1: So what exactly is happening in your brain when you experience joy?
Two interconnected systems, the reward system and the meaning system, work together, Kelly McGonigal writes in her new book Joy is a Risk Worth Taking.
“During a good moment,” Kelly notes, “these two brain systems communicate with each other to produce the essence of joy—a feeling of meaningful pleasure, uplift, or relief.”
She notes that your … continue reading
1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about.
Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations.
At the end of each week, I’ve been sharing an idea from Tynan‘s book Superhuman by Habit about how to install specific, positive habits into your life.
So far, we’ve covered:
1: What’s the best way to make your to-do list?
There’s something satisfying about writing down a task and then crossing it off your list.
“That’s exactly the wrong way to create a to-do list. That signals you’re using it for mood repair, rather than to become productive,” says Carleton University psychologist Timothy Pychyl in Charles Duhigg‘s book Smarter Faster Better.
Writing down a series of short-term objectives … continue reading
1: Say you’re faced with a difficult challenge.
Or a big opportunity.
What if you approached it like a game?
This is the main idea behind Jane McGonigal’s SuperBetter framework, described in her book. It uses allies, quests, power-ups, bad guys, and epic wins to help you become more resilient and make real progress.
Yesterday, we looked at how radio producer Alex Goldman used SuperBetter to recover after … continue reading
1: Do you believe that all meaningful problems are deeply rooted and difficult to change?
David Yeager, a mindset researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, shares a story that reveals how deep people’s skepticism can run about the power of short interventions to improve people’s lives.
This week we’re examining multiple studies that show your mindset, or how you think about something, can have a profound impact … continue reading
1: Two-thirds of the housekeepers in Stanford Professor Alia Crum’s study believed they weren’t exercising regularly.
One-third said they got no exercise at all.
“Their bodies reflected this perception,” Kelly McGonigal notes in The Upside of Stress. “The average housekeeper’s blood pressure, waist-to-hip ratio, and body weight were exactly what you’d expect to find if they were truly sedentary.”
Their perception was their reality.
Which is different from … continue reading
1: Do people who have a positive attitude about aging live longer?
More than seven years longer, according to researchers at Yale University.
They followed middle-aged adults for twenty years. “Those who had a positive view of aging in midlife lived an average of 7.6 years longer than those who had a negative view,” writes Kelly McGonigal in her terrific book The Upside of Stress.
“To put that number … continue reading
1: What we’ve taught about stress is wrong, Kelly McGonigal argues in her terrific book The Upside of Stress.
Despite what we’ve been taught and told, the latest science shows that stress, by itself, is not harmful. However, believing stress is harmful to your health is toxic.
So, how do you transform your view of stress? Are there actions you can take when you feel overwhelmed to direct your … continue reading
1: What is the effect of showing smokers graphic warnings on cigarette packs?
When doctors are asked this question, “In general, they believe that the images will decrease smokers’ desire for a cigarette and motivate them to quit,” writes Kelly McGonigal in her terrific book The Upside of Stress.
Actually, studies show the warnings have the opposite effect.
“The most threatening images (say, a lung cancer patient dying in … continue reading
1: What do you do when the battery turns red on your phone? You recharge it.
Yet, many people who are tired and overworked just trudge forward.
Which begs the question, “Why do you think you can force yourself to run well on empty?” Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram write in their book The 5 Gears: How to Be Present and Productive When There is Never Enough Time.
“People … continue reading
