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Common Forum/Request/Suggestions / Hidden Strengths of Introverts 6

« on: March 10, 2016, 03:05:59 PM »

Introverts are good friends

Introverts are good friends
Fiercely loyal, intensely attentive, and undeniably reliable, introverts are usually great friends. And consider yourself lucky—since they have a prefer a small inner circle, they're very picky when choosing friends.

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Common Forum/Request/Suggestions / Hidden Strengths of Introverts 5

« on: March 10, 2016, 03:05:20 PM »

Introverts are creative thinkers

Introverts are creative thinkers
Research by psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Gregory Feist have found that the most creative people in many fields are introverts. "Our culture is biased against quiet and reserved people," Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, writes on CNN.com. "But introverts are responsible for some of humanity's greatest achievements." Steve Wozniak, Dr. Seuss, Charles Darwin, and other creative geniuses, for example, all enjoyed their solitude. Would you ever guess these famous folks are introverts?

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Common Forum/Request/Suggestions / Hidden Strengths of Introverts 4

« on: March 10, 2016, 03:04:32 PM »

And excellent listeners

And excellent listeners
Because they're quiet by nature, introverts are "natural-born listeners," writes Kahnweiler. They tend to carefully take in all information and opinions, and only after digesting it, offer a thoughtful answer. In fact, a study from Harvard Business School found that introverts can be better leaders than extroverts, especially when their team members are naturally proactive. "An introverted leader is more likely to listen to and process the ideas of an eager team," writes study Harvard Business School professor Carmen Nobel. Here are some of the best kinds of jobs for introverts.

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Common Forum/Request/Suggestions / Hidden Strengths of Introverts 3

« on: March 10, 2016, 03:02:57 PM »

Introverts are often great writers

Introverts are often great writers
Isaac Asimov, who penned I, Robot and other works of science fiction, once said, "Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers." Fellow introverts, many of whom find comfort in expressing themselves through writing, will likely agree. "Introverts focus on depth versus breadth," says Jennifer Kahnweiler, author of Quiet Influence. "They can write out their ideas in full and be sure they are clarifying their ideas instead of being cut off by others."

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Common Forum/Request/Suggestions / Hidden Strengths of Introverts 2

« on: March 10, 2016, 03:02:16 PM »

Introverts are well prepared

Introverts are well prepared
Introverts' penchant for exhaustive preparation, especially at work, might originate from their tendency to take longer than extroverts to think through and respond to questions. (There's a neurological reason for this: Information actually takes a longer path through the brain of an introvert than it does through the brain of an extrovert.) To avoid unexpected questions, introverts rely on preparing for nearly every query in advance. "Being prepared also contributes to feeling confident," says Kahnweiler. That's a feeling introverts may not normally have when heading into a meeting.

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Common Forum/Request/Suggestions / Hidden Strengths of Introverts 1

« on: March 10, 2016, 03:01:37 PM »

Introverts are problem solvers

Introverts are problem solvers
Whether you're looking for relationship advice or wondering how Pythagoras solved a2 + b2, introverts likely have the answers, or know how to find them. Peek inside an introvert's brain, writes Laurie Helgo, author of Introvert Power, and you'll see "a flurry of activity in the frontal cortex, the command center for complex mental activities—the ones that involve taking in data, integrating it with stored information, and generating higher-order solutions and responses."

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Common Forum/Request/Suggestions / Surprising Tricks to Be Happier (Without Really Trying)9

« on: March 10, 2016, 02:54:58 PM »

Cue up the bass

Cue up the bass
ISTOCK/NICKS
Music with a strong bass can make you feel more powerful and motivated, according to recent Northwestern University research. People who tuned into bass-heavy songs, for example, were twice as likely to go first in a debate as those who didn’t, Good Housekeeping reported. For high-power beats, think Queen’s upbeat anthem “We Will Rock You” or 2 Unlimited’s “Get Ready for This.” Here's how else music can impact your health.

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Common Forum/Request/Suggestions / Surprising Tricks to Be Happier (Without Really Trying)8

« on: March 10, 2016, 02:54:18 PM »

Pick up a paintbrush

Pick up a paintbrush
Tapping into your artistic side may bolster your ability to fend off stress. According to new research reported by Prevention, newly retired adults who would paint or draw once a week for 10 weeks showed more mental resilience (for example: not snapping at your spouse for no reason or getting impatient during traffic). “Creating visual art improves the connections between brain regions associated with resilience, likely because it’s an activity that calls for integrating cognitive, motor, and creative skills,” the magazine reported.

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Common Forum/Request/Suggestions / Surprising Tricks to Be Happier (Without Really Trying)7

« on: March 10, 2016, 02:53:02 PM »

Cherish ordinary moments

Cherish ordinary moments
Common-but-lovely experiences, such as a nice walk home from the office or an unprompted hug from your kid, may bring you more happiness in the future than you might think, according to recent research in the journal Psychological Science. "People find a lot of joy in rediscovering a music playlist from months ago or an old joke with a neighbor, even though those things did not seem particularly meaningful in the moment," psychological scientist and lead researcher Ting Zhang of Harvard Business School said in a press release. "The studies highlight the importance of not taking the present for granted and documenting the mundane moments of daily life to give our future selves the joy of rediscovering them."

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Common Forum/Request/Suggestions / Surprising Tricks to Be Happier (Without Really Trying)6

« on: March 10, 2016, 02:51:56 PM »

Take a break from your favorite food

Take a break from your favorite food
A study in the journal Social, Psychological, and Personality Science found that going a few weeks without a beloved food—whether it's chocolate ice cream or Brussels sprouts—can help you enjoy it more.

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Common Forum/Request/Suggestions / Surprising Tricks to Be Happier (Without Really Trying)5

« on: March 10, 2016, 02:51:12 PM »

Plan the best for the end

Plan the best for the end
A week in a luxury hotel can feel rather ordinary by day four or five, according to Jaime Kurtz, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at James Madison University on PsychologyToday.com. If you save something special for the end of a trip, it “gives you the benefit of anticipation,” she writes. “Knowing that your final evening of vacation will be spent in a fancy hotel gives you something to look forward to, even as your trip nears its end and your return to everyday life draws depressingly closer.” What’s more, people tend to evaluate experiences like vacations by both their emotional high points as well as their endings. So even if most of the vacation was mediocre, a wonderful wrap-up can help you remember the entire trip in a more positive light.

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Common Forum/Request/Suggestions / Surprising Tricks to Be Happier (Without Really Trying) 5

« on: March 10, 2016, 02:50:35 PM »

Put a spring in your step

Put a spring in your step
Your gait can impact your mood, new Canadian research shows. Study participants were shown a list with both positive words (“pretty”) and negative (“afraid”), then were asked to walk on a treadmill in either a depressed style—shoulders hunched forward, arms dangling—or a more upbeat way. Hunched panelists remembered far more negative words than those who had a happier pace. Even if you don’t feel like skipping, consider the axiom “fake it ‘till you make it.”

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Common Forum/Request/Suggestions / Surprising Tricks to Be Happier (Without Really Trying)4

« on: March 10, 2016, 02:49:53 PM »

Sit less
Middle-aged women who sat for more than seven hours a day were 
47 percent more likely to show signs of depression than those who sat for four or fewer, Australian researchers found. Those who engaged in no physical activity were 26 percent more likely to have symptoms of depression three years later than those who met exercise guidelines. The research can’t prove that sitting makes you sad: It may be that people who are prone to depression are more likely to spend time sitting down. However, people who are more active may also be more likely to engage in social interactions with coworkers or neighbors. Plus, physical activity can release mood-boosting endorphins that fend off sad feelings.

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Common Forum/Request/Suggestions / Surprising Tricks to Be Happier (Without Really Trying)3

« on: March 10, 2016, 02:48:00 PM »

Praise someone once a day
Try writing one email, tweet, or text of praise; people who began doing this immediately felt happier, Before Happiness author Shawn Achor told Oprah. After 21 days of doing so, they reported feeling deeper levels of social support, a crucial ingredient of longevity.

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Common Forum/Request/Suggestions / Surprising Tricks to Be Happier (Without Really Trying) 2

« on: March 10, 2016, 02:45:27 PM »

Think of buying an "experience"
Earlier studies had found that spending money on experiences (i.e., concert tickets, a trip) increases happiness more than shelling out for material goods; now new research show this mood lift can come from simply drafting your list. A 2014 Cornell study found that people who merely anticipate making an upcoming experiential purchase, such as ski lessons, report higher levels
 of happiness than those who plan to buy, say, a new tech gadget.