Washing Away Your Troubles – Literally

Every morning I browse my psychology feed and see if there is any interesting news to share with you guys. Today I discovered an interesting study about how washing your hands can actually minimize feelings of guilt and shame. The study was published in the journal Current Directions of Psychological Science. When participants were asked (more…)

When Trying to Fake Happiness Can Backfire on You

A popular piece of advice in psychology is to “fake it ’till you make it.” In other words, if we fake happiness (such as creating a “fake smile”) then eventually it actually becomes real and genuine happiness. I believe this is true to some degree. I often write about the importance of acting in new (more…)

The Scientifically Proven Benefits of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a state of deliberate and conscious awareness directed toward the present moment. The practice is incredibly simple on paper, but with diligent practice can reap many, many benefits. A great entry level exercise to mindfulness is the 100 Breaths Meditation. It teaches you how to use your breathing as an object of focus, (more…)