by Stuart Dickson | March, 2019 | Habits
Having decided that I would write about making your bed this month, the first thing I had to do was actually make my bed. So I completed a task that I always do when I am home or away. It’s something that comes naturally to me as I am a tidy person but what are the benefits of making your bed every morning? Does it really matter if you don’t? A Navy Seal’s point of view On May 17 2014, Admiral William H. Raven delivered the commencement address to the graduates of The University of Texas at Austin. In this now famous speech, he talks about the importance of making your bed every day and how such a simple action can ‘change the world’. He describes his basic SEAL training experience and that every morning there would be an inspection of their beds carried out by Vietnam veterans. For him ‘It was a simple task — mundane at best. But every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection. It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that were aspiring to be real warriors, tough battle-hardened SEALs, but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over.’ The benefits At British Airways, we have hallmarks. One of which is to ‘Set The Tone’. Making your bed at the start of the day does exactly that. It is the first task of the day, simple and quick to do, unless you want an elaborate display of pillows and throws in the design of a stylish magazine photo...
by Lynn Soots | January, 2018 | Classroom Reflections, Happiness, self-development
Habits and Happiness “Habits and Happiness importantly reminds us that, scientifically, happiness can be a choice if we change our behavior.”- Shawn Achor Before Taking Positive Psychology my thoughts about the course were: I thought Positive Psychology would focus on all of the good feelings that we have, I didn’t understand that it would, in fact, make me think and understand my negative feelings and guide me to change these negative feelings or habits into positive ones. Sorting through Triggers, Negative and Positive Habits An Ah-Ha moment for me was learning about positive and negative habits in Habits and Happiness by Braco. I found this book very useful in that it taught me about triggers that set me off in both positive and negative habits and ways I can go about changing bad habits and implementing good ones. The mind is such a powerful thing and if we can train our minds to think more positively then we can, in fact, live a more positive and healthy life. Positive Psychology opened my eyes to understanding what triggers me to think and act the way that I do. I learned how to change my negative thought process and how to change bad habits into positive ones. Becoming a more positive person mentally and physically is something I feel I can achieve after taking this class. About the Author: Aubrey DiLorenzo is a student at Chaminade University. She plans on getting her Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education and hopes to become a kindergarten teacher one day. Aubrey is a mother of two girls and a wife to a...
by Stuart Dickson | September, 2017 | self-development
In my last blog I wrote about addiction versus habit. Habits can be positive or negative. This article explores what makes a bad habit form and how we can overcome them. Wikipedia describes a bad habit as: ‘a negative behaviour pattern. Common examples include procrastination, fidgeting, overspending, stereotyping, gossips, bullying, and nail-biting.’ Many bad habits are harmless enough whilst others can have a deeper impact, potentially leading to addiction. How do habits form? In his book, The Power of Habit, author Charles Duhigg explains that every habit starts with a psychological pattern called a “habit loop”. The loop consists of a cue or trigger, routine and then reward. The cue/trigger tells our brain to go into automatic mode. This can be something such as always reaching for a cigarette when you wake up or making a cup of coffee. It’s a behaviour that neuroscientists have identified as being made in the basal ganglia part of the brain. The smoking of the cigarette then becomes the routine behaviour without really making the decision to do it. The reward comes from the satisfaction of performing the habit, whether it be a good or bad one. Breaking bad habits There are many suggestions on the Internet, giving advice on how to break a bad habit. The first step must be acknowledging the bad habit and being committed to change. The desire must truly be there! Having done that, a plan of action is required, identifying the trigger point. Moving away from your normal routine is often the best time to work on breaking a bad habit. A holiday is the...
by Aren Henry | July, 2017 | Karen Henry, Noetic Nomad, Uncategorized
Healing is not for the faint at heart. It’s a journey that takes strength. It takes courage. It takes drive. It takes an action plan, support system, plus a whole lot of love. I myself use Reiki as a vessel for healing. It’s a gentle yet powerful method of creating one’s connection to health. Guided imagery helps us to see into the light of a client’s life. More importantly. It allows them to see themselves from the inside out. From the crown to the third eye toward the throat, then onto the heart, the solar plexus, the sacral and finally, the root. Each of the body’s chakras have a place amongst our modalities of healing. Some scientists dismiss the connection, where as others, have conducted empirical research, quantifying the power of tapping into a part of the being that perhaps is the most valuable part. East meets west. New age or old school? All are true. I work from a place of the deepest form of guided imagery. It was Reiki that allowed me to go to a depth of self-love that I had not visited in a great number of years. Using Reiki I was about to consciously become aware of my thoughts. This simply meant that I was finally listening to my unconscious mind in conscious decision making. It’s not for everyone. But then, neither is any one particular model of anything. Including hypnosis, certain types of therapies, or, coaching. Our strength as professionals sits in knowing what we do well, and what we can improve on. Theories vary in psychology because individuals vary. Religions are diverse...
by Lynn Soots | July, 2017 | Classroom Reflections
The unfortunate thing about this world is that good habits are so much easier to give up than bad ones.~Somerset Maugham Upon taking this course, I thought it was a course teaching the positives of psychology. I wondered, to myself, there must be a course called Negative Psychology. I did not expect anything close to what I encountered this semester and I can say that this by far was my favorite course. Creating Patterns of Positive Triggers An Ah-Ha moment for me in the course was going through the book Habits of Happiness by Braco Pobric. I enjoyed the book and I really like how practical and simple the actions and steps were to creating positive habits for yourself. One of the things that I would point out as a part of an Ah-HA moment would be about “triggers”. The book Habits of Happiness talks about “triggers” as a technique that one could use to create better and positive habits. For example, a trigger for me in the morning to get up is my alarm and when I sit up, that triggers me to turn on the news which then triggers me to brush my teeth. As you can see, if we can recognize what those triggers are, we can use them to our advantage and create positive habits. This is something I have been struggling to create a better lifestyle that I can stick to. Now, now after going through the book, I am able to put into place meaningful habits. Now, I can set routines that I can be successful in and keep long term. I am...