Psych Stuff – June 2021

 

Psych Stuff - June 2021

As we tiptoe towards the second half of this year, I thought it would be a good time to share some topical psychology posts…

Watching the Euros? So are psychologists
Watching football managers’ behaviour is something I’ve been doing for ages (didn’t have much choice in our house). There’s often a lot of ‘playing to the gallery’, projecting a persona that gets the fans on their side. Three academics (from football-mad Liverpool) look through a psychology lens, covering the language they use, emotions they show (or hide) – and of course, what they wear.

Where were you two Thursdays ago?
Are you sure? How confident you are about your answer? If you’re very confident, recent research suggests you’re more likely to be right. However, a significant number of us would struggle to answer accurately. Why does this matter? Think about being asked questions about your or a colleague’s whereabouts on a particular time…

Postnatal depression rates among new mums in during lockdown
Sadly unsurprising: a UK study working with new mothers during lockdown found that nearly half the group showed symptoms of postnatal depression. The report reinforces the importance of social networks in what can be a very stressful time, let alone during a pandemic and the restrictions on contact.

’Pandemic brain’?
I read Kelli Maria Korducki’s Guardian article with relief: whilst the ‘lingering sluggishness of pandemic cognition’ is real, there are simple steps we can take to restore our equilibrium.

Zoom fatigue – and suggestions to handle it
Recent research reported in I/O At Work supplies some statistics to back up ‘Zoom fatigue’, of which we’ve all heard and may have experienced.  “Strikingly, almost 93% of respondents indicated that they felt exhausted, fatigued, tired, drained, or worn out after videoconferences.” Employer cultures vary widely, so what can be done? There’s a lot that managers can do to support wellbeing: discussing with colleagues what they prefer (mute? always on? video off?) and agreeing what’s OK.

Worried? How’s that working for you?
Some of us wrestle with our worries almost continuously; others may worry in certain situations. But how often do our worries come true? The authors of ‘Worry is an unhelpful friend and a shoddy fortune-teller’ conducted their own research and share practical ways to disentangle ourselves from its clutches.

Bias in the boardroom
Here’s a stat that caught my eye: according to PwC’s Annual Corporate Directors Survey, roughly half (49%) of the directors surveyed believe at least one of their fellow board directors should be replaced. Strategy + Business’ article, ‘Four common biases in boardroom culture’ is a must-read if you’re one of those directors (or aspire to be one).

Dealing with imposter syndrome
I’ve been delving into this topic quite a bit lately, as it’s come up in 1:1 and group conversations. Yi Shun Lai’s article, ‘How I fooled myself into beating imposter syndrome’ had me laughing out loud (at her method, not at people who struggle with this).

Was Cialdini right?
SPSP appraises social psychology findings on ‘reciprocity’ over time.

Tips for thinking on your feet
The wonderful Dr Paul Furey has a 2-minute video to help you let your brain do what it’s good at.

 

 

Dawn is the author of ‘The Feedback Book’ and ‘How to be Zoomly at work’ 

 

 

Copyright Zoomly
Just so you know…if you share this post in its entirety, it’s very much appreciated.
Please don’t copy it and pass it off as your own.

 

Image credit: Depositphotos

 

 

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