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Why a short and regular practice is more effective than a longer practice once a week
What is the fastest way to learn a new skill? An intriguing aspect of learning is the power of repetition over duration. Although it may not be obvious, short and regular practice is usually more effective than long and infrequent sessions. For example, a 5-minute breathing practice done daily is more effective than a one-hour breathing session per week. Understanding the learning process
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Psychological Technique: the Four Steps of Redefinition
Everyone has had a difficult situation in their life, where they feel strong emotions, anxiety and a sense of things “slipping out of control”. At times like these, it is important to find a way to help yourself regain your inner balance. To help people in these situations, IDARTO Centre - a provider of psycho-emotional support for people diagnosed with oncology and their families - offers
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How (and why) you need to take a break
Deliberate stopping is an essential part of brain care. But why is it so important? When was the last time you allowed yourself to slow down? If the answer is not “today”, then this is a reminder to change it. Finding time to pause is an important part of any brain care routine - alongside the other four brain care behaviours. Mindfulness is a popular term, but it is not
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Psychological technique: autogenic training
What is autogenic training? Autogenic training is a technique for deep relaxation and self-hypnosis. Using a series of standard exercises, it induces a feeling of warmth and heaviness that affects your relaxation response. It works on the important principle that with some initial guidance and encouragement you can use this technique yourself to relieve stress. It can be done in any environment at any time,
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Psychological technique: guided visualisation
Guided visualisation is a meditation practice that focuses on visualising a place, which creates a sense of calm and helps reduce stress and anxiety. It is natural to experience stress or tension from time to time, especially when life gets stressful. At such times, many people turn to meditation and other strategies to relax. Guided visualisation can help to find inner peace and harmony,
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Health benefits of guided visualisation
One of the most powerful yet simple tools for self-awareness is guided visualisation. It uses words and images to help distract you from worry, stress and pain, allowing you to find your inner strength and creativity. It harnesses the mind's natural abilities for health and healing. Through guided visualisation you can learn to use your imagination to “create the desired state”,
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How to stop worrying about things we can't change
Stop wasting time worrying and become more efficient and productive. KEY POINTS There is a brutal truth in life that some people refuse to accept: you have no control over many events in your life. Some who resist this truth become control freaks. They micromanage, refuse to delegate tasks and try to force others to change. They think: if only they can get enough control
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Acceptance of negative thoughts
There are several general ways in which people tend to cope with unsupportive, maladaptive thoughts. Another article looks at challenging them, but this article focuses on an approach that accepts these thoughts and lets them take their course. At first glance, these two philosophies may seem contradictory, but they can be successfully combined. The ideas discussed here come from Acceptance and Commitment
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All or nothing thinking
How often have you said or heard someone say: “If this goes wrong, my life is over” or “If I don't find a job after university, I've wasted four years”?Have you ever generalised from one particular event to your whole life experience? For example, “My diet is completely ruined because I ate one cookie” or “I did badly in this presentation, so I am a terrible presenter”? Such
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Why naming emotions is important
Home experiment on naming emotions Let's start this article with a short emotion experiment: how are you feeling right now? (take a few seconds to answer) What emotion have you felt today or in the last few days? (take a few seconds to answer) Most people probably answered the first question with “good”, “great”, “ok” or “not so good”. For the second question, you probably
