Hannah Aster

SEO Team Lead

Hannah is a seasoned writer and editor who started her journey with Shortform nearly five years ago. She grew up reading mostly fiction books but transitioned to non-fiction writing when she started her travel website in 2018. When she's not writing or traveling, you can find Hannah working on home reno projects, crafting, or taking care of plants.

Expertise

Graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English and minors in professional and creative writing

How to Improve Your Quality of Life: Best Tips

Do you want to know how to improve your quality of life? Why is knowing the difference between pleasure and enjoyment so important? According to Csikszentmihalyi, the author of Flow, the two best ways to improve your quality of life are to adjust your environment to align with your goals and to adjust your experience. And in order to adjust your experiences in life, it’s important to keep in mind the difference between pleasure and enjoyment. Keep reading to learn how to improve your quality of life with advice from Flow.

Turning Trauma Into an Optimal Experience

Is it possible to turn a challenge or trauma into an optimal experience? What are the three components of transformational coping? Transformational coping—or the ability to turn a stressful situation into a non-stressful one (or even into an optimal experience) is a special skill to have. And even if you can’t do it yourself, just admiring people with these abilities can improve your life. Keep reading to learn about how to deal with challenges and trauma in your life.

Amazon: Work Culture and Being Jeff Bezos’s Employee

What is it like to work at Amazon? Is Jeff Bezos really as ruthless as his reputation indicates? Amazon’s work culture is unlike any other technology company. Jeff Bezos is relentless about being frugal and expects every employee to work tirelessly to help build his company. Learn what Amazon’s work culture is like below.

Sam Walton’s Story: Early Life and His First Store

What was Sam Walton’s story? How did a small-town guy end up founding one of America’s largest retail stores? Although he had a rough childhood, Sam Walton’s life motto was to never lose. After leaving the army, Walton decided to buy a Benjamin Franklin variety store which would eventually turn into Walton’s Five and Dime. Continue reading to learn more about Sam Walton’s story.

Brené Brown’s Guidepost #8: Practice Calm & Stillness

How can practicing calm and stillness help you to fight anxiety? What are the major barriers to calm and stillness? In her book The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown advises readers to practice calm and stillness in order to fight anxiety. Her goal isn’t to eliminate anxiety—that’s nearly impossible—but to help you recognize it and work on ways to reduce its impact. Here is Brené Brown’s advice on how to practice calm and stillness and what barriers you’ll need to overcome.

Brave New World: Neil Postman Saw It Coming

Why did Neil Postman think the future would look like Huxley’s Brave New World? How can changing how we watch tv help us avoid the Huxlean dystopia? In Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman predicted that the future would look similar to the one depicted in Huxley’s dystopian novel Brave New World. Postman explains that the only way to avoid this fate is to see and question what we’re seeing rather than blindly trusting the media. Keep reading for more on Neil Postman’s Brave New World future.

The Flow Experience: Characteristics and Benefits

What is a flow experience? What are the three benefits of frequent flow experiences? When you feel like your endeavors are succeeding and your energy is flowing in the direction you choose, Csikszentmihalyi calls these “flow experiences.” Choosing to do activities that promote the flow experience often has three benefits. Continue below to learn about the flow experience.

Sexual Flow: Sexuality as Optimal Experience

Can you reach the flow state through sex? What are some things you can do to promote sexual flow? It is well-known that movements such as dance, martial arts, and yoga can promote flow, but many people don’t know that you can achieve sexual flow as well. This may be in the form of physical sex, romance, or other sensual activities such as dance and yoga. Keep reading to see what Csikszentmihalyi has to say about sexual flow.

Is Jeff Bezos Angry? His Toxic Behavior Explained

Why is Jeff Bezos known for being so angry? What are some examples of Bezos’s temper? How has this influenced Amazon’s work culture? Many of Amazon’s employees have described Jeff Bezos as angry. Bezos frequently lashes out at employees, degrades and swears at them, and promotes a culture where his execs do the same. Here are examples of Jeff Bezos’s anger problems.

The Origin of Wal-Mart: Five and Dime to Superstore

What is the origin of Wal-Mart? How did Wal-Mart go from a small five and dime in Arkansas to a multinational superstore? Sam Walton, the founder of what is now Wal-Mart, opened his first five and dime store in 1950. Within four years, he would open a second store and by 1962 he would own 16 stores. The Walton Five and Dime grew rapidly thanks to Walton’s superior pricing and business sense. Continue reading to learn more about the origin of Wal-Mart.