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9 clever psychological tricks you will love

<p>Our mind is a funny thing. The centre of our intelligence, it can still (sometimes) be fooled by a clever ruse. These psychological tips and tricks can help make life easier and less stressful.</p> <ol> <li>Chewing gum of eating food can help alleviate nerves as it tricks a primal part of your brain into thinking you can’t be in danger as you’re eating.</li> <li>If somebody is angry and aggressive but you remain calm they may become angrier but will be ashamed of their behavior later.</li> <li>If you ask a question and only get a partial answer in return, maintain eye contact and stay quiet. The person answering will assume that you’re onto them and keep talking.</li> <li>Emotional expressions can help create emotions. If you want to feel happy, smile as wide as you can.</li> <li>Before an anxiety-inducing situation, imagine that the person you’re meeting is an old friend. This way, you’re in charge of the situation and your comfort will be infectious.</li> <li>People are more likely to agree to a smaller favour if they deny a larger one or two first.</li> <li>Many people can’t tell the difference between brilliance and confidence. If you seem like you know what you’re doing, people will rally around.</li> <li>Try to notice someone’s eye colour when you first meet them. People like you more for the slightly increased eye contact.</li> <li>Don’t say or write the phrases “I think” or “I believe”. It’s implied anyway and it sounds like you lack confidence.</li> </ol> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/health/mind/2016/02/ways-to-become-an-optimist/">7 ways to become an optimist</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/health/mind/2016/02/tips-for-a-happy-and-healthy-life/">15 incredibly simple tips for a happy and healthy life</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/health/mind/2015/11/how-to-banish-negative-thoughts/">7 ways to banish negative thoughts</a></strong></em></span></p>

Mind

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How to say no to almost anything

<p>Everyone wishes they had the willpower to say no to certain things, but yes to certain other things. It seems we all have an inner battle between our two selves when it comes to resisting temptation to try and create a good habits.</p> <p>The folks at Epipheo spoke to Kelly McGonigal, author of The Willpower Instinct, about this inner conflict and how we can better tackle temptation. As she explains in the quirky video above, “Many people think of willpower as the ability to resist temptation, but will power is actually three powers: I will power, I won’t power and I want power.”</p> <p>You see we have all have our conflicting “selves” – think your impulsive self vs. your wise self – that we need to reconcile before we can truly enact change.</p> <p>McGonigal explains: “I won’t power is what we typically think of willpower – the ability to resist temptation. I will power – that’s the ability to remember you want the consequences of doing this difficult thing. The third power, I want power, is the ability to walk around the world with a clear memory of what it is you care about most. So when you’re deciding what to eat for lunch, it’s not an automatic choice but actually in that moment you think about your desire for health. So actually what willpower does, it allows you to put your energy and attention on exactly what it is you want and what you care about.”</p> <p><em>Video source: Epipheo</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/health/mind/2015/12/exercises-to-strengthen-your-willpower/">Simple exercises to strengthen your willpower</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/health/mind/2016/02/expert-tips-for-letting-go-of-guilt/">6 expert tips for letting go of guilt</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/health/mind/2016/02/science-between-optimism-and-pessimism/">The science behind optimists vs pessimists</a></strong></em></span></p>

Mind

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Simple exercises to strengthen your willpower

<p>Can our willpower be strengthened? That was the question a group of researchers recently set out to answer. Their findings suggested what has been thought for many years. Your willpower is like a muscle. It gets tired and requires exercise to strengthen it. With this knowledge, it becomes apparent that our willpower can be strengthened with the right practice. Here are 5 scientifically proven strategies to help you flex your willpower strength.</p> <ol> <li><strong>10 minutes of meditation –</strong> Meditation is proven to give the fastest results of all the willpower exercises. It helps the brain to focus and resist the urge to wander aimlessly which in turn boosts energy levels and the ability to concentrate for longer periods. There are plenty of guided meditation tracks available online to get you started.</li> <li><strong>Keep a food diary –</strong> Research has found a link between keeping a food diary and an improvement in willpower. The majority of us don’t record our food intake and it takes a conscious effort to keep track of every little thing. Try downloading an app like My Fitness Pal or just using a notebook/pen to keep track for a fortnight.</li> <li><strong>Correct your speech –</strong> Shifting your natural speech requires you to actively assert yourself against your instinct, which takes considerable willpower. A simple change like eliminating a certain word or changing from saying “Hi” to “Hello” for a couple of designated hours each day is effective enough to hugely improve your willpower.</li> <li><strong>Create and meet deadlines –</strong> If you’ve ever studied or worked to a concrete deadline you’ll know just how productive and effective it can make you. Creating self-imposed deadlines can have the same impact on our willpower. To get started, pick a task and set a deadline for accomplishing it. Picking a task you’ve been putting off is a good choice, as it’ll increase the effectiveness of the experiment even more.</li> <li><strong>Tempt yourself, and resist –</strong> If you really want to challenge yourself, try increasing your ability to say “no” by carrying around something really tempting that you’d usually eat or drink for the full day. Pop whatever it is in your pocket or handbag and flex your willpower to continually resist temptation.</li> </ol> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/health/mind/2015/11/kindness-leads-to-happiness-research/">People are happier when they do good</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/health/mind/2015/11/how-to-be-happy-in-todays-world/">How to be truly happy in today’s world</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/health/mind/2015/11/how-to-banish-negative-thoughts/">7 ways to banish negative thoughts</a></strong></span></em></p>

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