Psych Stuff – March 2021
As we take tentative steps to emerge from lockdown, it seems like a good time to share some interesting psychology posts and articles that I’ve found. Here goes:
Can you tell if someone’s lying, just by how they speak?
Recent research suggests we’re not as gullible as presumed. Loudness, pitch and emphasis all give us clues, yet chances are we’re not consciously aware of the process. But although the research doesn’t answer all the questions, it seems we’re innately better at detecting untruthful utterances than we’ve thought.
Nervous about socialising again after a year of lockdown?
This isn’t going to happen overnight, nor will things be 100% the same as we emerge from lockdown. We’re social beings and yet socialising is now a bit weird for some of us. For some, it’s downright frightening. VeryWellMind’s ‘Ask a Therapist’ offers insights and a reminder that we’re not alone in being concerned.
Coping with failure
Be honest, we’ve all tripped up somehow, some time. It happens. “but it’s how we respond to it that really matters” says Emma Young in The BPS Research Digest. Find the five essential steps to recover, based on psychology research.
Building mental toughness
Now we know how adverse events can derail our oh-so-organised lives, we’re more aware that if we’re not careful, our mental wellbeing can deteriorate. What to do? Building mental toughness can help us better handle challenging times. Which means we need to practise techniques to ensure we’re prepared. Just as fire drills are practised even though there’s no (real) fire, we need to consciously practise to ensure we’re prepared, in case challenges arise. Via the Conversation.
Find out more about about the ‘4Cs model’ of mental toughness: control, commitment, challenge and confidence here.
Dealing with Imposter Syndrome
The idea of building skills and readiness for when mental toughness is needed got me thinking about how similar steps can help with Imposter Syndrome. The guys at Positive Psychology have got some handy exercises (some free, some for purchase). Well worth a look if your Imposter gremlin has been bothering you lately.
What makes people satisfied with their lives – and what do employers need to do?
McKinsey’s interview with Lord Richard Layard on ‘How employers can improve employee happiness’ is well worth a read and the brief video is well worth the watch.
Dawn is the author of ‘The Feedback Book’ and ‘How to be Zoomly at work’
Copyright Zoomly
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