Does Practicing Gratitude Really Work? Here’s What the Science Says

Institute Editorial Team 12/13/2021

Does Practicing Gratitude Really Work? If you’ve ever done any reading in the self-help realm, you’ve probably heard this piece of advice: “Be grateful.” But does this tip have any basis in science? Does gratitude really improve our mental health? And, if so, how can we practice it effectively? Here’s everything we know about the psychology of gratitude, and how you can harness it to become a happier, healthier person. What Gratitude Really Is — and What It Isn’t Before we talk about the science behind gratitude, it’s important to define what gratitude really is. Many people express that they feel that gratitude is “toxic positivity.” You may have felt like practicing gratitude feels forced, as if you’re not allowing yourself to feel upset about…

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Categories: Self-care, Wellness & Personal Growth

Tags: gratitude, positive psychology, self-care, Stress Management, Trending

Institute Editorial Team

5 Exercises for Practicing Self-Compassion

Have you ever beat yourself up or said unkind words to yourself? If you’re like most of us, your answer is probably “yes.” Especially as women, we tend to be our own worst critics, and we usually treat ourselves in cruel ways that we’d never treat other people!But there’s a different way. Self-compassion is the practice of being kind and understanding with ourselves — not only when we succeed, but when we fail, too. Here, we’ve compiled 5 exercises you can use to start practicing self-compassion. These practices are based on extensive research by Dr. Kristin Neff, a psychologist who specializes in self-compassion. Try to incorporate them into your daily schedule as much as possible. You can use these 5 exercises at any time, day…

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Gina Messina, Ph.D. 02/28/2022

How to care for yourself while taking care of others

Caregivers, this is for you. Even before the pandemic, more than 16% of the US population was providing unpaid care to an adult 18 years or older, including family members with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Women make up about 75% of those caregivers, and they put in the work while juggling jobs, children, and ongoing domestic-task overload. With nearly 23 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the US, caregivers are under additional pressure to care for and protect their loved ones. If you’re a caregiver, the stress may seem relentless, and you may be: having trouble sleepingunder/over-eatingself-medicating with alcohol or drugscanceling (or not even booking) your own doctors’ appointments That’s because when you’re a caregiver, caring for yourself tends to happen only after everyone else’s needs…

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Institute Editorial Team 01/24/2021

woman looking up at sky thinking, showing mental performance

Mental performance and you: 10 things you need to know

Our mental performance, how we think, analyze, and perceive the world, influences how we work, tackle challenges, relate to others, manage stress and more. Where we choose to put our focus has a tremendous impact on how we feel and perform in our day-to-day lives. Julie Jones, Mental Performance Coach and Institute instructor, specializes in helping people boost their mental game, and in teaching them how mental training, positivity and self-awareness can help us do better in our jobs, our personal lives, as leaders, as athletes, and as members of the community. As a former Division I softball coach, Julie specializes in training athletes in mental performance techniques. The same brain strategies that can help a softball player improve her swing can help us all…

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Institute Editorial Team 08/02/2021

Positive Self-Talk: Benefits, Examples and Techniques

Your inner dialogue dramatically influences your self-esteem. Even the most minor negative thoughts can tear you down, which is why it’s helpful to learn what positive self-talk is and how to do it. What Is Positive Self-Talk? Compliments are nice, but they aren’t the same as a positive running dialogue in your head. Positive self-talk reclaims your power by narrating confident, supportive statements about yourself. It’s like being your own cheerleader but with the confidence of an all-knowing guide. Examples of Self-Talk What makes self-talk different from saying something nice about yourself? You could picture quick compliments like, “I look nice today,” or “I did a good job today,” but those comments depend on temporary circumstances. The technique behind positive self-talk is it’s any statement…

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Mia Barnes 02/22/2023

How To Recognize and Handle Burnout

What Is Burnout? Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that comes from stress exposure (Schaufeli & Greenglass, 2001). Generally, the stress that leads to burnout is consistent and ongoing for an extended period. A single stressful event usually isn’t enough to cause burnout. When you are burned out you may feel constantly exhausted or anxious and on edge. You may feel irritable and angry. You may feel like you are living in a fog and unable to think clearly. You may be unable to relax or get to sleep. Burnout Syndrome Burnout syndrome was first formally defined in the 1970s to describe a collection of symptoms often seen in people working as medical professionals, teachers, social workers, and others in helping…

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Institute Editorial Team 03/08/2023

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