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Fatherhood Increases Intelligence
A study from Princeton University has found that monkeys who become fathers may get enhanced brains. Enhancements included an increase in the number... read more
FlowFlow is a mental state that was first described by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. It is characterized by the ability of creative people to... read more
Three Happy ThingsUnfortunately, people often get into a pessimistic mood where they can only see the failures and problems with their life. This can cause people to... read more
Conditions for CalmnessTry to remember some times in the past when you were totally relaxed. Maybe it was a recent vacation or a nice sunny weekend. What do these... read more
Do It All At OnceIf you ever feel like your brain is cluttered because you have so many little tasks to do and you don't know what to do next, try this simple... read more
Unknown StressIf you ask someone why they feel stressed, they may not be able to point to a specific reason. This is because stress often comes from a source that... read more
AnxietyMany people use the words 'anxiety' and 'stress' interchangeably, and although they are related, they do not mean the same thing. Anxiety is a feeling... read more
Type B PersonalityThe opposite of a type A personality is type B. These people tend to be more relaxed and calmer than their type A counterparts. Type B people are... read more
Type A PersonalityA person with a type A personality is someone who is very driven and competitive. They are generally more assertive, impatient and always in a hurry.... read more
Make your own Stress BallSqueezing a stress ball is an effective way to get rid of your frustrations. Being under stress can cause extra energy to build up in the body. The... read more
Tension HeadachesTension headaches are the most common type of headaches. They usually appear as a dull throbbing pain that can radiate from the neck, back, eyes or... read more
BoredomOur minds thrive on novelty and atrophy when they are under stimulated. Boredom is the negative emotion that results from this under stimulation and... read more
Left vs Right Brain ThinkingAs we know, the two hemispheres of the brain think in different ways. The left brain tends to be logical and analytical, while the right brain tends... read more
Pavlovian De-stressorSimilar to how Pavlov's dog had associated food with the sound of a bell, it's possible to program your mind to associate some stimuli with being in a... read more
Smile and Humor TherapyChronic stress can cause an imbalance in the neurochemicals that contribute to elevating our mood and reducing anxiety. Fortunately, research has... read more
Post-Traumatic Stress DisorderPost-traumatic stress disorder is caused by exposure to a highly traumatic experience. Symptoms usually include nightmares and flashbacks where the... read more
CortisolCortisol is a hormone that is release by the body in response to stress. Its effect on the body is to increase blood pressure and blood sugar levels.... read more
Encouraging CreativityMany people think of creative ideas as popping into the creators head like a light bulb turning on. In reality, this is rarely the case. Creative... read more
Boundaries of KnowledgeA creative idea is one that somehow changes the existing knowledge of a particular field. This field may be anything from art to science to politics... read more
What is Creativity?Creativity is a mental activity that results in the development of innovative or insightful ideas that change a field of knowledge in a certain way.... read more
TransienceTransience refers to the fact that memories fade with time. Different memories fade at different rates for different people. This is mostly due to... read more
Meditation Builds the BrainA new study provides evidence that people who meditate are improving their brains. MRI brain scans showed that meditating can increase the thickness... read more
Effects of StressStress has many physiological affects on the human body. As we have already learned, certain types of stress can be good, but too much stress can... read more
PostureHaving a good posture is very important because it allows you to breathe properly. With hunched shoulders, the volume of your chest cavity is reduced... read more
Types of StressThere are four types of Stress that can impact our lives. Not all of them are bad. In fact, some stress is good for us. Good stress gets us out of... read more
StressStress is a mental or emotional condition that occurs in response to external influences. All organisms on earth respond to stress in physical and... read more
Memory ConformityTwo people who witness the same event may have different memories about what happened. This is because people pay attention to different things, and... read more
Absentmindedness IIThere are two types of Absentmindedness. 1. Forgetting something that you did. "Where did I put my keys?" 2. Forgetting whether you did... read more
AfterimagesThis exercise improves your ability to create vivid and accurate visual images. Find a nearby object and stare at it for a few seconds. Now close... read more
Peripheral VisionFix your vision on a nearby stationary object. Without moving your eyes, become aware of what is in your peripheral vision. Notice how things get... read more
Negative ThinkingNegative thinking is usually a bad thing, especially if it occurs in the form of premature judgment of an idea. However, sometimes intentionally... read more
Other PerspectivesPeople tend to quickly classify a situation, which causes them to think and respond in predictable ways. A creative thinker will think about... read more
Verbal vs VisualMany of our mnemonic systems rely on making visual associations. Visual associations are very effective in recalling concrete material that can be... read more
Find Your EnvironmentPreviously, we discussed how different environments can affect performance. This exercise will help you determine what types of things help or hinder... read more
Creative EnvironmentsYour environment has a big impact upon your creative ability. If you work in a cubicle with perfectly white walls, boring furniture and elevator... read more
Memory ConsolidationThe reason that people need to sleep remains mostly a mystery, but many scientists believe that memory consolidation is part of it. Memory... read more
ImaginationA creative person must have a vivid imagination that is free to create without constraint. When you are imagining things, you do not need to be bound... read more
InterestNaturally, people pay more attention to the things that interest them. If you like sports, you are going to remember teams and stats much more readily... read more
Learning ContextIf you find that you cannot remember the answer to a question that you know you studied, try to imagine the place where you learned it. If you... read more
ChallengesIt is very important that people be challenged by a project if they want to have a high likelihood of coming up with creative solutions. Without a... read more
Defer JudgmentDeferring judgment is an important rule for brainstorming sessions, and it's just as important for working with your own ideas. If you judge an idea... read more
AttentionOne reason that we may forget a certain fact is because we never really learned it in the first place. This has a lot to do with attention. When your... read more
OrganizationPeople are much better at remembering meaningful facts than random facts. This is because the mind takes advantage of all the pre-existing synapses... read more
Opposite PerspectiveThe next time you are stuck on a project ask yourself this question, "If the goals of this project were completely opposite of the actual goals, what... read more
Social InteractionsAs we have learned, events with emotional significance get preferential treatment by the hippocampus and are more likely to make strong memories. The... read more
Active ExperiencesPreviously we talked about how new experiences can create new connections in your mind, which helps retain memories. Active experiences, where you are... read more
Borrow and StealPicasso once said that "good designers borrow, great designers steal." Similarly, Einstein said that "the secret to creativity is knowing how to hide... read more
RoutinesMost of us go through our daily lives with fairly fixed routines. We get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, and drive to work the same way every day.... read more
Cognitive DissonanceCognitive dissonance is a mental condition resulting from conflicting ideas. The information that you already know is so important that your mind has... read more
Left and Right BrainThe brain is made up of a left hemisphere and a right hemisphere, which are connected in the middle by a bundle of nerves called the corpus callosum.... read more
Emotional BlocksEmotional blocks can affect our ability to communicate our creative ideas to others. One of these emotional blocks is a fear of taking risks and... read more
Tip of the TongueEveryone has had the experience where you have something on the tip of your tongue, but you can't remember it. One way to try to recall the... read more
RecallThere are generally three different ways that memory recall is studied: 1. Free recall refers to the ability to remember items in any order. An... read more
Ego and SuperegoAccording to Freud, the mind is made up of the id, the ego, and the superego. The id is concerned with satisfying our needs, the ego is aware of the... read more
Groupthink"Groupthink" is a term used to describe a process whereby a group can make bad decisions even though each individual in the group may realize that the... read more
AbsentmindednessHave you ever walked into a room and forgotten why you walked in there? Have you ever forgotten to give someone a telephone message? Ever forgotten... read more
ViewpointsEveryone has their own unique viewpoint on a problem. It is difficult to put ourselves into other people's shoes and see the problem from their... read more
Mental Filing SystemAs you are falling asleep, do you ever think about things that you need to do the next day, but you don't want to turn on the light to write them... read more
Accepting CriticismCriticism is a comment or judgment made to find fault in an idea. This can be bad for creativity, especially when it comes from a boss or a spouse.... read more
Giving CriticismNobody wants to hear all the things that are "wrong" with their idea. A bad criticizer uses any opportunity to make themselves feel smart or superior... read more
TaboosA taboo is an inhibition resulting from social customs or emotional aversion. Taboos serve a useful purpose to society because they prevent people... read more
RiskThe fear of risk is similar to the fear of embarrassment. Good ideas are sometimes not explored because the perceived risk is too great. Before you... read more
EmbarrassmentOne of the most common reasons that people do not contribute ideas to a group brainstorm is the fear of embarrassment. Expressing a new idea to a... read more
Noticing the UnnoticedOur minds are constantly filtering and processing data so that you don't have to pay attention to everything. Your consciousness is only presented... read more
InterferenceWe learned in Types of Forgetting that interference with other memories is one way that we forget information. Mnemonics such as the Peg and Loci... read more
Idea on the GoHave you ever had a great idea when you didn't have access to a pen and paper? Maybe you were driving your car, on the bus, running a marathon, or... read more
Think Around ItWhen you learn a fact, there are many associations that are learned along with it. The more associations you have for a particular fact, the more... read more
Picture = 1000 WordsThe phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words" means that you can describe something by producing a picture just as well as by using a bunch of... read more
Abstract MaterialPreviously, we have discussed several different mnemonics (Link, Loci, Peg) that rely on your ability to visualize an association between two... read more
StereotypingStereotyping is an inescapable habit of the human mind. You are constantly making stereotypes without even knowing it. The mind simply cannot store... read more
Forgetting SpeedSometimes we forget a fact almost instantaneously and sometimes we can remember it for the rest of our lives. If a fact is stored in our short-term... read more
Fail Early to Succeed QuicklyDon't be afraid to fail at something. Whenever we attempt something and fail, we end up learning something about the process and come away from the... read more
11 Steps to a Better BrainNew Scientist has an interesting article that talks about the following 11 steps that you could take to improve your brain. 1. Smart drugs 2.... read more
Important CriteriaImagine that you are in the following situations. Make a list of the different criteria that you would use in order to make a good choice. Which... read more
DistractionsOur attention is easily diverted by any number of distractions (a song on the radio, an overheard conversation, an itch, etc). The next time you need... read more
Thinking FluentlyOne of the things you notice about creative people is that they are extremely prolific thinkers. They produce tons and tons of ideas both good and... read more
Why Improve My Memory?You may be asking yourself why you should improve your memory and learning skills in this modern age of technology. You could always do a Google... read more
MeaningfulnessOne aspect that affects your ability to remember something is how meaningful the information is to you. A doctor is more likely to remember medical... read more
Unconscious LearningThere is no evidence that significant learning can occur if you are not consciously aware of the process. Thus, learning while in deep sleep is not... read more
Types of ForgettingYou may remember that most memory problems occur at the retrieval step in memory. There are four common explanations for why we often fail to... read more
Mind DumpHave you ever had the feeling that your mind is too cluttered to concentrate on a particular task? If so, this little exercise will help clear out... read more
Levels of LearningWhen you learn something, there are several different ways to measure how you remember it. The deepest form of memory is called recall and refers to... read more
Mental BlockEveryone has experienced a mental block when trying to remember something. This happens most often when you are under pressure to remember, such as... read more
RelaxStress and anxiety interfere with your ability to learn and recall material. This is because your mind is diverting its attention towards worrying.... read more
Order MattersIf you are trying to remember a list of items, the order of your list makes a big difference. Many studies have shown that items at the beginning and... read more
PatternsHave you ever remembered a phone number by visualizing the pattern of telephone button pushes or by using a little math (416-2550: 4 squared is 16, 25... read more
Mind ReadersUsing MRI scans of people's brains, scientists are now able to "read" someone's thought before they are even aware of it themselves. Just wait until... read more
Exercise May Slow Alzheimer's DiseaseA report recently published in The Journal of Neuroscience suggest that Alzheimer's can be delayed by getting regular physical and mental exercise.... read more
Clear Your MindBecause we are always thinking, planning, and worrying about things, our minds tend to get cluttered with thoughts and it becomes difficult to focus... read more
The Quick FixWe're sorry to say that there is no "secret technique" or "quick fix" that will give you a miraculous memory. If you want to improve your memory... read more
Memory Isn't a ThingMemory is not a thing that you can measure. There is no single place in the brain where memories are stored or where remembering happens. You can't... read more
Change of SceneryIf your mind is feeling particularly stuffy, go for a short walk. Mild exercise helps gets your blood flowing and gives your mind a little more... read more
Only 10% of Your BrainIt is a myth that humans only use a fraction of their brains. Even though scientists are still trying to unravel the mysteries of the human mind,... read more
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