Psychology Archives

Feel-Good Brain Chemicals: Activities to Stimulate Them

Have you been feeling down in the dumps lately? What are activities that activate your feel-good brain chemicals? Recovering from a relationship with a narcissist can bring up all sorts of negative feelings that just won’t go away. With the help of Power by Shahida Arabi, you can find enjoyable hobbies and activities that pinpoint brain chemicals that make you happy. Let’s take a look at what you can do to stimulate certain brain chemicals.

Idealize-Devalue-Discard: A Powerful Tactic of Narcissists

Is your partner constantly tearing you down? Do they ever build you back up with compliments and gifts? The above pattern is quite common in narcissists. According to Power by Shahida Arabi, it’s a tactic known as “Idealize-Devalue-Discard,” which manipulates victims into staying in the relationship. Let’s take a closer look at the Idealize-Devalue-Discard tactic.

Becky Kennedy’s Good Inside: Book Overview & Takeaways

Are you letting a negativity bias affect your parenting? How can you get your kids to actually want to be obedient? When is silliness an effective parenting technique? Becky Kennedy’s Good Inside helps parents effect sustainable behavior changes in their kids while building positive relationships with them. Our overview lays out Kennedy’s core principles, her toolkit for dealing with challenging behavior, and explanations and solutions for common parenting challenges. Continue reading for an overview of this practical parenting manual.

How to Tell if Someone Is Anxious Through Body Language

Can you tell when someone is anxious? Is sweating always a sign of stress? If you were able to detect when someone else is stressed out, imagine how helpful it would be to be able to adjust your own words and behavior accordingly. In The Dictionary of Body Language, retired FBI Special Agent Joe Navarro shares four common anxious body language cues. Keep reading to learn how to tell if someone is anxious by interpreting their body language.

How to Raise Deeply Feeling Kids: 2 Tools From Dr. Becky

Do you have a child who seems to be immune from basic parenting strategies? Do you feel like you’ve tried everything and still get resistance? If you answered “Yes” to these questions, you might have a “deeply feeling kid.” Dr. Becky Kennedy uses this term to describe a child who experiences intense feelings and, as a result, exhibits intense reactions and behaviors. She provides two tools that are designed to reach deeply feeling kids. Read more to learn about children who feel deeply and to understand what they need.

Bored Body Language: 2 Ways to Tell if Someone Is Checked Out

Can you tell when someone is bored or impatient? Do they just look at their watch or twiddle their thumbs? Retired FBI Special Agent Joe Navarro knows how to read people, and he wants to help you learn to interpret nonverbal communication. In his book The Dictionary of Body Language, he teaches you how to read emotions by understanding subtle cues in people’s physical behavior. Continue reading to learn how to detect bored body language in people and determine that they’re probably checked out.

The 3 Narcissistic Manipulation Tactics to Keep an Eye Out For

What are common narcissistic manipulation tactics to look out for? How do narcissists keep their victims from leaving them? The main goal of a narcissist is to gain adoration from others, which reinforces their feeling of superiority. In Power, Shahida Arabi describes the tell-tale signs of a narcissist trying to manipulate you into giving them that attention. Keep reading to understand these tactics so you can be better equipped to deal with narcissists in a relationship.

The “Good Inside” Parenting Toolkit: 5 Essential Tools for Parents

When should you employ validation with your child? Do you take time for silliness in your family? Why does your child need boundaries? Dr. Becky Kennedy’s book Good Inside is a parenting manual to help you make changes in your child’s behavior while building a positive relationship. Her approach stems from the principle that you and your child are good people at your core—you’re “good inside”—even when you’re struggling. She shares tools to help you implement this principle. Continue reading for five “Good Inside” parenting tools and one bonus strategy.

Attachment Theory Parenting + the IFS Model: Dr. Becky’s Recipe

Do you feel like you’re a bad parent or that you have a bad kid? Does parenting seem like an endless struggle to control your child’s behavior? Dr. Becky Kennedy, a clinical psychologist and a mother, aims to encourage parents who feel this way. In her book Good Inside, she shares her effective parenting approach, which is based on attachment theory and the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model. Keep reading to understand the power of blending attachment theory parenting with the IFS model.

Details in a Story: How Much Can the Reader’s Brain Handle?

Do you confuse your readers by adding too much detail or the wrong kind of detail? What should you include, and what should you leave out? Lisa Cron discusses how to use details in a story, explaining that details should be concrete rather than abstract—and enough but not too much. Cron shares her advice on how to use details to enhance your plot rather than distract from it, explaining that your protagonist helps you determine what to include. Continue reading to learn how to strike the right balance when it comes to using details in a story.