Psych stuff round-up – September 2022
As we wave goodbye to Q3, it’s time to compile my quarterly round-up of articles and resources based on psychology.
Turn the noise down!
Fans of Susan Cain’s ‘Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking’ (it’s now 10 years old and still going strong) may like ‘Golden – The power of silence in a world of noise’. Note the authors have a wide interpretation of ‘noise’: this noise is not only what we hear – it can be emotions, ‘mental stimulation’ – and our ‘busyness’ buzzing in our head. McKinsey’s author talk focuses on the health payoffs – see what the authors say.
‘Hangry’ is real (hands up if you knew that)
What tickled me about this Guardian article was that a social psychologist professor was told to do something about his ‘hangry’ episodes. Hope he’s calm now.
Stuck for ideas?
Some great suggestions for getting past creative blocks in Kim Hermanson’s article, via Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. I really like the ‘something to reflect on’ prompts; worth taking time to note your responses them.
Beware ‘Bedtime Procrastination’
Yes, it’s an actual thing – and it adversely impacts our sleep, as Scientific American reports. Bedtime Procrastination is when we ‘just take a quick look’ at our smartphone, see what so-and-so are doing. Or we ‘will feel better if I just finish that thing on my computer’. Box sets can have the same result. Scary stat: nearly half of Germans 18 and older don’t get the recommended seven to nine hours. The ‘serious consequences’ are the long-term impact.
Is your inner voice caring – or critical?
Here’s a quiz to see how self-compassionate you are. Based on the work of Kristin Neff and colleagues at the University of Texas, Austin, you can find out how to be kinder to yourself.
How to get out of a rut?
Henrik Edberg’s blog has six useful questions to help us to improve how we use our attention and time.
Why learning to play a musical instrument may be A Good Thing
Intriguing research reported via BPS Research Digest.
Time for a rest
Many years ago, I worked at a firm where the head of strategy took a nap every day after lunch (on the floor in his corner office). I thought it was strange, but he recommended it to everyone. Psyche’s ‘How to rest well’ guide includes nuggets such as ‘Treat rest as a skill’.
Dawn is the author of ‘The Feedback Book’
