Category: thinking

Stress Disrupts Access to Memory, Hindering Flexible Thinking

New research pairing virtual navigation with brain scans finds that stress makes people less able to make efficient and effective plans. Remembering past events is key to keeping us safe in the present. For example, recalling the pain of touching a hot stove often prevents us from doing it again. But when under pressure, we…


Undone: How to Change Our Procrastination Patterns

The longer we keep sticking with our old habits, the harder they are to change.


Holistic Ways to Fight Lasting COVID-19 Symptoms

Many people who have endured COVID-19 have found themselves dealing with lasting symptoms, even months after testing negative for active infection. Some of these symptoms include tiredness or fatigue, difficulty thinking or concentrating, dizziness, headaches, and joint or muscle pain. Some COVID-19 survivors also find themselves battling anxiety and depression, as well as symptoms that…


Changing Our Thinking About Thoughts

Awareness Tara came to see me when she was in her mid-30s. By her own account, she had devoted the previous 10 years of her life to conquering and eliminating her obsessive and, as she called it, unstoppable thinking. She had been devoted to self-help for a decade and tried anything and everything to convince…


Behind My Back

All talking ceased when I opened the door to the conference room, and I thought I sensed a foreboding undercurrent of doom. As I entered the room, everyone tried to act either as if they were making small talk or looking at their notebooks. These were members of my staff, and I could tell they…


Why Thinking Like an Open-Minded Scientist Is Good for You

In a rapidly changing world, it’s important to be able to adapt rather than stubbornly adhere to old ideas and opinions. This was one of the lessons of 2020, a year that forced us to question many of our assumptions about what behaviors are safe, how work and school can be conducted, and how we…