Tony Robbins: Priming Yourself for Success

Tony Robbins: Priming Yourself for Success

What exactly is “priming”? How can moving your body help you induce a desired emotional state? According to Tony Robbins, priming is creating your desired state of mind by stimulating your body. For instance, if you want to improve your focus, you could lean forward; if you want to feel happier, you could force a smile. Here’s how you can control your mind by controlling your body, according to Tony Robbins.

What Is Positive Stress? Psychologist Explains

What Is Positive Stress? Psychologist Explains

What is positive stress? In what ways can stress be good for you? Stress isn’t necessarily bad for you. Stress can actually be a good thing if it kicks in when you feel determined to achieve something or feel called upon to perform, but you don’t perceive your life to be at risk. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal refers to it as a “challenge stress response.” Keep reading to learn about the benefits of the challenge stress response, according to McGonigal.

Feedback Loops & Systems Thinking: Think in Loops, Not Lines

Feedback Loops & Systems Thinking: Think in Loops, Not Lines

What is “systems thinking”? In what way is systems thinking superior to the conventional cause-and-effect pattern of thinking? Systems thinking is a non-linear pattern of thinking that relies on feedback loops. Systems thinking enables you to see the big picture of any situation or event and predict how it will unfold in the future with better accuracy. Here’s why you should think in loops instead of lines.

What Is the Tend-and-Befriend Response?

What Is the Tend-and-Befriend Response?

What is the tend-and-befriend response? What is the evolutionary benefit of the tend-and-befriend response to danger? The tend-and-befriend response is an instinctual stress response triggered by a perception of threat to one’s loved ones. Evolutionary psychology suggests that the tend-and-friend response is a typical female response, mediated by the release of hormones that promote vigilance and attachment. Here’s how the tend-and-friend response works on the hormonal level.

Soviet Gulags: How Soviet Society Was Kept in the Dark

Soviet Gulags: How Soviet Society Was Kept in the Dark

How much did the public know about the Soviet gulags when they were in operation? How much did people fear them? Though the conditions in Soviet gulags were obviously inhumane, they were rarely discussed in public—let alone protested—prior to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s first novel about the camps in 1962. This silence, and the extent and brutality of the gulags, were made possible by the near-total control the government had over its citizens. Read more to learn how Soviet society was kept in the dark about the gulag system for so long.

The Fifth Discipline: Systems Thinking Explained

The Fifth Discipline: Systems Thinking Explained

What exactly is “systems thinking” in Peter Senge’s The Fifth Discipline? How does systems thinking relate to the other four disciplines? Systems thinking is the fifth discipline in Peter Senge’s framework for creating a learning organization. Systems thinking ties the other four disciplines together to create a cohesive management system where all the different parts work well together to produce the best possible results. Here’s how you can implement the systems thinking discipline at your organization.

The Fight-or-Flight Response: What It Is & How It Aids Survival

The Fight-or-Flight Response: What It Is & How It Aids Survival

What is the fight-or-flight response? How can the fight-or-flight response work against you? The fight-or-flight response is a physiological reaction to a perception of threat. It mobilizes your physiological resources to prepare you to face danger. However, this response has negative effects, too: when you perceive danger where there isn’t any, you experience unwarranted fear and anxiety. Keep reading to learn about the psychology of the fight-or-flight response and how it aids survival.

What Are Your Biases? How to Use Questions to Identify Them

What Are Your Biases? How to Use Questions to Identify Them

What are your biases? Do you assume that something is true just because it’s what you’ve been told? In The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking, award-winning educators Edward B. Burger and Michael Starbird emphasize that your view on a subject will, undoubtedly, have bias. They recommend using questions to look for bias in your perspective (not just your argument) and to guard against authority bias. Keep reading to learn how to use questions to identify and eliminate your biases.

The 3 Types of Stress Response, Explained

The 25 Cognitive Biases: Instinctive Reaction Tendency

How do psychologists define stress? What are the three types of stress response? According to psychologist Kelly McGonigal, stress is your response when something valuable to you is at risk. Depending on the stress trigger and your perception of it, McGonigal defines three types of stress response: the fight-or-flight (threat) response, the challenge response, or the tend-and-befriend response. Below, we’ll examine each one. 

The Power of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming)

The Power of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming)

What is NLP (neuro-linguistic programming)? How can the NLP method help you reprogram your mind for success? Neuro-linguistic programming is a set of techniques aimed at changing one’s behavioral patterns or thinking processes. It is premised on the principle of modeling: You copy what somebody else does to achieve the desired result. Keep reading to learn about the power of NLP, according to Tony Robbins.