Neuroscience and psychology can be overwhelming topics. What are synapses? How do neurotransmitters work? What are self-fulfilling prophecies? While the goal of this blog is to make this sort of information accessible, there’s a very powerful and very simple place to begin.| Northwest Educational Services
Table of Contents hide Three Choices Daily Pushing Myself New Habits Psychological Fitness Conclusions About a year ago, I was on vacation in Hawaii with my family. While walking to the beach, I passed a lifeguard who was organizing some gear outside of the lifeguard shack. He was shirtless and in extremely good shape. Moments… Read More »1000 Little Choices| Becoming Better
Learn how to use acute stress to your advantage, how to recover from chronic stress, and other stress-management techniques that really work.| Becoming Better
A few weeks ago, I wrote about gratitude journaling – the practice of writing down things you’re grateful for each night. Today, I’d like to offer an additional practice you can combine with gratitude journaling: pride journaling. Pride journaling is, you guessed it, writing down things you’re proud of yourself for. I typically record one… Read More »Pride Journaling| Becoming Better
Your brain is like a bunch of clay. You can shape it and mold it through deliberate effort. You can do this because of neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to rewire in response to learning new ideas and engaging in new activities. Any change in your knowledge, abilities, or behavior produces physical changes in the… Read More »The Clay Never Dries| Becoming Better
Contents hide Momentum Interventions Motivation Loop Works Cited Image Credits Feedback loops show up all over the place, from nature to history to social psychology, and understanding these loops is important. Learning the essentials of feedback loops will make it a lot easier to help your children succeed. You can also use them to help Read More| Northwest Educational Services
Table of Contents hide 1. Pick One 2. Start Small 3. Go All In 4. Make a Clear Plan of Action 5. Use Reminders 6. Track Your Effort 7. Only Tell Others Strategically 8. Envision a Better Future 9. Use a Coach Happy New Year! The holiday parties are over, the cookies have been eaten,… Read More »9 Ways to Actually Stick to Your New Year’s Resolution| Becoming Better
Contents hide Health Disclaimer: Life Lessons From a Sea Squirt The Academic Benefits of Exercise So why does it help? Mental Health Benefits How much exercise does it take? What type of exercise is best? Movement matters too. Health Disclaimer: This article is about how exercise affects the brain. It is not health advice. Before Read More| Northwest Educational Services
Contents hide Getting your Brain in Shape Atrophy Step into the Arena Exhaustion Rethinking Stress The Willpower Muscle Works Cited Image Credit Neuroscience and psychology can be overwhelming topics. What are synapses? How do neurotransmitters work? What are self-fulfilling prophecies? While the goal of this blog is to make this sort of information accessible, there’s Read More| Northwest Educational Services
In my original willpower article, I described how certain willpower-using behaviors provide a return on investment greater than the initial input. In other words, there are things you can do that cost willpower but which give you back more willpower than you put in. Today, I want to dig deeper into that topic and explain… Read More »Willpower Virtuous Cycles| Becoming Better
True confidence comes from self-efficacy: your belief in your ability to handle life's challenges. It can't be faked, but it can be learned.| Becoming Better
Contents hide What is executive function? Where is executive function in the brain? So what’s the parent’s role in developing the child’s executive function? Modeling “You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips.” –Oliver Goldsmith Grow Those Muscles More to Come In the world of academics, “executive function” is, to Read More| Northwest Educational Services
