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Making Personal Development Science Easy and Actionable

The personal development world is full of bad information. Self help experts and the media often ignore key pieces of the puzzle and don’t tell the full story. Far too many so-called “experts” base their recommendations on opinion and anecdote rather than scientific data.

We got so sick and tired of this that we hired a team of researchers to dig through a huge treasure trove of scientific data and figure out what the science is really saying, free of bias, hype, and self promotion.

Our research team painstakingly combed through thousands of studies to figured out exactly what the science says about popular personal development topics, what works, what doesn’t, and exactly how you can use things like meditation, journaling, breathing, and so much more to achieve your goals.

We have compiled all of this research by topic and this page shows you exactly what the science says. To make it easy to understand we created a Human Effects Matrix to showcase the scientific research around each of these topics.

Within the Human Effects Matrix for each topic we share the level of evidence, the magnitude and relationship of the various effects (for example, how much does Mantra Meditation reduce anxiety?), the specific scientific studies referenced, and any relevant research notes.

Our hope is that with this tool you can finally find and implement the self help and personal development methods that will create the biggest positives results in your life. And this time, you will have science on your side.

 



Summary

Pick up a book, join a team, start a new hobby. Allow yourself to put time on the calendar to relax and be creative. Find time to do the thing that brings you joy despite it not being the thing that brings you money. Setting aside time to be “unproductive” is one of the most productive things you can do for your brain.

What is it?

Brain Recovery, Leisure, and Play put the “life” in work-life balance. These are the things you do in your free time that keep you excited and recharged.

Leisure and Play can refer to similar activities, but they carry different motivations.

Leisure usually refers to how you spend your time free from obligations--work, housework, eating, sleep. Leisure activities serve the purpose of relaxation, competition, or growth. Reading, meditating, art, athletics, and socializing are all leisure activities.

Play is imaginative, intrinsically motivated, nonserious, freely chosen, and actively engaging. Play is motivated by fun and socialization.

Brain Recovery is intentionally engaging in leisure or play to activate or rest part of your brain. If your job is to code all day, brain recovery may be stepping away from the screens and reading a book. If you’re a publisher who reads all day, brain recovery may be playing a video game.

Research Findings

What happens when we engage in Play and Leisure activities is that our brains really do recover. It is good for you to take a break, to use a different part of your brain, to devote time to relaxation, competition, and personal growth. The positive effects are numerous.

Leisure correlates strongly with work ethic and problem solving. Performance, satisfaction, and creativity are optimized with a healthy balance of work and leisure. Spending time playing and especially reading has strong positive effects on socio-behavioral skills.

More broadly, leisure and play have a notable impact on psychological and cognitive well-being. Coping mechanisms, creativity, and motivation are all learned through practice.

Leisure and Play are also shown to have positive effects on memory, decisiveness, physical health, and overall quality of life.

Getting Started

The great thing about leisure and play is that you can get started however you like. The more you engage in an activity for leisure or play, the more it will stimulate Brain Recovery.

Sign up for an improv class. Get a library card (and check our bookshelf for recommendations.) Pick up an instrument. Find your city’s recreational sports league. Doodle. Search YouTube for tutorials on knitting, coding, ballet, how to beat the computer in chess.


LEVEL OF EVIDENCE RELATIONSHIP MAGNITUDE OF EFFECT CONSISTENCY OF RESEARCH RESULTS NOTES
Physical Health

Minor

Leisure, play, and other forms of finding life-work balance through brain recovery improve overall physical health. This is usually closely correlated to psychological well- being.

Psychological and cognitive well-being

Notable

Leisure, play, and other forms of brain recovery can promote physical, cognitive, and emotional health. This occurs by introducing coping mechanisms and encouraging creativity and motivation.

Work (including academic) ethic, activities, and satisfaction

Strong

Leisure and work ethics can be correlated with one another. Recovery and performance are optimized when there is a healthy balance between work and leisure. When out of balance, there are negative impacts on recovery.

Quality of life

Minor

Leisure, play, and other forms of life- work balance typically improve quality of life. However, this is not always the case for disadvantaged groups and minority populations.

Alcohol and drug use

Varies widely

Alcohol and drug use are forms of leisure and relaxation that influence work ethic, activities, and satisfaction.

Career indecisiveness

Minor

Career indecisiveness negatively impacts leisure and other forms of life-work balance, as well as work ethic.

Problem solving

Strong

Play has a strong impact on problem solving in both children and adults. It acts as a form of leisure and brain recovery, but simultaneously encourages creativity that enables productivity.

Socio-behavioral affect

Strong

Socio-behavioral skills are improved in children and adults who spend time in set forms of play, including therapeutic play-reading in adults.

Recall

Minor

Recall and recognition are enhanced following brain recovery due to greater focus.



 



Summary

People are, to an extent, a product and reflection of their environment. Our behavior and identity are shaped by the behavior and identity of those around us. It’s intuitive enough to assume this is true, but the research we’ve gathered here digs deep into specific behaviors and how likely they are to reflect our upbringing.

What is it?

“Environment” in this section refers to the environment in which you grow up and live. Not the great outdoors, but your home and surroundings throughout your childhood and formative years. Not nature, but nurture.

Unsurprisingly, your environment has a significant impact on the person you become and the habits you form. The impacts may be even deeper and more specific than you thought. If your parents were smokers, you’re more likely to smoke. On the positive side, if you grew up with a family of entrepreneurs, you’re more likely to start your own business. If you saw pro-conservation behavior at home, you’re more likely to recycle.

Research Findings

The environment your family and community created for you can basically impact every corner of your identity. Which also means that the environment you create for your children will strongly shape their identity.

The strongest relationships shown in our research between environment and identity are risk taking & addictive behaviors, housing & urban sociology, recycling & pro-environmental actions, and activity choices. These are the categories where you are very, very likely to mimic your parents.

You’re moderately likely to behave as a product of your environment with regards to purchasing behavior and consumption of goods. The things your family spends money on will become the things you spend money on with a notable correlation. A moderate relationship also exists with poverty. Negative mental health and poor housing are interrelated with socioeconomic status and environmental-behavioral relationships.

Minor relationships between environment and behavior with regards to entrepreneurship, organizational citizenship, physical activity, and work performance. These parts of your personality are formed reflecting your surroundings, but they are less likely to mirror your parents’ personalities exactly.

Getting Started

Of course, there isn’t much you can do to change the way you were brought up. What you can do is learn how your environment might have formed the person you are today. If you are likely to experience negative behaviors, like addiction, knowing from where that behavior comes may help you combat it.

You can also dig into this research and be proactive about the environment you are creating for your children and other impressionable people around you. If you hope your kids grow up to exhibit certain behaviors, the best thing you can do is start practicing those behaviors yourself.


LEVEL OF EVIDENCE RELATIONSHIP MAGNITUDE OF EFFECT CONSISTENCY OF RESEARCH RESULTS NOTES
Risk Taking and Delinquent or Addictive Behaviors

Strong

There are established relationships between biological markers, personality, and risk taking or delinquent behaviors including smoking, drinking, drugs, sex, driving, and gambling. These are also tied to parental behaviour throughout childhood.

Affective tone

Minor

Negative affective tone negatively affects group prosocial behaviour and increases absenteeism.

Entrepreneurial intentions and behavior

Minor

Entrepreneurial behavior is correlated with factors such as gender, education, having an entrepreneurial parent, and proactive personality traits.

Leadership and autonomy orientation

Minor

Dynamic work environment and set personality traits promote leadership based behaviors.

Behavioral Genetics

Strong

Established relationships exist between biological markers, environmental influences, personality, and behaviors.

Organizational citizenship behaviour and change

Minor

Cognitive style preferences for adaption innovation affect proposals for organizational change and behavioural change.

Normative behavior

Minor

Environments can direct normative behavior. Representations of behavior and actual behavior are activated when there are active goals related to visiting the envvironment and strong associations between environment and normative behavior have been established.

Housing and Urban Sociology

Strong

Housing and environmental surroundings can alter mental health, particularly in the elderly and in risk groups experiencing socioeconomic difficulties.

Recycling and Pro-environmental actions

Strong

A positive relationship exists between self-transcendence and pro- environmental behavior. Education, knowledge, and environmentally related attitudes are good predictors of recycling, preservation, and pro- environmental behaviors.

Behavioral reinforcement

Minor

Behavioral reinforcement behaviors are in part controlled by environmental-behavior relationships.

Activity choices

Strong

Activity choices, from extracurricular activities to tourism to political activism, are all influenced by environmental-behavioral relationships.

Purchasing behavior and consumption of goods

Notable

Pleasure and arousal significantly mediate shopping behaviors.

Poverty

Notable

Negative mental health and poor housing are interrelated with socioeconomic status and environmental-behavioral relationships.

Integration

Minor

The desire to affiliate within an environment is primarily influenced by the emotion-eliciting quality of that environment.

Physical Activity

Minor

Personality is integrated with physical activity-related social cognition.

Work performance

Minor

Stress affects the job performance of female service providers more than males. Work satisfaction has a stronger correlation to quitting intent in males.


 



Summary

Flow State is the slightly more technical term for being “in the zone.” Most commonly experienced during athletics, but possible during a wide variety of tasks, Flow occurs when you are fully and completely immersed in the task at hand. Experiencing Flow improves your performance and focus, not only as you are experiencing it, but for up to several days after. Practicing and experiencing Flow regularly can positively impact many facets of your life, from focus to confidence to happiness.

What is it?

Being in a state of Flow is nearly synonymous with being “in the zone.” When you are so immersed in a task that it holds all of your concentration, time might move by very quickly, and you are uninterrupted by stray thoughts.

Flow states often occur when you are competing in athletics, focusing on a puzzle like sudoku, or engaging in a project like writing or drawing.

The term Flow was popularized by Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi, who calls it “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.”

Research Findings

People who regularly experience Flow show notable increases in their focus, confidence, athletic and artistic performance, and competitive mindsets.

Athletic performance and physical activity are the strongest benefactors of Flow States. The flow states of athletes are commonly studied to further the understanding of flow state in sports psychology.

Performance and productivity are increased while individuals are experiencing flow states, but also after. People experience higher levels of productivity, creativity, and happiness for up to three days after experiencing a flow state.

Teaching, learning, and creativity also increase in individuals who experience Flow, as do mindfulness, self-awareness, and inspiration. Individuals who experience Flow States also struggle less with procrastination and addiction, and have better overall emotional and cognitive well-being.

Getting Started

The two main psychological conditions that must be present to experience Flow are

  1. Seeing challenges as things that you can deal with and overcome
  2. Having the skills to a actually do something about the challenge

“Flow also happens when a person’s skills are fully involved in overcoming a challenge that is just about manageable, so it acts as a magnet for learning new skills and increasing challenges,” Csíkszentmihályi explains. “If challenges are too low, one gets back to flow by increasing them. If challenges are too great, one can return to the flow state by learning new skills.”

Create tasks and goals for yourself that are just out of reach. You are capable of attaining them, but it will take effort and skill to do so. Intentionally put yourself in positions where you are likely to experience Flow. You will see positive results not only in your productivity and creativity in those tasks, but also in the rest of your life.


LEVEL OF EVIDENCE RELATIONSHIP MAGNITUDE OF EFFECT CONSISTENCY OF RESEARCH RESULTS NOTES
Task/Work Absorption, Focus, and Productivity

Notable

Task absorption and work productivity are positively correlated with flow state, so long as these factors are expressed in balance to skill or self- efficacy and competitive anxiety and challenges. This correlation can be seen in both gaming and workplace environment.

Competitive Mindset, Motivation, or Challenges Encountered

Notable

Competitive anxiety and challenges are positively correlated with flow state, so long as these factors are expressed in balance to skill or self-efficacy and task absorption. This correlation can be seen in both gaming and workplace environment.

Self-efficacy and confidence

Notable

Self-efficacy is correlated with flow state, so long as these factors are expressed in balance to factors such as competitiveness and task absorption. This correlation can be seen in both gaming and workplace environment.

Athletic Performance and Physical Activity

Strong

The flow states of athletes are commonly studied to further the understanding of flow state in sports psychology. Flow state is influenced by a variety of factors, namely: preparation, confidence, focus, perception, motivation, and progression of performance. Studies have assessed certain sporting groups and athletic divisions, as well as secondary influencing factors such as mindfulness training. Gender and sport type do not affect the flow states of college athletes.

Internet and Media Use

Notable

Web users show a correlation between online behavior, flow states, and positive affects. Flow state may influence browsing activity and is relevant to marketing and advertising. However, flow state does not improve advertisement recall.

Inspiration and Ideation

Minor

Ideation and inspiration that influences productivity and task absorption are positively correlated with flow state.

Motion rhythms

Minor

A consistency of motion rhythm around 2 to 3 Hz is correlated with heightened flow state during work.

Mindfulness

Minor

Mindfulness training improves flow state in athletes.

Self-Awareness

Minor

Self-awareness is an influential factor in flow state.

Artistic Performance/Art

Notable

As with athletic performance, artistic performance and flow state are correlated and have been studied in actors, musicians, and other artists. Music as an art form has also been shown to have a positive effect on flow state.

Emotional and cognitive well-being, including cogni- tive functionality

Minor

Emotional and cognitive well-being are contributing factors to flow state; simultaneously, flow state can contribute to emotional and cognitive well-being.

Addiction

Minor

There is a negative correlation between addictive inclination and flow state, which has been shown in video game addicts.

Procrastination

Minor

Procrastination reduces flow state as well as self-motivation.

Gaming and Simulations

Notable

Gaming is frequently assessed in relation to flow state, particularly in the context of character ideation in education or stimulatory games. However, not all flow state assessments are suitable for gaming.

Hypnosis

Minor

Hypnosis positively influences flow state, confidence, and relation.


 



Summary

Forgiveness is as good for you as it is for the ones you are forgiving. Psychological benefits from increased self-esteem to lower anxiety lead to physiological benefits for your heart & immune system and emotional benefits including hope & empathy.

What is it?

To forgive is to let go of past grievances, release anger, and stop feeling resentful. Forgiveness is the mender of relationships after a fight.

In this section, we’re speaking not just of externally forgiving - saying “it’s okay” - but of internally finding peace and releasing vengefulness, anger, and resentment.

Driven by empathy, forgiveness toward someone who has hurt you is overwhelmingly positive, not just for them or your relationship, but for you yourself.

Research Findings

Forgiveness improves psychological well being, self-esteem, and lowers stress levels so strongly that the mental improvement leads to physical improvement. Forgiveness has been shown to lower blood pressure, improve heart function, improve immune system function, and improve overall physiological well-being.

Forgiveness greatly reduces anxiety and stress, even in cases of PTSD, which correlates to reduced feelings of depression.

Greater forgiveness shows ties to increased hope, cognitive flexibility, empathy, and neural activity, and decreased grief, anger, and vengefulness.

Some predictors of forgiveness are commitment, empathy, relationship strength, self-improvement, remorse, and age. If the existing relationship is strong, if you are empathetic, and if you are committed to the other party, you are more likely to forgive them, mend the relationship, and feel the benefits.

Getting Started

Forgiveness is difficult. It is much easier to hold a grudge. But the benefits of feeling forgiveness are so powerfully positive, that it is worth the work.

Reading this research and understanding the value of forgiveness is a great first step. Recognize how forgiveness will positively impact you, in addition to the relationship and other parties.

Identify what needs forgiving. You may be holding onto a grudge or resentment of which you aren’t consciously aware. You may have said something was okay when in fact it still bothers you. You may have moved past a disagreement without truly forgiving.

Acknowledge your emotions, and work to release them. Feeling hurt, offending, or resentful isn’t wrong, but holding onto it will harm you more than anyone else.

Choose to forgive. It is a choice. Release the control the grudge has had on your life, practice empathy, journal, and take other steps toward moving beyond the grievance.

Turn to the experts. We have the research and results on forgiveness, but each case is different. Join a support group, talk to a counselor, or see a mediator if the burden is too heavy to overcome on your own.


LEVEL OF EVIDENCE RELATIONSHIP MAGNITUDE OF EFFECT CONSISTENCY OF RESEARCH RESULTS NOTES
Physical well-being

Strong

Forgiveness has positive influences on physical well-being, lowering blood pressure, improving cardiac function, improving immunological function, and improving overall well-being. Forgiveness is correlated to lowered physiological stress responses and can be measured through skin conductance and cardiac function.

Psychological well-being and self-esteem

Strong

Forgiveness improves psychological well-being, self-esteem, and decreases stress so substantially that the psychological improvement results in physiological improvement.

Hope

Minor

Forgiveness is positively correlated with hope.

Anxiety and Stress (includ- ing PTSD)

Strong

Forgiveness reduces anxiety and stress, even in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Depression

Notable

Forgiveness reduces depression, which is correlated with anxiety and stress reduction.

Grief

Minor

Forgiveness is positively correlated with a reduction in grief.

Anger

Minor

Forgiveness is positively correlated with a reduction in anger, which in turn reduces vengefulness.

Vengefulness

Notable

Vengefulness is in many was the opposite of forgiveness, and is correlated with greater rumination, higher negative affectivity, and lower life satisfaction. It is positively associated with neuroticism.

Cognitive flexibility

Minor

Greater forgiveness is correlated with cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility and positive affect are correlated and act as predictors of improved psychological well-being.

Positive affect

Minor

Cognitive flexibility is correlated with positive affect. Cognitive flexibility and positive affect are correlated and act as predictors of improved psychological well- being.

Commitment

Minor

Commitment affects motivations toward forgiveness, usually positively (based on relationship strength).

Social introversion

Minor

Reduced forgiveness is correlated with social introversion and social- psychopathology.

Social psychopathology

Minor

Reduced forgiveness is correlated with social introversion and social- psychopathology, which can be displayed in lack of empathy and interrelated with social relationships.

Empathy

Notable

Emotional empathy is strongly correlated with forgiveness. In one case, it was associated with forgiveness in males only.

Social relations (relation- ships, religion)

Strong

Social relationships, including relationship-to-God, romantic relationships, and familial relationships, as well as their strengths (commitment) affect forgiveness.

Self-improvement

Minor

A conscious improvement from the person wronged in relation to the wrongdoer affects forgiveness.

Neural activity

Minor

Empathy and forgiveness activate specific parts of the brain, which can be seen in the left superior frontal gyrus, orbitofrontal gyrus, precuneus, and posterior cingulate gyrus.

Age

Notable

Older and middle aged adults feel a higher forgiveness compared to younger adults. Improved mental health (e.g., reduced anxiety) is positively correlated with improved forgiveness in older adults compared to younger adults.

Narcissism

Minor

Narcissistic entitlement is a predictor of reduced forgiveness.

Remorse

Minor

Remorse, particularly public remorse, affects the likelihood of forgiveness.


 



Summary

Grit is the combination of perseverance and passion toward long-term goals.

It’s a strong predictor of success, with positive relationships to achievement, motivation, hope, and life satisfaction. It is possible to learn and practice grit, especially by consistently working hard toward long-term goals.

What is it?

Angela Duckworth, modern expert on grit, defines it as “the combination of perseverance and passion toward long-term goals.”

Grit has become an indicator of success in schools, the military, the National Spelling Bee and more, often more strongly correlated to success than IQ. The ability to focus, practice, and persevere over a long period of time toward a specific goal has a greater influence on that goal than talent.

Unlike IQ, grit isn’t fixed. It can be learned, developed, and taught. Building grit is about developing consistent hard work. Grit is both a contributor to and outcome of a growth mindset. Possessing high levels of grit helps individuals sustain a growth mindset, and a growth mindset can help build grit.

Research Findings

Grit is a strong indicator of work and academic success. Students, employees, and individuals with grit are more likely to reach success in nearly every field. Similarly, grit has a notable positive relationship to goal achievement, work ethic, motivation, and conscientiousness.

Grit improves athletic ability and is an accurate predictor of exercise. Grit even improves overall psychological well-being, reducing depression and encouraging reflection.

Grittier people are more hopeful, happy, altruistic, and positive. Their overall life satisfaction is higher.

Some studies show a correlation between grit and self-control, which helps with long-term thinking, while others show that individuals with high levels of grit are likely to perform risky behaviors in order to succeed.

Getting Started

Grit can be learned. It’s best to start developing grit young, and to start where passion already exists. Helping children work toward long-term goals, like learning an instrument or joining a sports team, can help them with motivation, perseverance, and delayed gratification.

Make concrete, long-term commitments. Instead of telling yourself you’ll try something once, say you will try it for one month. Forcing a longer time investment can encourage you to keep trying at something difficult, which will increase grit in that activity and others.

Know that long-term success might mean short-term failure. When trying something new and difficult, don’t quit. Instead of “I’m not good at this,” practice saying “I’m not good at this yet.”

Avoid fear of failure. High grit often means high risk, high reward behavior. If you’re too fearful of not reaching a goal, you may not try at all.

Learn more from books by Angela Duckworth (Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance) and Carol Dweck (Mindset: The New Psychology of Success).


LEVEL OF EVIDENCE RELATIONSHIP MAGNITUDE OF EFFECT CONSISTENCY OF RESEARCH RESULTS NOTES
Attachment to individuals and interactions

Minor

Grit in individuals was related to goal achievement. This was related to relationships, including romantic ones.

Goal achievement

Notable

Grit improves goal achievement, increasing work ethic and consequent performance.

Psychological well being

Notable

Grit improves overall psychological well-being, reducing depression and encouraging reflection.

Depression

Minor

Grit decreases depression due to high-stress workplace environments.

Work/Academic Performance (Success)

Strong

Grit was able to predict success in the workplace, prolonged perseverance under duress, and positive academic performance. This was evident in a range of studies and visible in educational attainment, grade point average, class retention, statistical test performance, ranking in the National Spelling Bee, achievement in military settings, and performance in medicine.

Character building

Minor

Grit helps character-building in underprivileged youth.

Work ethic and motivation

Notable

Work ethic and motivation are strongly related to levels of grit, as well as conscientiousness. This in turn is related to work/academic performance and consequent success.

Conscientiousness

Notable

Grit is positively associated with conscientiousness, which can affect secondary factors including exercise behavior, career, and work ethic.

Hope

Minor

Higher levels of hope predicted psychological grit.

Happiness

Minor

Happiness is significantly and positively correlated with grit, which is also correlated to positive affect and life satisfaction.

Altruism

Minor

Grit is related to altruism, particularly in the context of happiness and life satisfaction.

Self-control

Minor

Self-control and grit are interrelated factors that work in tandem to boost success.

Risk-taking behavior

Minor

Individuals with high levels of grit will perform risk taking behavior, such as risk of financial loss, in order to persevere.

Autonomic nervous system activation

Minor

There are distinct autonomic processes associted with individuals who possess grit and their pursuit of goals.

Suicidal Ideation

Minor

Suicidal ideation is decreased with increased grit, and interacts with gratitude positively. However, suicidal actions tend to be inversely related; increased grit may be correlated with increased suicidal attempts.

Exercise and Athletics

Notable

Grit is an accurate predictor of exercise and improves athletic performance and decision making in elite athletes.

Positive Affect

Minor

Grit is significantly and positively correlated with positive affect, which is also correlated to life satisfaction and happiness.

Life Direction/ Satisfaction

Minor

Life satisfaction is significantly and positively correlated with grit, which is also correlated to positive affect and happiness. Search for life direction is correlated with hope and grit.


 



Summary

Start journaling. It will improve your life, and it is easy to get started.

People who journal express more gratitude, suffer from less stress, are more connected to their surroundings, and even live healthier lives. Start with one sentence of five minutes a day, try different methods, and find what works for you.

What is it?

Keeping a journal is something great minds have been doing for centuries. The daily act of putting pencil to paper (or finger to keyboard) is therapeutic and productive no matter how you do it.

The first rule of journaling is to do whatever works best for you. There isn’t a “best way” or a one-size-fits-all approach. However, there are many common methods of journaling that have become popular.

  • Gratitude Journaling: writing a daily list of things for which you are grateful
  • Bullet Journaling: using charts, outlines, schedules, and checklists to measure productivity and simplify the essential
  • Habit Tracking: tracking your workouts, meals, books read, water intake, or other routines, especially ones you are seeking to improve
  • Reflective Journaling: looking back on your day or week and writing through your thoughts and feelings, similar to therapy
  • Brainstorming: selecting a topic and brainstorming ideas or solutions, usually with a set time limit

Research Findings

Journaling in any form has major benefits to mental health, emotional well-being, reflection, and gratitude. Journaling enhances the emotional well-being, self-esteem, and life satisfaction of individuals and teams. Reflective journaling can enhance physiological and psychological well-being and overall self-growth. Journaling, especially through reflection, also acts as a key component of psychotherapeutic intervention and improves emotion & physiological well-being.

Journaling is shown to have notable effects on empathy and learning. It improves social skills and connection to others. Journaling helps students throughout the learning process by encouraging reflection and communication. Students who journal regularly benefit particularly in learning language skills and analyzing literature.

More surprisingly, studies show that Journaling is also beneficial to your physical health. Physiological health benefits of journaling include improved cardiac and immune system functioning, and heightened brain activity. Gratitude journaling may improve heart failure morbidity-related biomarkers, such as reduced inflammation, and reduce blood pressure. Sleep is also improved, and fatigue is reduced. Heightened brain activity has been found in relation to gratitude journaling, specifically in the medial prefrontal cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and nucleus accumbens. Anxiety, stress, and depression can be mediated and predicted through the emotion expressed in writing.

Journaling has a minor positive impact on emotional intelligence, positive awareness, and identity development.

Getting Started

Step one is to buy a journal or open your favorite notes app and just start. Some of simplest ways to get into the habit are to write one line per day, or set a timer for just five minutes per day.

Practice journaling consistently, and write as though nobody else will read your entries. Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, handwriting, layout.

Matt Bodnar, founder and host of The Science of Success podcast, recently published this in-depth conprehensive guide to getting started with Journaling.

There are also many great journals on the market with prompts and guidelines already printed that make it easy to get started:
The Daily Stoic Journal
The Five Minute Journal
One Line a Day Journal
The Artist’s Way Morning Pages Journal
Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice
Austin Kleon’s Steal Like an Artist Journal
James Clear’s The Clear Habit Journal
The Bullet Journal Method

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE RELATIONSHIP MAGNITUDE OF EFFECT CONSISTENCY OF RESEARCH RESULTS NOTES
Positive awareness

Minor

Positive awareness, particularly under stressful experiences, is increased following combined cognitive and emotional journaling.

Anxiety and stress

Notable

Anxiety can be mediated and predicted through the emotion expressed in writing.

Depression

Minor

Depression can be mediated and predicted through the emotion expressed in writing.

Identity development

Minor

Identity development can be more easily uncovered through narrative development.

Connection with others and social skills

Notable

Journaling as a component of social emotional learning can improve prosocial behaviors and connections with others.

Emotional Intelligence (and the intellectual and emotional sentiments that impact learning)

Minor

Reflective learning through journaling occurs through the interplay between intellectual and emotional factors. It enhances learning in students and emotional intelligence in teachers.

Emotional well-being, self-esteem, and life satisfaction

Strong

Journaling enhances the emotional well-being of individuals and teams.

Reflection*

Strong

Journaling supports reflection that can enhance physiological and psychological well-being and overall self-growth. *All studies imply reflection, but these state it overtly.

Language skills and communication

Notable

Journaling helps students throughout the learning process, particularly in relation to learning languages and analyzing literature.

Gratitude

Strong

Journaling enhances gratitude, typically through reflection. This enables it to act as a key component of psychotherapeutic intervention and improve emotion and physiological well-being.

Learning

Notable

Journaling helps students throughout the learning process through promoting reflection and communication.

Physiological health (includ- ing cardiac and immune system function)

Notable

Gratitude journaling may improve heart failure morbidity-related biomarkers, such as reduced inflammation, and reduce blood pressure. Sleep is also improved, and fatigue is reduced.

Brain activity

Minor

Heightened brain activity has been found in relation to gratitude journaling, specifically in the medial prefrontal cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and nucleus accumbens.


 



Summary

Mantra Meditation is a meditative practice in which you focus on repeating a calming, meaningful word or phrase over and over. It has been proven to have profound positive effects on your emotional well-being and can have positive physical impacts as well. Mantra Meditation is a simple and effective way to improve your life, and it’s easy to get started.

What is it?

Mantra Meditation is a form of meditation in which you focus on a repeating meaningful word or phrase, known as a mantra. You may say your mantra out loud, repeat it silently, or even listen to it. Your mantra should be short enough to repeat in rhythm with your breath.

The mantra serves as a point of focus. Concentrating on one word or phrase will keep your mind from wandering as other thoughts pop up. A mantra is also designed to be transformational and meaningful.

“Om” and “Om Shanti” are popular and powerful mantras, derived from Sanskrit and used commonly in Buddhism. In addition to being spiritually meaningful, these words are physically pleasing and peaceful, vibrating in the meditators throat and chest. Traditionally, most mantras do not have literal translations, but are effective for their sound quality and peaceful energy.

Your mantra could also be any word or phrase you want to focus on, manifest, and believe. “Love,” “Peace,” “I can and I will,” and “I am enough” are popular sentiments. “I am” can be used alone as a way to acknowledge your existence and presence or used as part of a positive affirmation. “I am successful.” “I am a good leader.” “I am content in this moment.”

Research Findings

Consistently practicing Mantra Meditation can have a major positive impact on quality of life.

Studies show that it improves emotional well-being, strongly decreasing levels of anxiety and stress. There is also evidence that it can decrease feelings of pain, depression, and PTSD.

Mantra Meditation improves self-actualization, concentration, memory, and attention.

Physically, people who practice Mantra Meditation show increased neural activity. They may also have increased heart and lung health. Studies even show Mantra Meditation to be an effective complementary treatment for substance abuse problems.

Getting Started

  1. Pick your mantra. We mentioned a few of the most common, but there is no “best” mantra. Use whatever works for you. Try a few different ones when you’re starting out, and then stick with your favorite. Using the same mantra repetitively can increase the effects over time.
  2. Get comfortable. Sit in a solid, quiet, comfortable place. Cross your legs if you are on the floor or place your feet flat on the ground if you are in a chair. Sit up comfortably, place your hands on your legs, and relax or close your eyes.
  3. Breathe and docs on your mantra. Repeat your mantra out loud, whisper it, sing it, chant it, or listen to it. Whatever works best for you.
  4. Be still. When you feel the need to move your body or adjust your clothing, pause, and let the need pass. If your eyes are open, keep them lowered in one place, and try not to notice what is there. Let your muscles relax, and stay focused on your mantra.
  5. Break. Don’t expect yourself to meditate for long, especially when you are just starting. Set a timer with a gentle alarm for ten minutes. When time is up, notice how you feel. Notice your body, your thoughts, and your surroundings. Pause, and continue with your day.

Meditating once can help your mind for a specific task or day, but repeated practice over time is how to achieve the best effects. Work on increasing your time commitment to twenty minutes, twice a day.


LEVEL OF EVIDENCE RELATIONSHIP MAGNITUDE OF EFFECT CONSISTENCY OF RESEARCH RESULTS NOTES
Neural Activity

Strong

Neural activity in relation to mantra meditation has been extensively studied through EEG and fMRI studies. Activation has been identified in areas such as: hippocampi, bilateral middle cingulate cortex, bilateral precentral cortex, prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, left inferior front gyrus, left supplementary motor area, and left precuneus.

Anxiety

Strong

Mantra meditation has been assessed as a method of reducing anxiety. Mantra meditation has been shown to be, at a minimum, as effective as other methods in reducing anxiety.

Stress

Strong

Mantra meditation has been found to decrease stress. It is one of the most established benefits of mantra meditation, has been proven to be better at reducing stress compared to other meditation techniques, such as yogic relaxation.

Self-Actualization and Self-Regulation

Minor

Mantra meditation increases self-actualization, as defined as individual growth toward fulfillment, as well as self-regulation, a form of control.

Quality of life

Notable

Overall quality of life is improved in mantra meditators. This is often correlated with improved health (both physical and emotional), and stress reduction.

Pain

Minor

Mantra meditation has been shown to be helpful to people with chronic pain.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Minor

Mantra meditation has been shown to be helpful to people with post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is an anxiety disorder caused by stressful, frightening, or traumatic events.

Immune System

Minor

Improved immune system function, measured through circulating lymphocytes, has been shown in subjects who practice mantra meditation. Immune system function and neuroendocrine function are correlated.

Neuroendocrine function

Minor

Neuroendocrine function, which is correlated with immune system function, may be altered by mantra meditation practice.

Concentration, Memory, and Attention

Notable

Heightened attention is strongly correlated with mantra meditation performance and prolonged practice. Concentration and memory, which are interrelated with attention, are also improved.

Emotional Well-Being

Strong

Emotional well-being is improved through practice of mantra meditation. This includes decreased depression, and improved resilience.

Respiratory Function

Minor

Mantra meditation affects respiratory function, typically by affecting overall emotional state. Not all studies show a correlation between respiratory function and performance and mantra meditation, however.

Cardiovascular Function

Minor

Mantra meditation has a positive effect on cardiovascular function. In particular, systolic and diastolic blood pressure are reduced.

Substance Abuse

Minor

Mantra meditation may be useful as a complementary treatment for substance abuse.


 



Summary

A Mind Map is a visual representation of information where the main concept goes in the center of the page, with ideas and details branching off. They use associations, color, and images to help organize and retain information. Mind Maps are an effective tool for note-taking, planning, problem-solving, presenting, and more.

What is it?

A Mind Map is a diagram created around a central concept with ideas branching off it around the page. Major ideas connect directly to the center, and those fork into smaller details. Mind Maps are an effective way to visually organize your thoughts.

Mind Maps are designed to help you process information the way your brain naturally wants to. They show relationships and associations between ideas in a way that simple outlines and note-taking cannot. Using colors, images, symbols, and curved lines, Mind Maps bring concepts to life on the page and help you remember the information more effectively.

Research Findings

Mind Mapping is a hugely effective strategy to organize, process, and recall information.

Using a Mind Map is a different way to store and retrieve information. Learning with a Mind Map makes information more accessible, improving your ability to share and present it. Mind Maps facilitate analysis, meta-cognition, and problem solving.

Mind Mapping can be used as a studying and teaching technique that positively influences academic performance. Positive effects are strongest in creative disciplines, like design, but also exist in fields like engineering. Positive effects become stronger over time, meaning Mind Mapping is an effective long-term tactic for learning and communicating information.

Getting Started

It’s easy to get started drawing your first Mind Map by hand. There are also a few good softwares out there that will help you create a Mind Map digitally. Whichever method you choose, the steps are the same.

  1. Write the main concept in the center of the page.
  2. Stem your major ideas or categories off the center. Your brain likes curved lines, and will process information best if you stick to about seven main branches. Write just one word or phrase on each branch, never full sentences.
  3. Let those branches fork into smaller ideas and details, still using curved lines and ideally one word per line. Try to have at least two details from each larger branch.
  4. Use different colors, draw in images and symbols, and personalize with other decorations that make sense to you. The more detail and personalization you put into your Mind Maps, the better you will remember the information.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE RELATIONSHIP MAGNITUDE OF EFFECT CONSISTENCY OF RESEARCH RESULTS NOTES
Organization and/or presentation of data, including visualization

Strong

Mind-maps assist with the organization of data, making make information sharing more accessible and aiding in the presentation of quantitative and cross-disciplinary data.

Engineering, Metacognition, and Problem Analysis Strategies

Minor

Mind mapping can increase design and programming performance, problem solving ability and metacognition by helping create problem-solving based frameworks.

Information storage and use as a teaching, study-based technique

Strong

Mind maps facilitate the collaboration and storage and retrieval of information.

Communication

Notable

Mind-mapping has been shown to assist with communication in a wide range of subjects, including geography, EFL (particularly, spelling and phonetics), and writing. It is also helpful assisting with group dynamics.

Creativity and Design

Minor

Mind-mapping supports design- based, mathematical, technological, architectural and musical creativity. It is also helpful with research design and development.

Academic Performance

Strong

Mind mapping can be used as a studying and teaching technique that positively influences academic performance. However, different types or implementations of mind mapping may affect academic performance in different ways. Mind mapping guided by teachers can negatively affect students’ test scores, whereas student centered mind-mapping supports higher test score achievement. Short term use is not significant, although long-term is.


 



Summary

Hundreds of studies have shown that the benefits of Mindfulness Meditation reach across your mental health, physical health, daily life and more. It is one of the simplest, most effective, most accessible ways to improve your life, starting with just ten minutes of your time.

For more guidance and practice, try a daily app like Headspace or Calm.

What is it?

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present, aware of your surroundings, and aware of your thoughts. Mindfulness is not a temporary state of mind only present during meditation. We can practice mindfulness any time, all the time, by being cognizant of our thoughts and our surroundings.

Intentionally practicing mindfulness through meditation improves our ability to be more mindful in our daily lives. Mindfulness Meditation focuses on breathing, relaxing, noticing the thoughts that enter your mind, and letting them pass by. Consider Mindfulness Meditation your training toward experiencing mindfulness more often. The goal is that your experiences from meditation -- being calm and present, noticing your thoughts, controlling where your mind wanders -- will become present in your every day.

Research Findings

The benefits of Mindfulness Meditation are seemingly endless. It can improve your mood, sharpen your focus, and increase your positive thinking. Mindfulness Meditation can improve compassion and reduce aggression.

Studies show that Mindfulness Meditation has a positive effect on your brain and physical health. It causes a notable increase in brain function and immune system function. People who practice Mindfulness Meditation actually experience less pain, fewer mood disturbances, and fewer cases of eating disorders and addictions.

Mindfulness Meditation will improve your heart health, your attention span, your memory, and your cognitive processing. It will basically improve your life in every way.

Getting Started

It is easy to get started with Mindfulness Meditation. All you need is a quiet place and ten minutes.

  1. Get comfortable. Sit in a solid, quiet, comfortable place. Cross your legs if you are on the floor or place your feet flat on the ground if you are in a chair. Sit up comfortably, place your hands on your legs, and relax or close your eyes.
  2. Breathe. Focus on your breath, in through your nose, out through your mouth. This is your anchor. Some forms of meditation focus on a mantra or a visualisation or a voie to listen to. For mindfulness, just focus on your breathing.
  3. Notice your thoughts, and let them pass. As your mind wanders, notice when a thought comes into it, let the thought go, and return to your breathing.
  4. Be still. When you feel the need to move your body or adjust your clothing, pause, and let the need pass. If your eyes are open, keep them lowered in one place, and try not to notice what is there. Let your muscles relax, and stay focused on your thoughts.
  5. Break. Don’t expect yourself to meditate for long, especially when you are just starting. Set a timer with a gentle alarm for ten minutes. When time is up, notice how you feel. Notice your body, your thoughts, and your surroundings. Pause, and continue with your day.

That’s it! Your first Mindfulness Meditation session is that easy. For even stronger benefits, you can work on increasing your time commitment to twenty minutes, twice a day.


LEVEL OF EVIDENCE RELATIONSHIP MAGNITUDE OF EFFECT CONSISTENCY OF RESEARCH RESULTS NOTES
Brain Function

Notable

Brain function (in the context of electrical activity) was found to increase following mindfulness meditation training. Left-sided anterior activation, associated with positive emotion and reduced anxiety, has been shown to increase. Increased activation also occurs in areas involved in attention and the cognitive/affective modulation of pain. Reduced activation can occur in brain systems implicated in conceptual-linguistic self-view.

Immune Function

Notable

Mindfulness meditation training is correlated with improved immune function. Mindfulness meditation training results in significant increases in antibody titers or CD4+ T lymphocyte counts. Improved immune function has been found in both recently vaccinated patients and patients with long-term illness. In particular, inflammatory markers (NF- kB) and inflammation/stress-based markers (Interleukin-6) are reduced.

Experimental Pain and Chronic Pain (including Fibromyalgia)

Strong

Mindfulness meditation training typically results in a reduction of overall pain. Mindfulness meditation promotes the conscious “uncoupling” of the sensory dimension of the pain experience to reduce suffering via cognitive reappraisal.

Anxiety, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Strong

Anxiety has a negative effect on overall mental and physical health and is correlated with various health conditions. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to reduce anxiety. The more extensive the mindfulness training, the more lasting the positive changes.

Depression

Strong

Depression plays a role in various health conditions, and is associated with various long-term illnesses. Following mindfulness training programs, participants reported emotional improvement, with levels of depression reduced to non-clinical levels.

Other Mood Disturbances

Strong

Mood disturbances such as anger, confusion, and fatigue are related to depression and anxiety. In cases where mindfulness meditation reduced anxiety and/or depression, correlated mood disturbances were also shown to be reduced. In cases where psychosocial well-being was increased, correlated mood disturbances were generally reduced.

Symptoms of Stress

Strong

Stress is often correlated with the reoccurrence or progression of a disease. Mindfulness meditation reduces stress and promotes lasting changes in mental well-being. In some conditions, the reduction of stress may also result ina reduction of symptoms.

Psoriasis

Minor

Mindfulness meditation in combination with ultraviolet light therapy was shown to increase the resolution rate of psoriatic lesions. As skin is highly responsive to emotional stress, mindfulness meditation could have positive effects on a variety of skin conditions.

Eating Disorders

Minor

Subjects with Binge Eating Disorders found that mindfulness meditation improved their perceived control of eating, awareness of hunger, and satiety cues. The number of reported binges, their intensity, and attitudes toward eating improved following mindfulness meditation-based group intervention.

Attention

Strong

Mindfulness meditation training has been shown to improve behavior and attention. Subjects with ADHD self- reported reduced symptoms, where behavior and attentional functions improved, and neurocognition impairment was reduced.

Cognition

Notable

Mindfulness meditation training leads to significant improvement in visuo- spatial processing, working memory, and executive functioning.

Psychosocial State

Strong

Mindfulness mediation improves the psychosocial skills of subjects with learning disorders, mental health issues, or who have been affected by affective emotional stimuli/trauma. This can lead to improved control, optimism, self-regulation, and other positive psychosocial factors that improve interactions with others. Improved psychosocial skills tend to be correlated with an overall better quality of life.

Substance Abuse

Minor

Mindfulness meditation has been shown to be an alternative and/or complementary treatment to existing treatment programs for substance dependence.

Sleep/Restfulness

Notable

Mindfulness meditation is correlated with improved sleep latency, quality of sleep, and insomnia-related symptoms.

Basal Sympathetic Activation

Minor

Mindfulness meditation can reduce basal sympathetic activation, which is often elevated in people with chronic illness, such as fibromyalgia. Basal sympathetic activation is associated with increased perspiration, heart rate, and peripheral blood vessel resistance. Increased basal sympathetic activation is correlated with increased anxiety and muscle pain.

Cardiovascular Effects and Related Baroreflex Responses

Notable

Positive cardiovascular changes are associated with mindfulness meditation. These can be as secondary factors, such as with diminishing stress and anxiety in order to prevent further development of heart disease, or in terms of cardiovascular-related responses, such as blood pressure. This includes baroreflex responses and basal sympathetic activation. In particular, mindfulness meditation has been correlated with positive changes in cardiac respiratory sinus arrhythmia, heart rate, and respiration.


 



Summary

Self-Awareness is even more important than you think, and you probably don’t have it. Even if you think you’re fairly Self-Aware, it turns out only about 10-15% of people actually are. Understanding and working on your Self-Awareness can increase your creativity, communication skills, leadership, and overall success.

What is it?

Self-Awareness is being conscious of your own actions, thoughts, and emotions. This may sound like an obvious topic to grasp. It’s a common phrase, you’ve probably been using it since you were young, and about 95% of people believe they are Self-Aware. Surprisingly, studies show that closer to only 10-15% of people are actually Self-Aware.

People with higher levels of Self-Awareness “are more confident and more creative. We make sounder decisions, build stronger relationships, and communicate more effectively. We’re less likely to lie, cheat, and steal. We are better workers who get more promotions. And we’re more-effective leaders with more-satisfied employees and more-profitable companies,” according to expert Tasha Eurich.

There is a distinction between internal and external Self-Awareness, and according to Eurich’s research, the two aren’t really linked. You may have high levels of Self-Awareness in one area but not the other. Internal Self-Awareness is about knowing ourselves, our values, our relationships, and our impact on the world. External Self-Awareness is about how others perceive us in the same categories.

Research Findings

Increased Self-Awareness has strong correlations to higher job and relationship satisfaction, personal and social control, and happiness. It is negatively related to anxiety, stress, and depression.**

Notable relationships exist between Self-Awareness and self-consciousness, good leadership, empathy, and attention. There is a strong correlation between Self-Awareness and emotional response.

Mindfulness, therapy, and spirituality all increase Self-Awareness.

Social exclusion reduces our Self-Awareness, and so do alcohol and procrastination.

Getting Started

Start by taking this 5-minute quiz to assess your own Self-Awareness.

If you want to work on increasing your Self-Awareness, try practicing mindfulness, journaling, therapy, and introspection. When being introspective, it is important to ask yourself what questions, not just why questions. Instead of just asking, “why do I feel this way?” try going one step further and asking yourself, “What can I do to make this situation better?”

As you work on your own Self-Awareness, remember that there are two types: internal and external. Increasing both types is how we can truly become Self-Aware, strong leaders, and great communicators.


LEVEL OF EVIDENCE RELATIONSHIP MAGNITUDE OF EFFECT CONSISTENCY OF RESEARCH RESULTS NOTES
Social exclusion and deindividuation

Minor

Social exclusion has a negative influence on various aspects of life, including perception of time, reaction time, emotional expression, and self-awareness. External attentional cues result in internal deindividuation, which reduces private self-awareness and mediates aggression.

Motivation

Minor

Motivation is affected by various elements tied to self-awareness, including public self-consciousness, social anxiety, surveillance, and traumatic brain injury. This relationship seems to be correlated with regulatory control.

Psychotherapy and other therapies

Notable

The effectiveness of therapeutic treatments is based on a variety of criteria of improvement, including self-awareness.

Self-attribution and self-consciousness

Notable

Self-attribution increases with greater self-awareness and attention, but may be impacted more by self- consciousness than self-awareness. Increasing self-awareness positively influences cognitive actions such as memory and directs attention towards self-relevant information.

Neuronal activity and neurocognition

Strong

Variable levels of self-awareness and consciousness, particularly perception of time and self-representations, are relevant to the neurocognitive view of consciousness. Cerebral blood flow measured in relation to self-awareness, showed activity in the precuneus, angular gyri, and anterior cingulate gyri, parietal cortex, and right posterior insula. However, as self- awareness, self-consciousness, and attention are all correlated, measured brain activity may overlap.

Leadership and Positive Performance-Based Effects

Notable

Self-awareness is correlated with leadership activity and positive performance, particularly in the workplace.

Usage of Identifiers (pronouns, ethnic identifiers, etc.)

Minor

Use of pronouns and ethnic identifiers increase self-awareness.

Emotional and Behavioral Response

Strong

Heightened self-awareness and self- consciousness result in increased awareness of emotional state. Consequently, self-awareness has been shown to have a positive influence on impulsive and anti- normative behavior and decreases transgressive behavior. Negative self-focus perpetuates depressive behavior. Low self-awareness and negative experiences are correlated. In some cases, self-awareness maximizes existing emotional states, including aggression.

Early Development

Minor

Self-awareness occurs early in life and impacts the potential for self-awareness in adulthood. Self- awareness decreases transgressions in children, with this relationship increasing with age.

Empathy

Minor

Self-awareness is tied to the capacity for empathy.

Mirror Usage

Notable

Mirror self-recognition positively influence self-awareness and awareness of others. Mirror related techniques also influence self- motivation.

Punitive Behavior

Minor

Self-awareness increased the severity of punishment from the high-punitive subjects, showing a relationship between these established attitudes and self-awareness.

Computer-mediated communication

Minor

Computer-mediated communication increased private self-awareness and decreased public self-awareness. Visual anonymity and private self-awareness result in higher levels of self-disclosure in computer- mediated communication.

Informational encoding

Minor

Self-awareness phenomena may potentially a function of informational encoding rather than attentional processes.

Perception

Minor

Self-awareness is related to the disjunctive theory of perception.

Alexithymia

Minor

Alexithymia is important in regulating emotions and self-awareness.

Mindfulness

Minor

Mindfulness is capable of mediating self-care and well-being, thereby increasing self-awareness. Combined self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence may work as the base mechanisms of mindfulness.

Attention

Notable

Attention is correlated with self- attribution and self-awareness. Attentional cues affect private but not public self-awareness. However, focused attention on immediate stimuli disengages normal inhibition, decreasing self-awareness.

Self-esteem

Minor

Increased self-awareness may negatively impact self-esteem, except when given positive feedback.

Alcohol

Minor

Alcohol decreases self-awareness.

Procrastination

Minor

Chronic procrastinators perform more slowly and erroneously compared to non-procrastinators under objective self-awareness conditions.

Self-Protection

Minor

Various self-protection mechanisms may negatively influence self- awareness, such as denial, giving up, self-promotion, and fear of failure.

Spirituality

Minor

Thinking about God increases public self-awareness and positively influences social behavior.


 



Summary

The benefits of quality Sleep cannot be overstated. Good sleep positively impacts work & school performance, mental health & psychological functioning, and quality of life & overall well-being. Simple ways to begin improving your sleep are limiting your caffeine intake and exposure to electronic devices before bed. High-quality sleep is one of the important inputs your body needs in order to succeed.

What is it?

You know what sleep is, you do it every day. But are you getting good quality sleep at the right quantity? In this section, we’re talking about deep, uninterrupted sleep for a full 8 hours.

These days, we have access to more technology, caffeine, and activity than ever before. We may be stretched thin, over-committed, and too busy to think sleep is a priority. However, the research shows that we cannot take a good night’s sleep for granted. It is one of the best things you can do for your body and mind to be happy, healthy, and successful.

Research Findings

The benefits of high quality, correct quantity Sleep are enormous. Sleep strongly positively affects work & school performance, mental health & psychological functioning, and quality of life & overall well-being.

Students and employees who get better sleep are more likely to succeed and feel satisfied, and less likely to experience burnout or poor performance. People who consistently get high-quality sleep are less likely to suffer from mental health issues including depression, Alzheimer’s, and dementia. Individuals who get the recommended amount of sleep report more positive quality of life and overall health and well-being.

Those three major benefits, significant in themselves, lead to other notable and minor benefits as well, including physical health improvements, stronger memory and cognitive ability, weight loss, and even shorter labor in pregnant women.

Getting Started

Several of the relationships in the chart below are not outcomes of improved sleep, but indicators. Use of electronic devices, caffeine, and family obligations may be negatively impacting your sleep.

Positive indicators of good sleep include higher body temperature, correlated with lower age; melatonin levels; and light exposure therapy.

If you want to improve your Sleep, and therefore increase the major positive effects sleep can have on your life, start with your electronic devices, caffeine intake, and schedule. Specify times each day when you will stop drinking caffeinated beverages, turn your phone off, and get into bed. Keeping these routines, even when other obligations attempt to derail them, will have you falling asleep faster.


LEVEL OF EVIDENCE RELATIONSHIP MAGNITUDE OF EFFECT CONSISTENCY OF RESEARCH RESULTS NOTES
Work/School Performance and Satisfaction

Strong

Work and school obligations that result in a reduction in the quantity and quality of sleep result in burnout, poor performance, and overall life dissatisfaction. 9 hours of sleep improves work and/or school performance and satisfaction. In shift workers, earlier shift start and end times improve sleep and work-life balance.

Mental Health and Psychological Functioning

Strong

Reduced quantity and quality of sleep results in mental health issues, such as lowered empathy and depression. Sleep also influences neuropsychological conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Quality of Life and overall well-being

Strong

Quality of life as well as overall health and well-being are consistently improved by regular, good quality sleep lasting 8 hours or more per night.

Electronic devices

Strong

Quality of life as well as overall health and well-being are consistently improved by regular, good quality sleep lasting 8 hours or more per night.

Inflammatory markers

Minor

Sleep deprivation and fatigue are related to the secretion of Interleukin-6 during daytime hours. Interleukin-6 is also associated with chronic pain. Cytokines may also be associated with changes in sleep phase and circadian rhythm.

Type 2 Diabetes

Minor

Lack of sleep is associated with a decrease in overall health, potentially resulting in an increased chance of type-2 diabetes.

Memory and Cognitive Ability

Minor

Visual and auditory memory improve with regular high-quality and quantity sleep.

Pregnancy (Labor and Type of Birth)

Minor

Reduced quality and quantity of sleep increase time of labor in pregnant women and may increase the likelihood of a cesarean delivery.

Family obligations and lifestyle

Minor

Family obligations, such as set meals and household rules, and family income may play a role in young peoples’ sleep and quality of life.

Pain

Minor

Persistent, reduced sleep quality and quantity are associated with lower back pain and neck pain. Lack of sleep also aggravates suffers of chronic pain.

Beta-amyloid deposition

Minor

Beta-amyloid deposition reduces quality of sleep in individuals with pre-clinical Alzheimer’s disease.

Breathing

Minor

Breathing frequency is associated with sleep adequacy, disturbance, and quantity.

Body temperature

Strong

Body temperature is a well- established influencer of sleep quality and quantity. Sleep duration and onset is dependent on body temperature. Temperature changes with age and can regulate sleep disturbances. Lower body temperatures are correlated with higher sleep disturbances.

External temperature

Minor

Warm temperature stimulation before sleep enhances slow wave sleep in adults and quiet sleep in infants. Cool environments disrupt slow wave sleep and increase active sleep phases in infants.

Age

Strong

Sleep changes with age, where body temperature is the principal factor altered and acts as a determinant for REM sleep and total sleep duration. Older people generally have lower body temperature and differently paced sleep stages compared to younger people.

Entrainment

Minor

Entrainment is associated with age and determines REM sleep and total sleep duration.

Melatonin

Notable

Increased melatonin levels can induce sleep onset, increase sleep duration, and increase sleepiness in daytime hours.

Circadian Rhythm and Chronotype

Strong

Elderly people have a more disordered circadian rhythm and shorter sleep phases compared to younger people. REM sleep is dependent upon the circadian rhythm and body temperature, which is correlated with age.

Cortisol

Minor

Cortisol levels are associated with delayed sleep and cytokines (immune system function). They can be influenced by chronotherapy.

Light Exposure Therapy

Strong

Timed bright light exposure therapy can lead to consolidated sleep in patients with severe Alzheimer’s disease, clinical insomnia. Different colored light can affect cardiac vagal activity. Light therapies can alter cortisol and cytokine levels in the body, and consequently change sleep patterns.

Caffeine

Minor

Caffeine consumption is associated with poor quality sleep and reduced amounts of sleep.

Breast Cancer

Minor

Exposure to light at night may be associated with developing breast cancer.

Cardiovascular function

Minor

Light exposure therapy and cardiac vagal activity are interrelated. Skin blood flow increases during sleep.

Weight loss

Minor

There is a correlation between mental health and overall well-being, which are influenced by sleep, and weight loss.


 



Summary

There are many Speed Reading tactics to try. Obvious benefits include working more efficiently, reading more, and saving time. Other benefits include improved academic performance, confidence, and working memory. It’s possible to improve your reading speed to a certain extent without sacrificing comprehension, or to accept a possible decline in comprehension to drastically improve your Speed Reading.

What is it?

There are several methods of Speed Reading, all with the aim to read faster without sacrificing comprehension. Most college-level readers are reading between 200 and 400 words per minute. This is considered average. Anything from 700 to 1000 words per minute is considered Speed Reading. Reading this fast, or certainly any faster, as some software and tactics claim promote, results in lower comprehension rates.

When you read, there are three basic steps happening. Fixation is when your eyes land and focus on a word or phrase. A saccade is the movement of your eyes to the next word or phrase. Finally you take a small pause to comprehend the word or phrase. To read more quickly, we need to reduce the time it takes to do one or more of these steps.

Most Speed Reading methods involve reducing subvocalization, the sounding out of each word in your head as you read it. This allows faster comprehension. When we learn to read as children, there’s usually a lot of reading out loud involved, so many people continue to read this way, though silently, for their entire lives. However, our brains can comprehend thoughts faster than we can speak them, so minimizing subvocalization allows us to read faster.

Meta guiding is a technique that’s been around for a while, where you use your finger, a pen, or a notecard to trace down the page as you read. This helps you focus on just the line or word you are currently reading, with fewer distractions.

Another tactic is Skimming. Skimming is when you look over the page quickly, finding the most important information. Skimming usually involves reading the first and last sentence or paragraph, finding key words and phrases, and getting the general idea of the content rather than reading every word. Faster saccades, less fixation. As you can imagine, readers who skim have lower comprehension of the material, so it’s not the best tactic for dense technical reading where you need to recall every detail. However, skimming can be a great way to familiarize yourself with content quickly, get the major bullet points, and save time. Skimming content before reading it fully has been shown to improve comprehension.

The newest tactic used by digital speed reading software is called RSVP - Rapid Serial Visual Presentation. Single words or phrases flash across the screen rapidly in the same spot, which removes all the saccades you’d normally make to read each word. These softwares, like Spreed, allow you to change your words per minute, and the length of phrases you see.

Research Findings

Besides the obvious benefits, like tackling that stack of books you’ve been wanting to read or cutting down your time spent reading documents and articles, there are other positive ways Speed Reading can affect your life.

Speed Reading is correlated with improved academic performance, including grade point averages, class performance, language fluency, and confidence.

Some studies have shown Speed Reading may improve your working memory and cortical activity, both related to the activation of frontal areas of your brain. These influence your reasoning, decision-making, behavior, and linguistic processing.

Language fluency, visual acuity, and typographical factors like strategic line length, color, and font all positively influence your ability to speed read effectively.

Notably, it is possible to read just as quickly and with the same level of comprehension on an electronic device or in braille.

Getting Started

Start by taking a simple test to learn your reading speed. Staples has a good one.

Before you start reading, ask yourself what you want to get out of the text. If your goal is total, deep comprehension of every word, it may not be the time to speed read. Think legal documents and technical instructions.

If you are going to Speed Read something, know what you want to get out of the text. Knowing what you’re looking for, noticing key phrases, and having a goal in mind will help.

To get started, give Meta Guiding, Skimming, or RSVP a try. Try all three and see what works best for you. Here are a few software options to help you get started.

Spreed: This Chrome extension uses the RSVP technique to flash words on your screen. Just select the text you want from any web page and Spreed does the rest.
Outread: An iOS app that uses a variation of meta guiding
Accelerator: An iOS app that uses a variation of RSVP
Syllable: An iOS app that uses a variation of RSVP


LEVEL OF EVIDENCE RELATIONSHIP MAGNITUDE OF EFFECT CONSISTENCY OF RESEARCH RESULTS NOTES
Visual Acuity and Oculomotor Function

Notable

Visual acuity and oculomotor movements have been correlated with reading speed. This is partially due to peripheral vision and the interaction between ocular function and the central processes. Reading speed assessments have be used to assess sight in subjects with vision issues as vision and reading speed are so interrelated. Rapid reading is correlated with optimal visual acuity. Notably, braille readers can speed read as well.

Electronic Devices

Minor

Speed of reading on electronic devices can be performed at similar rates to paperback equivalents of the text. Different methods of accelerating reading speed, such as RSVP, may be useful with electronic devices. Comprehension was not affected by use of electronic devices.

Academic Performance and Confidence

Notable

Speed reading is correlated with improved academic performance. This may translate to grade point averages, class performance, and/or language fluency.

Comprehension and Reading Flexibility

Speed of reading and overall comprehension are not correlated. In fact, comprehension and speed reading are inversely correlated in many studies, while positively correlated in studies with non-native readers. Studies consistently show that reading flexibility, particularly that involving pauses and regressions, increase comprehension overall. This is regardless of reading speed. Working memory is also tied to comprehension and reading speed.

Working Memory

Minor

Working memory is a cognitive system that is part of short-term memory. It is related to reasoning, decision-making, behavior, and linguistic processing. Increased working memory has been associated with activation in the brain’s prefrontal and parietal areas.

Typographical factors, including line length, color, and font.

Strong

A variety of typographical factors can affect reading speed, including font type, font size, line length, color of text or background, and space between lines. Variations in these factors can lead to increased or decreased reading speeds.

Linguistic and Language Fluency

Strong

Linguistic fluency and language fluency are interrelated and both affect the speed of reading. Linguistic fluency is most applicable to native speakers of a language, and refers to familiarity with letters, numbers, and terminology. Language fluency is the equivalent of linguistic fluency for non-native speakers of a foreign tongue, such as EFL students. Increased language and/or linguistic fluency are correlated with faster reading speeds.

Cortical Activity

Minor

Speed reading and listening are associated with the activation of a network of frontal areas in the brain. These regions are associated with strategic and working-memory processes (as well as visual or auditory sensory-related regions).


 



Summary

Stress and anxiety are tied strongly to respiratory function. Just as high anxiety can cause hyperventilation, the reverse is also true: Slow intentional breathing exercises can reduce stress. Diaphragmatic breathing is more effective than chest breathing, so try inhaling slowly through your nose into your stomach instead of your lungs. Exhale slowly. You will see the greatest benefits if you practice breathing exercises daily, as part of your regular routine.

What is it?

There are several breathing techniques that research shows can lower your stress levels.

Think about how you breathe when you feel calm, especially right before you fall asleep or after you wake up. You can reverse engineer that calm feeling by controlling your breathing.

Intentional breathing exercises will improve your overall well-being, especially if you struggle with stress, anxiety, depression, or PTSD. You will see the most improvement if you practice breathing exercises often.

Research Findings

Your breath is a powerful tool to combat anxiety and stress. Breathing exercises can lower your heart rate, increase calm feelings, and help you get to sleep.

Research shows that breathing techniques can help improve mental health and emotional regulation. This occurs on a physiological level that positively modulates autonomic and neuroendocrine function. As a consequence, overall well-being is enhanced.

Post-traumatic stress disorder negatively impacts breathing and sleep, but practicing breathing exercises, especially paired with yoga, can reduce the effects of PTSD. Anxiety and depression can cause hyperventilation and other physiological issues. Targeting breathing irregularities improves the stress-breathing relationship and consequently mediates stressors.

Getting Started

There are two types of breathing: chest breathing and diaphragmatic breathing. The latter is most effective for reducing stress. Diaphragmatic breathing focuses on inhaling to your diaphragm instead of your lungs.

Lie on your back and place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach. Inhale slowly, so that the hand on your stomach rises and the hand on your chest doesn’t move at all. That is diaphragm breathing.

To practice diaphragmatic breathing for stress, do this lying for a few minutes, no more than ten, as part of your daily routine. Always breathe in through your nose, and breathe out with your mouth in a small circle, as though you were breathing through a straw.

For even slower, deeper breaths, try Rolling Breathing. Start the same way as above, and once the hand your stomach rises, continue to breathe into your lungs, lifting your other hand as well. Slowly breathe out in the reverse, lowering the hand on your chest first, followed by your stomach.

A more guided breathing technique is 4-7-8 breathing, particularly effective in helping people fall asleep. With the same form as above, breathe in through your nose into your diaphragm for four seconds. Hold your breath for seven seconds. Breathe out through your mouth for eight seconds. Continue this pattern for several minutes or until you fall asleep.

These are just a few simply, effective exercises to get you started. There are many other great breathing exercises out there, as well as practices like mindfulness meditation and yoga that focus on breathing. Try to incorporate these into your daily routines, and you will see an impact in your stress levels.


LEVEL OF EVIDENCE RELATIONSHIP MAGNITUDE OF EFFECT CONSISTENCY OF RESEARCH RESULTS NOTES
Autonomic and neuroendocrine function, including correlated limbic system function

Strong

Breathing techniques and technology assisted breathing can help improve mental health and emotional regulation, including stress. This occurs on a physiological level that positively modulates autonomic and neuroendocrine function. As a consequence, overall well-being is enhanced.

Yoga and yoga-related practices

Strong

Yoga related practices that involve a breathing training component help with mental health and stress resilience, thereby improving issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Yogic breathing may also decrease free radicals in the blood and improve immune function.

Silent reading

Minor

Silent reading increases breathing speed and alters autonomic bodily functions, and can be associated with increased mental stress.

Sporting activities

Minor

Jogging, swimming, fencing, and other sporting activities can influence overall well-being and decrease depression and emotional stress.

Sex steroid hormones

Minor

Decrease of sex steroid hormones may result in detrimental effects on the respiratory system and other systems.

Emotional stressors, such as anxiety and depression

Strong

Emotional stressors such as anxiety and depression may result in altered respiratory control, such as hyperventilation. This is more prevalent in women than men. Targeting breathing irregularities, such as hyperventilation, improve the stress-breathing relationship and consequently mediate stressors.

Stress management techniques such as breathing retraining, mindfulness, mantra meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and biofeedback

Strong

Stress management techniques improve mental clarity, emotional and physiological well-being, and overall health, in part by assisting with improvement of respiratory function through breathing techniques. Modulation of various bodily functions may also occur through such techniques, including the immunoregulatory and vagal systems. These techniques have been shown to be particularly useful to groups such as post-surgery cancer patients and pregnant females, as well as in cases of pain management. Student examination performance has even been improved.

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Strong

Post-traumatic stress disorder negatively impacts breathing, It is additionally related to sleep disordered breathing and sleep- related hyperarousal.

Physiological-emotional stress correlation

Strong

Non-clinical stress, due to workplace environment, perfectionism, and other factors, negatively impacts breathing and sleep. Emotional stress results in physiological stress responses, even on a non-clinical level.


 

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