Taking Responsibility: Nathaniel Branden’s Advice

Taking Responsibility: Nathaniel Branden’s Advice

What do you do when things don’t go your way? Do you blame external circumstances, or do you take it on your own account? What does it mean to take responsibility for your life? Taking responsibility, Nathaniel Branden says, means taking ownership of your life, behavior, and well-being. In other words, you stop the external factors for your misfortunes—you take responsibility where it’s due. Keep reading to learn what taking responsibility is, why it matters, and how you can facilitate it by completing practical exercises.

Decision Hygiene: Principles and Best Practices

Decision Hygiene: Principles and Best Practices

What is decision hygiene? How can following the decision hygiene principles help you filter out noise and bias and make the best choices? The term “decision hygiene” comes from the book Noise by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass R. Sunstein. The book focuses on how to improve the judgments that affect some of the most important aspects of our lives, including our justice system, medical care, education, and business decisions. Here’s how to practice good decision hygiene, according to Noise.

Brené Brown: Empathy vs. Sympathy

Brené Brown: Empathy vs. Sympathy

What is the difference between empathy and sympathy? Can you feel empathy and sympathy at the same time? According to Brené Brown, empathy vs. sympathy is an important distinction. Empathy is the ability to relate to how the other person feels, while sympathy is feeling bad for them, but failing to relate to them emotionally. Keep reading to learn about the difference between empathy vs. sympathy, according to Brené Brown.

How to Act With Integrity: Honor Your Values

You can heal with love. Discover how the love you feel in your heart can improve your physical health and help you overcome illness.

What does it mean to act with integrity? Why is it important to align your actions with your values? What does acting with integrity entail in practice? When you act with integrity, your behavior reflects your values. You may not choose the perfect option every time, but you strive to find and follow the option that best reflects your values. If your values point to opposing behaviors, you weigh your options and select what seems best. Keep reading to learn why integrity matters and how to act with integrity.

The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem: Exercises & Prompts

The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem: Exercises & Prompts

Are you looking for The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem exercises? How can you put the book’s lessons into practice? In his book The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, psychotherapist and self-esteem expert Nathaniel Branden describes what he believes are the key components of self-esteem: 1) Living With Awareness, 2) Accepting Yourself, 3) Taking Responsibility, 4) Asserting Yourself, and 5) Living Intentionally. He explains how each pillar contributes to self-esteem and provides practical strategies for improving your self-esteem by practicing the six pillars or categories of behavior. Here are some reflection prompts and exercises that will help you consider the book’s lessons

Acute vs. Chronic Stress: What’s the Difference?

Acute vs. Chronic Stress: What’s the Difference?

What’s the difference between acute vs. chronic stress? Which type of stress is more harmful to your body? There are two different types of stress: acute stress and chronic stress. Acute stress is induced by short-term challenges such as exercise, fasting, and exposure to hot/cold temperatures. Chronic stress occurs when you are exposed to a high-stress situation or stimuli for a long time, which can have adverse health consequences because it skews up your body’s equilibrium. Keep reading to learn about the effects of acute vs. chronic stress.

What Is Social Pressure? The 2 Types

What Is Social Pressure? The 2 Types

What is social pressure? What are the two types of social pressure? Social pressure is the influence exerted on an individual or group by another individual or group. In The Lucifer Effect, psychologist Philip Zimbardo defines the two types of social pressure that influence someone to be evil: group pressure and authoritative pressure. Keep reading to learn about the two types of social pressures.

Brené Brown on Happiness & Sadness

Brené Brown on Happiness & Sadness

We often say we’re happy or sad, but what exactly is happiness? And what exactly is sadness? According to Brené Brown, happiness and sadness lie at the opposite ends of the emotional spectrum. As basic emotions, they serve as the foundation of numerous others (e.g. happiness for joy and gratitude, and sadness—for hopelessness). Here’s how Brené Brown explains happiness and sadness.

How to Overcome Self-Limiting Beliefs

How to Overcome Self-Limiting Beliefs

What’s preventing you from achieving your highest potential? Do you hold any beliefs that are holding you back from living the life of your dreams? To achieve our full potential, we need to overcome our “happiness threshold” (the maximum amount of happiness we allow ourselves to experience). Once you begin nearing your happiness threshold, you become uncomfortable and unconsciously sabotage yourself so you can come back to a comfortable baseline. Overcoming self-limiting beliefs that make up your happiness threshold is the first step to embarking on a life path of happiness, success, and fulfillment. Here’s how to overcome self-limiting beliefs.