve all become so bogged down in the minutiae of our everyday surroundings, it might do us some good to learn (or remind ourselves of) a couple of truly amazing scientific facts concerning the human race, our planet, and the universe surrounding us. If you read on, you will find a list containing just that, and it might help you put things into perspective and gain a measure of newfound appreciation for the ins and outs of our world. And even if you don’t derive any profound insights from these facts, they should at least prove to be an interesting read and a couple might truly blow your mind after you’ve given them some thought.
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