Page 176

12 Signs Someone Is an Intuitive Introvert

November 5, 2022 by Sarah Barkley

If you ever get a gut feeling that turns out to be correct, or you can spot trends easily, you might have introverted intuition. It allows you to think differently, offering insights others don’t always receive.

People with introverted intuition typically have INFJ or INTJ personality types. These rare personality types include the smallest percentage of the population at only three to five percent. Both types are introverts, and their dominant function is introverted intuition.

Since this trait includes such a small percentage, many people don’t understand it. It can make the person repress their strengths to focus on things that society finds beneficial.

What is Introverted Intuition?

Each personality type has different characteristics and traits. Introverted intuition (Ni) differs from other people because it involves recognizing how one thing can relate to another.

You can sort through information and thoughts to gain understanding and meaning. Ni allows you to shift your perspective to view things differently and find deeper meaning.

You might not trust first impressions and look for patterns or behavior shifts that show true character. Psychoanalyst Carl Jung explained that Ni is related to the unconscious mind.

People who experience introverted intuition don’t see things at the surface level. Instead, they look deep into things to understand them fully.

Introverted intuition affects how you take in information. You’ll function by understanding and gathering information. Additionally, you might focus on patterns and hidden meanings to understand people’s minds.

Your intuition is the knowledge that comes without an internal reaction. The information is in your mind without waiting to think it through. You might be aware of things without needing additional information other than how someone makes you feel.

What is INFJ?

INFJ stands for introverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging. People with this personality type are typically creative, dedicated, and sensitive. They’re also reserved and deep and have the best ideas or thoughts that occur immediately, without thinking about them.

What is INTJ?

INTJ stands for introverted, intuitive, thinking, and judging. You might be a highly analytical perfectionist if you have this personality type. Additionally, you might be a private person, not wanting people to know your innermost thoughts and feelings.

INTJs are often independent and think of creative solutions others might not come up with alone. They are analytical, allowing them to succeed at their plans.

Twelve Signs That Reveal Introverted Intuition

Some of the signs that reveal an intuitive introvert include:

1 – Accepting Other Perspectives

Those with an introverted intuition can listen to others and see their perspective. You can bridge two different points of view to form a common ideal. It can help you relate to others because it indicates acceptance of others, respect, and kindness.

Combining different points of view can be helpful when dealing with conflicting statements. While some people might believe one sentence must be false, those with introverted intuition think differently. If you’re like this, you can likely use the ability to accept other perspectives to determine that the truth lies somewhere between the two.

2 – Innovation

Being an innovator is an indication of introverted intuition. You can identify problems and come up with new ways to do things. Sometimes you might be able to see something detrimental coming and prevent it from occurring.

3 – Creativity and Inspiration

Introverted intuition often involves thinking with images instead of words. These people are often dreamers with beneficial insights. They are often inspired by nature and beauty, allowing for inspiration and creativity.

If you are this way, then you likely make choices based on your inspiration. You might struggle to explain why or how you do things because you do it differently than most people.

4 – People Tend to Find Guidance in You

If you’re an introvert, you likely find comfort in silence and only speak up when necessary. Because of this, people listen to you when you speak. They want to hear what you have to say because they know you wouldn’t speak up if it wasn’t beneficial.

You can be a great leader because people want your guidance and will sometimes unconsciously follow you. They might not acknowledge you as a role model, but subconsciously that’s what you are for them.

5 – Independence and Wanting to be Alone

Introverts like to be alone and work independently. They find their best and most creative ideas in solitude because they can channel that Ni when alone. This desire is likely because you don’t gain rewards from social situations while extroverts do.

6 – Prioritizing Honesty in Yourself and Others

Studies indicate that an introverted intuition can lead to honesty becoming a priority. Being reflective likely makes you honest, and you expect the same from others.

7 – Quick Insight and Instincts

Having introverted intuition can lead to quick insight into other people and yourself. Your understanding might seem impulsive as it comes quickly and leads to spontaneous decisions. You often sense personalities and hidden traits, always looking for deeper meaning.

8 – Having Meaningful Dreams

It’s a sign of Ni if you have dreams you can recall in the morning. The dreams hold meaning, although you might have to figure out what it is.

You likely believe your dreams even if other people don’t understand. Sometimes you won’t assume the literal thoughts of the dream, but you’ll recognize an underlying message.

9 – Trusting and Relying on Yourself

When people tell you things, you might base their honesty level on how they make you feel when they speak. You quickly analyze the person and trust your gut feeling. People with introverted intuition don’t trust what other people say is a fact, so they rely on themselves for fact-checking.

10 – Feeling Other People’s Emotions

Those with introverted intuition often feel others’ emotions. They’re empaths, even if they don’t say they know how someone feels. If you relate to this, you might understand that you quickly take on the mood and feelings of those around you.

11 – Future-focused mindset

Those with introverted intuition focus on new ways to move forward. Instead of depending on techniques that worked in the past, people with this personality type consider how they can do it better in a new way. They know growth depends on focusing on the future instead of mimicking the past.

12 – Not Being Swayed by Power

Being an introvert leads to focusing on internal sources rather than being swayed by money, fame, or power. They focus on their goals and values despite the power surrounding them. It allows them to focus on themselves and other essential people rather than those with high titles.

Four Ways to Experience Introverted Intuition

If you don’t have introverted intuition, you can develop the trait. It can help you see things that other people don’t, and you can trust your gut feelings. These tips also can help those who already have it as it’s always helpful to improve your strengths.

1 – Keep Learning

You can develop introverted intuition if you’re always curious and want to learn new things. It encourages intuition and creative ideas. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, read learning material, listen to informative podcasts, and focus on keeping your imagination flowing.

2 – Make Time to Be Alone

Introverts thrive in silence and come up with some of their best ideas when alone. If you want to build this trait, you can make time for daydreaming to process new information and experiences.

You might feel the urge or obligation to socialize, but you must nurture your Ni if you want to develop it. Make time for being alone and spending time in a quiet environment.

While you’re alone, you might consider practicing mindfulness meditation. It can help you process your feelings and thoughts, allowing you to let go of the ones that don’t serve you. Studies show that meditation also contributes to intuition and improves the prefrontal cortex.

3 – Listen to Yourself

You might hear that your gut feeling isn’t an accurate guide but try to trust yourself. Being intuitive is essential to developing this trait, and it can strengthen your reasoning and thought process. Listen to your emotions because there’s a reason you feel that way.

4 – Surround Yourself with People Who Have Introverted Intuition

Spending time with those who have introverted intuition can help you develop the trait. It’s okay to spend time with extroverts, but make sure you’re turning to people of other personality traits, too.

Being around introverted people also helps you find a group of friends that understand the mindset. They won’t think you’re being rude if you sit quietly while everyone else socializes around you. These people can also comprehend how you process information.

Final Thoughts on Signs That Reveal Introverted Intuition

Introverted intuition can help you find new solutions to problems and focus on your future. It can also help you prevent detrimental events and issues. When you gain insight that others don’t have, it gives you an advantage and a direction to follow. This trait inspires creativity and helps you set goals and make plans. Understanding introverted intuition can help you develop it and embrace your strengths.

How to Spot An Internet Troll: 11 Behaviors to Never Ignore

November 5, 2022 by Power of Positivity

Have you ever encountered an internet troll? If so, you probably consider them as the scourge of the worldwide web. But rest assured, they are nothing more than an online bully. Giving them more credence than that is far more than they deserve. The internet troll is hard to eliminate, as their interactions seem to multiply daily. Their provocation can drive you into a dark and negative place, which is precisely their nefarious intent.

While they make you miserable, there are some ways that you can identify a troll and ban them before they send you over the edge.

Trolls are on all the platforms, from Twitter to Facebook and even TikTok. They have one goal: to provoke or upset others using aggression. Once they accomplish their goal, they gain pleasure and amusement from their work. Indeed, you’ve likely already run into a few of these people if you’re online. But how can you spot the troublemaker and ban or report them before they become an issue?

The History of the Troll

When you hear the word troll, you probably think of the cute fuzzy-headed dolls and the movie. These mythical creatures have populated folklore for centuries. They’ve appeared in epic tales and fantasy writings since the early days. The earliest reference online is the 1990s, when people used the term to label people who used the malicious activity to bother others.

This is a form of harassment is a distasteful type of cyberbullying. In most instances, they don’t direct it at one individual. Instead, they aim to provoke anyone willing to challenge them. The sad fact is that there’s no way to chase who is behind this content, and when the content becomes ominous, there are no repercussions. All forums and websites must have moderators to handle these bullies–but most have limited resources.

Eleven Signs of an Internet Troll

How can you tell the difference between a bully and a troll? Well, some believe there’s a fine line. Some folks like to argue to get their point of view out there, but others are actively trolling. Here are some indications that you’ve tangled with an aggressive online bully, and it’s time to put them in their place.

1. A Troll Engages Posts Doxxed User Data

Doxxing is sort of like a witch hunt on the world wide web. Sadly, this practice can absolutely ruin someone’s life if they don’t get help to escape this bully. Trolling folks will invade your privacy and put your details online for all to see.

The goal of this aggression is to shame you publicly, and they want others to join in the task of bringing you down. There are a few sinister bullies that wish to cause you physical harm, and these are matters that should involve law enforcement.

Doxxing is a severe issue, and according to studies by Safe Home, more than forty-three million people in this country have experienced this harassment. Shockingly, 52 percent of all these attacks come from people interacting with strangers online. Lastly, only one-third of victims report these crimes to enforcement, so the online bully keeps doing these sinister acts.

2. The Troll Feels More Powerful Behind the Keyboard

Many people feel a bit more empowered when they’re behind the keyboard. They will say things they wouldn’t have the guts to do in person. This makes tech-savvy people dangerous, showing their aggression without ever showing their faces.

The anonymity of hiding behind a screen makes trolls emboldened. They can be anything they want to be when no one sees them so that they can act brave and strong, and the truth is they’re probably nothing of the kind. If you notice someone inserting themselves into your conversations and you don’t know them, they’re likely online bullies.

3. They Hurl Insults Continuously

Someone aggressive online will use words to describe others like “idiot,” “moron,” or “stupid.” Again, they feel empowered behind a keyboard, but it’s doubtful they would say these things to your face. Name-calling is often used when you disagree with them.

Know that you can’t win if you hurl insults back at them. Remember, these folks aren’t interested in having good-faith arguments, but they want people to disagree with them so they can kick up a ruckus. You mustn’t engage with this person, as they will move on if you don’t stir in the pot.

4. The Troll Loves to Get a Rise Out of People

Online bullies are aggressive, so they like to stir the pot, sit back, and laugh. They post the most outlandish comments to get people to react. Think of it as a twisted way to trigger someone or push the wrong buttons.

Like your spouse, you know just what to say to upset them, and the internet bully is the same way. They sit back and lavish in all the drama as they have serious personality flaws.

5. They Comment Without Reading the Whole Post or Article

The bully often shows aggression without knowing the facts. They read the first few sentences and then post their comments. You can often spot this online tyrant because they don’t know what they’re talking about.

These people want to spread negativity and don’t even know the whole story. They will often copy and paste parts of the article to justify an argument, but they miss the entire point of the post. If you engage with folks who take things out of context or start online wars without all the facts, it’s likely an online bully.

6. They Post and Comment Way Too Much

Another thing you will notice about online bully is that they post way more than the average user. In fact, Stanford and Cornell did a study on these folks, and they measured their internet activity versus the average social media user. Throughout the study, trolls exhibited anti-social behavior far more frequently than the average user. For instance, an authentic user might vent negativity on a bad day and returned to normal posting afterward.

Some tactics the troll engaged in included:

Making off-topic comments to draw attention (and controversy)
Name-calling
Hurling thinly-veiled insults, overly-generalized insults
Making outrageous accusations.

The article further states that trolls made and not just born this way. So it’s possible you can also become a cyberbully if you engage in negative behaviors. Just make sure you keep your comments on the positive side and don’t spend all your time online. The more you’re on these forums and social media sites, the more likely you are to develop such behavior.

7. The Troll Has a Potty Mouth

One thing that you can use to spot an aggressive online bully is through their language. Most of these folks never use positivity, and they love to use trash talk. Cursing and expletive language are commonplace. They don’t care what forum they’re on, as they will let their potty mouth run as they hope to be offensive. After all, getting a rise out of others is their entire validation.

8. They Often Get Blocked from Online Communities, Only to Reappear Elsewhere

The good news is that the online bully doesn’t stay online for long. They often get kicked out of groups and forums because of their actions. Many of them might come back as another username, but they will soon meet their demise again.

Understand that being online means you occasionally ruffle a few feathers, as you can’t get along with everyone all the time. However, an occasional online spat is different from what these people do. Even an internet argument isn’t typically going to have the aggression these folks bring to the conversation.

9. The Post Quality of an Internet Troll Is Lackluster

The bully usually doesn’t have good-quality posts. Some say that their writing only gets worse over time. They post so much that they avoid using good grammar or punctuation, and who cares about spelling? So if you see a post with quality that looks like that of an elementary school student, it’s likely an internet tyrant.

10. They Like to Clog a Thread

Perhaps nothing is as annoying as a bully that clogs a thread with their aggression and senseless chatter. Some platforms don’t care if you report it, as there are so many that they do nothing about it. However, these people post so much that it becomes spam.

Additionally, most of the stuff they post has nothing to do with the topic, is offensive to many, and is just meant to annoy everyone trying to engage. You may see these in comment sections on YouTube or TikTok videos, as these are typical hotspots for spammers. You might also see them copy and paste the same comments across multiple posts or platforms.

11. An Online Troll’s Profile Appears Fake

If you believe a troll is engaging in online bullying instead of facilitating an authentic discussion, take a peek at their profile. You will often find a cartoonish picture, not a real photo. Upon closer examination, you’ll find they have few friends–or their connections also have fake profile images. They list few details–or they share obviously fake details. For instance, they don’t fill in their employer, school, or other historical data. Also, they often start engaging in outlandish commentary only minutes after they join the platform instead of observing first. When possible, they’ll also disable the private messaging capability so you cannot confront them privately–they demand a public battle of words.

That’s all because the internet troll lacks the fortitude to say such outrageous insults to someone under their own identity. Like most bullies, the troll is a coward, albeit a dangerous influence who can cause you great harm.

Final Thoughts: Ignore the Online Troll

Remember the saying that tells you that you should never feed the trolls? It was sage advice when surfing the online community and engaging in conversations. These tyrants seek emotional responses from you, so the fight is on when you take the bait from them.

The key is to ignore them and their aggression, as these are the same type of people who might engage in email spoofing and other scams. Since they can’t get the rise out of you they desire, they will move on to the next person. There’s always someone willing to engage in an online war, and those are the people they seek.

It would help if you tried not to take what they say seriously, as these folks behave poorly and spend countless hours invading the internet looking for trouble. It’s not worth your time to comment or engage in such a word battle, but if they threaten you or get too personal in your information, it’s time to get help.

Science Explains 8 Reasons to Never Stay Up Past Midnight

November 5, 2022 by Sarah Barkley

Sometimes it’s tempting to stay up late. But most people need to go to sleep far earlier than midnight. While you might think that napping the next day or making up for sleep loss later will be fine, that’s not always the case.

Research shows that staying up past midnight can cause issues because the brain isn’t designed to function that way. Even with a few cups of coffee, staying up late can have effects.

Staying up late does more than make you tired, too. It affects your overall health, potentially causing issues.

How Staying Up Past Midnight May Reduce Health

Being up late interferes with health and brain functioning in many ways. Understanding how it can reduce help might encourage you to make healthier decisions regarding your sleep schedule.

1 – Staying up Past Midnight Weakens Your Immune System

Staying up past midnight can weaken your immune system, causing you to get sick more often. Not only can it lead to more frequent colds, but it can also speed up cancer growth. You heal while you sleep, so staying up late can negatively impact your ability to fight off illness and disease.

2 – Increases the Risk for Sleep Disorders

Sometimes staying up late can increase your risk of developing a sleep disorder. Other times, it could be the result of an ongoing sleep disorder. Some of the sleep disorders include:

insomnia
sleep apnea
narcolepsy
nightmares
sleepwalking

However, it’s important to note that sometimes going to bed after midnight is simply a bad habit. In this case, it likely isn’t associated with a sleep disorder.

3 – When You Stay Up Late, You Might Develop Poor Eating Habits

When you stay up late, you might be more likely to develop bad eating habits, resulting in weight gain. Research shows that people who go to bed late tend to eat more calories and fast food than others. The increase in calories can cause about two pounds of weight gain per month.

4 – Staying up After Midnight Affects Cognition and Mood

Experts indicate that your sleep history and how much time you spend awake can affect your brain function and mood. Not getting enough sleep at night can affect how your neurons work because they need time to recover.

Your circadian rhythm pushes for cognition during the day and reduces wakefulness at night. If you stay up late and don’t allow your body to recover and go through the cycle, it can affect how you think and feel.

Research shows that being awake during the night can increase your risk of:

suicide
self-harm
using alcohol
partaking in illicit substances
engaging in violent behaviors

Staying up late can cause dysregulation, especially if you’re also sleep-deprived. It can also affect your long-term memory and cognitive performance.

5 – Staying up After Midnight Can Contribute to High Blood Sugar

Studies show that going to bed late can lead to high blood sugar. High blood pressure can be associated with other conditions, including fatigue and headaches. It can also cause kidney damage and cardiovascular disease.

6 – Increase the Risk of Negative Thoughts, Anxiety, and Depression

Studies show that people who go to sleep later are more likely to have negative thoughts. They also dwell on minor issues and are at higher risk of anxiety and depression.

7 – When You Stay up Late, You Can Disrupt Melatonin Production

Your body typically produces melatonin when it gets dark outside. It might interfere with melatonin production when you frequently stay up past midnight using technology with blue light. Not only does it affect your sleep, but it can disrupt the regulation of other hormones and your circadian rhythm.

8 – Not Getting Enough Sleep

Adults should aim for at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Without getting enough rest, you’ll eventually feel sleep deprived. It takes a toll on your body, reduces reaction time, and increases stress.

While you can get enough sleep when you go to bed later, it all depends on your schedule. If you must wake up early for work or other responsibilities, it’s best to consider that before staying awake late.

The Difference Between Bad Sleep Habits and Insomnia

Staying up late by choice or bad habit is different than experiencing insomnia. Insomnia is a disorder that causes sleep phase delay, making it hard to go to sleep at night. However, you can address a bad habit by setting a consistent sleep schedule.

If you’re unsure whether you have bad sleep habits or insomnia, try developing a healthier schedule. If it works and you start getting into a better routine, it could likely be due to bad habits. However, if the attempt fails, it could indicate that you have insomnia.

Staying Up at Midnight Might Not Be All Bad

While staying up past midnight can reduce health, some studies show that there can be benefits. When someone experiences peak physical performance at night, it might be a better time to accomplish their goals. Likewise, if someone feels more creative late at night, staying up late can help them think of ideas and produce beneficial results.

Some people’s natural circadian rhythm is different than most of the population. They might naturally be more alert at night and sleep better during the day.

When this is the case, they might struggle with sleeping at night because their schedule is different than what their body needs. These people can stay awake past midnight without experiencing detrimental effects if they still get enough rest.

One study indicates that if you have a regular sleep schedule, you can avoid the detrimental effects of staying up past midnight. Those hours don’t have to mean going to sleep early if you can rest for a full sleep cycle before waking again.

However, if you thrive late at night, you must be mindful of some risks. Overeating and consuming unhealthy foods or drinks are tempting, and you can resist giving in. Likewise, you can avoid engaging in other behaviors late at night than can contribute to health effects.

Night Shift Workers

Some people must work past midnight or overnight, with statistics showing that around 15 million adults work these hours. Because of this, their mind must be active during late hours.

One way to alleviate the potential complications is to sleep during the same hours each day. Then, you should maintain these hours on your days off to avoid disrupting your schedule.

You can have a better chance of getting enough rest during the day by doing the following:

blocking out sunlight
keeping your room cool
managing regular eating patterns
avoiding exercise three hours before
minimizing blue light before sleeping

Seven Tips for Sleeping Better at Night

You can become a morning person by learning how to sleep better at night. When you get enough sleep, you’ll be able to function to your full potential when you wake up.

1 – Manage Bright Light Exposure

You can consider increasing bright light exposure during the day. It can help you stay awake and recognize when it’s time to sleep.

2 – Adjust Your Bedroom So You Don’t Stay up Late

Your sleep environment can contribute to how well you sleep at night. The temperature, noise level, and lights can disrupt your sleep. Some of the things you can do include:

minimizing external noise
using black-out curtains to reduce light
turning off artificial lights
eliminate clutter to make it relax
lower the temperature

Research indicates that more bright light exposure during the day can improve sleep quality and duration at night. You can also get natural sunlight to help regulate your circadian cycle or find other forms of bright light.

3 – Limit Blue Light Exposure at Night

Light exposure during the day can help you sleep at night, but you must limit your bright light exposure at night. Blue light exposure in the evening can cause your circadian rhythm to think it’s not time to sleep. It can also interfere with melatonin production, making it harder to relax and experience deep sleep.

You can reduce exposure at night by wearing blue light-reducing eyeglasses. You can also use apps that block blue light or avoid using electronics for at least two hours before going to bed.

Studies show that consuming caffeine within six hours of bedtime can decrease sleep quality. If you crave a hot cup of coffee later in the day, consider decaffeinated coffee to avoid disrupting sleep.

4 – Avoid Alcohol Before Bed

Drinking at night can disrupt your sleep schedule and hormone production. It can also lead to sleep apnea and alter melatonin production.

5 – Limit Naps During the Day to Fall Asleep Before Midnight

Power naps can be beneficial, but anything more than 30 minutes can disrupt your sleep health. Long naps can cause trouble falling asleep at night because it confuses your circadian cycle.

6 – Develop A Consistent Sleep and Wake Schedule

Developing a consistent sleep schedule can help you get to bed at an earlier time. Studies show that it promotes long-term sleep quality, improving your overall health.

7 – Don’t Drink Caffeine At Least Six Hours Before Bed

Caffeine can be beneficial, but consuming it late in the day can disrupt your sleep. It stimulates your nervous system and prevents relaxation.

Final Thoughts on Ways Staying Up Past Midnight May Reduce Health

Staying up past midnight can be detrimental to your health. It can disrupt your circadian rhythm and hormone production, leading to unhealthy lifestyle choices. However, some people function better at night as long as they get enough uninterrupted sleep during the day.

The best way to handle your sleep schedule is to consider when you can get a solid seven to eight hours of sleep. If you can’t do that during the day, staying up after midnight might not work for your lifestyle. Make changes to help you function at your best and stay healthy by getting enough rest.

Researchers Reveal Dogs Cry Happy Tears

November 5, 2022 by Kristen Lawrence

Dogs have been humankind’s best friend for millennia, offering us companionship and affection. Our furry friends also benefit from this relationship since we give them love and care in return. A new study by Japanese researchers found that dogs can cry tears of joy when reunited with their owners.

Researchers found that dogs experience an intense emotional response during human interactions. Canines cry joyful tears most often when they reunite with their owners. However, they also become teary-eyed while cuddling or receiving pets from humans. It seems that the “love hormone” causes this heartwarming response, according to the research.

“We found that dogs shed tears associated with positive emotions,” said Takefumi Kikusui of Azabu University in Japan. “We also made the discovery of oxytocin as a possible mechanism underlying it.”

Kikusui and his colleagues made the findings after one of his two standard poodles had a litter of puppies. He observed that the dog had tears in her eyes while she nursed her newborn pups. The tears didn’t roll down her cheeks as they do in humans but welled up in her eyes.

“That gave me the idea that oxytocin might increase tears,” Kikusui says.

Earlier experiments discovered that both pups and humans release oxytocin, the maternal hormone, during interactions. This time, researchers wanted to investigate whether dogs would cry when reunited with their owners after a few hours apart.

Their findings appeared in the journal Current Biology.

Study Shows That Oxytocin Makes Dogs Cry Happy Tears

For the study, researchers measured canines’ tear volume before and after reuniting with their owners. The dogs and their humans spent about five to seven hours apart for the research. The team discovered that their tear volume increased during reunions with a familiar human but not with a stranger.

Next, they added oxytocin to the dogs’ eyes and observed that this made the canines cry more. The experiment confirms that the hormone oxytocin causes dogs to cry when they see their humans.

Kikusui said the findings came as a surprise. “We had never heard of the discovery that animals shed tears in joyful situations, such as reuniting with their owners, and we were all excited that this would be a world first!”

Finally, the team showed people two photos of each canine: one with artificial tears produced by a saline solution and an unaltered picture.

“Ten photos from five dogs were randomly presented on the computer screen, and the participants scored on a five-point scale from positive (want to touch, and give some care) to negative (fearful and avoid) for each photo,” the study authors said.

Humans Prefer Dogs With “Puppy Eyes”

Most participants reported having a significantly greater desire to care for the dogs with “puppy eyes.” Pups seem to have learned the trick to getting their owners’ attention!

The hormone oxytocin elicited an emotional response in the participants and heightened their urge to connect with the dogs.

“Unlike any other animal, dogs have evolved or have been domesticated through communication with humans and have gained high-level communication abilities with humans using eye contact,” the researchers wrote.

“Through this process, their tears might play a role in eliciting protective behavior or nurturing behavior from their owners, resulting in the deepening of mutual relationships and leading to interspecies bonding,” they continued.

In the study, researchers observed that pups cry during positive human interactions. However, the team still doesn’t know whether dogs cry when they also experience sadness. They also haven’t yet tested if canines produce tears when reuniting with their canine friends. In the future, they aim to discover if tears play a role in social interactions between dogs.

For now, researchers know that puppy dog eyes can melt humans’ hearts and strengthen the bond between both species.

“Dogs have become a partner of humans, and we can form bonds,” said Kikusui. “In this process, it is possible that the dogs that show teary eyes during interaction with the owner would be cared for by the owner more.”

Seeing a dog cry joyful tears in your presence can brighten even the darkest days. Canines also show their love in other equally adorable ways that we will list below.

Three Key Signs That Your Dog Loves You

They give you licks and kisses: Behavioral experts say that dogs offer their owners kisses as a sign of submissiveness. Since you’re the one who feeds and cares for them, they see you as the dominant member of the “pack.” Dogs also give kisses to their human family to show affection and appreciation.
Your dog cuddles with you: Nothing feels better than snuggling with your dog after a stressful day at work. Studies reveal that petting canines can decrease stress and anxiety, another reason to appreciate the furry friends in our lives.
They jump up and wag their tail when you come home: Your pet will anxiously await your return when you’re gone all day at work or school. If you walk in the door and they immediately jump on you, that’s a clear sign of unconditional love! They may also greet you by wagging their tail or wiggling back and forth in excitement.

Here is a fun bonus fact about pups. Did you know that their heart rate increases when you say, ‘I love you?’ A canine behavioral expert discovered that dogs’ heart rate jumps 46.2% when they hear those three words. We don’t know what will if that doesn’t melt your heart!

Final Thoughts on Study That Reveals How Dogs Cry Tears of Joy

If you ever see your dog cry, don’t become alarmed. It just means your best friend feels overjoyed to see you! Or, if your canine just had puppies, she might shed happy tears at the thought of being a mom. Japanese researchers found that dogs cry in response to oxytocin, the “love hormone.” They found that dogs produced more tears when they reunited with their owners after several hours apart.

Also, the study authors determined that humans felt a stronger urge to care for dogs with “puppy eyes.” It seemed that when participants saw a dog cry, it also increased their oxytocin levels.

Science Explains 10 Reasons You Should Walk After Every Meal

November 4, 2022 by Power of Positivity

Do you often enjoy a leisurely walk after eating? Your habit of post-dinner walking might be better for your well-being than you had realized. In fact, science now agrees that even minimal exercise after eating is better than none at all.

A beautiful Chinese proverb says a great journey starts with the first step. You may have noticed the fitness fad of people wearing pedometers to measure their steps. Many medical professionals recommend that most individuals take at least 10,000 steps daily.

So, you’ll find countless fitness enthusiasts chatting about how many steps they need to complete to reach their goals. Maybe you’re one of them and have been counting those steps for a while. Even if you don’t hit the recommended plan, some exercise is better than none.

Carving Out the Time to Get in Some Post-Meal Exercise

Honestly, it’s a lot of work to keep up with the demands of raising a family and working. You wouldn’t be dishonest if you exclaim that you’ve little time to stroll around the block. However, you can make it a routine if you are determined to get your feet moving after every meal.

What if the weather isn’t cooperating with you, and you’ve no desire to be out in a storm? You can take a few steps around the house after eating. Make it a double benefit, and carry a basket to pick up clutter.

If you have a gym membership, you can take advantage of their running courts. For years, people have taken extra steps by walking around the perimeter of their local shopping mall a few times. All that is important is that you get your feet moving, especially after meals.

Ten Reasons Why You Should Walk after Eating

Maybe you’re like countless others and go into a slump after eating. If you take an enjoyable stroll instead, you will notice a difference. Here are ten reasons to consider taking a short walk after meals.

1. Walking Improves Your Digestion

As you sit around the table chatting after eating, your body has already started the task of digestion. It’s busy breaking your food into vital nutrients that your body will absorb for energy. If you don’t move around after a meal, the process may be slower, and you’ll soon notice it.

However, taking a walk afterward and getting your body moving can accelerate your digestion. The gentle exercise gives your stomach and intestines a little energy boost. A leisurely after-meal walk can also reduce bloating or lethargy if you’ve eaten more than usual.

2. A Short Walk Boosts Your Mood

Nothing is more satisfying than enjoying a delicious meal with family or friends. Nevertheless, you may feel a bit heavy and tired afterward. Do you know that familiar brain fog after a Thanksgiving turkey dinner and all the trimmings?

An article published by the Harvard School of Medicine states that walking can increase endorphins in your brain. These “feel good” hormones can lift your mood and increase your sense of well-being. Just a fifteen- to twenty-minute stroll around the block can do the trick.

3. Exercise Supports Your Blood Glucose Levels

Your body absorbs glucose, carbohydrates, and other nutrients from the food you eat and turns them into fuel. Think of your body as one of the most complex engines in the universe. Food becomes your fuel to keep your body’s engine running correctly and smoothly.

Glucose, or sugar, is a chemical that energizes your body or is stored in your fat cells for later. Your pancreas secretes insulin into your bloodstream, managing your glucose levels. If your body becomes insulin-resistant due to obesity or other health conditions, you can develop type two diabetes.

Adopting a healthy diet can lower your risks of this dangerous disease. According to an American Diabetes Association study, regular daily walks can help. Twenty minutes a day helped participants reduce their risk of type two diabetes by thirty percent.

If you already have type two diabetes, moving your feet may help manage your condition. An article published by the National Library of Medicine suggests that a short daily stroll may lower your risk factors by 0.2 percent. The best time to consider your journey around the block is right after eating.

4. You’ll Sleep Better After a Walk

Most people don’t have a problem with nearly falling into a coma induced by a calorie-laden meal. Not only do your serotonin levels rise, but your body diverts blood supply to your busy digestive system. The classic results are pleasant drowsiness that gives way to a long post-meal nap in your favorite recliner.

Your food-induced slumber may be satisfying only temporarily. Chances are that your overworked digestive system will cause you problems at bedtime. Symptoms such as heartburn, bloating, and stomach pains aren’t conducive to sleep.

Instead of surrendering to a tempting snooze after eating, why not wander outside and work off extra calories? Walking can increase your serotonin, the sleep hormone’s gateway to melatonin. You can burn fat and calories and enjoy a better night’s sleep.

5. Walking May Improve Your Circulation

Have you noticed how your pulse often races when you’re running? Your brain dumps more adrenaline into your bloodstream as your body moves. Cardio workouts can strengthen your heart and blood vessels and improve your circulation.

Fortunately, you don’t have to run and wear out your knees to reap the same benefits. Quick steps can also raise your pulse and respiration while being kinder to your bones and joints. After eating, those hikes through the woods can increase circulation and benefit your entire body.

6. Your Body May Burn Some Fat

Unfortunately, many people consume high-calorie meals and snacks and don’t exercise. When you eat more calories than you burn, the excess calories are stored as fatty deposits in your body. Being overweight can lead to obesity, significantly contributing to serious health problems.

Instead of being a couch potato after meals, make a habit of taking a little stroll outside. If you’re already reducing your calorie intake, exercise can create a calorie deficit, which is good. You’ll burn those extra pounds and see a leaner, healthier figure.

7. Boost Your Creativity

When you spend time absorbing the beauty of nature, you can’t help but be inspired. You can’t experience such exhilaration by lounging in front of the television or playing video games. Let Mother Nature inspire your creativity by exploring her colorful landscapes and playful woodland creatures.

If you live in the country, you’re blessed with forests and other natural wonders that make post-meal hikes a pleasure. However, you can still enjoy the great outdoors in the city or suburbs. Take your stroll through a park or any green space that revives your soul with joy and wonder.

8. Spend Quality Time with Family and Friends

Perhaps the only thing more gratifying than an after-dinner stroll is taking it with someone close to you. It’s classically romantic to wander through the woods or in a park holding hands. You can have meaningful conversations and create moments that you’ll never forget.

Why not consider making a post-meal hike a daily routine with your family? Help your youngsters identify trees, insects, or other wildlife they see. Maybe you could start a rock collection or gather interesting shells while wandering on the beach.

Are you tired of experiencing the mid-day slumps after lunch at work? Enlist a fellow employee or two and take a walk around the block. You’ll be energized for the rest of the day and get to know your coworkers better.

9. Walking Helps You Learn Something New

While meandering through the park after a meal, you can use the opportunity to increase your knowledge. Upload an educational podcast to listen to as you go or listen to them live. You can also learn a foreign language and practice with lessons uploaded on your mobile device.

10. Walk to Bond With Your Pet

Your furry friends will adore you even more if you take them for leisurely walks after you eat. Most inside pets crave some time outdoors, especially dogs. Strolling along with you gets them used to a leash and offers socialization with other people.

Canines are creatures of habit, and soon, your pet will anticipate these routine outings with you. Don’t be surprised if they are waiting patiently by the dinner table. Another benefit of frequent outdoor trips is that you’ll see fewer accidents on the floor.

Final Thoughts on Short Walks After Meals

There’s no denying that exercise can benefit you physically, mentally, and spiritually. Simple things like taking a short stroll after meals can have noticeable benefits. You’ll get the exercise your body needs and nourishment for your soul.

Therapists Explain 6 Ways Art Can Make You Happier

November 4, 2022 by Power of Positivity

Do you consider yourself artistic, or do coloring sessions with your children count as your only outlet? Art museums exist from coast to coast, yet only a tiny fraction of the population views these fantastic works. Art can be much more than just painting or doing sculptures, as creativity can be a way to lift your spirits and enhance your mood.

When you channel your creativity, you’re unlocking many therapeutic benefits. You likely listen to music. Have you heard a tune about someone losing their girlfriend or boyfriend or their dog running away? Music is another form of expression that helps people deal with their issues. Some of the greatest songs come from the depths of a broken heart and soul.

Finding an Outlet for Your Pain and Negativity

Consider Eric Clapton’s song Tears in Heaven. He lost his young child, Conner, when he fell out of the window on the 53rd floor of a high-rise building in NYC. The child was four years old, and Clapton was supposed to watch him when he took that fateful tumble. According to the Associated Press, this caused Clapton to spiral into a deep depression, and he wrote the song Tears in Heaven to help deal with the pain.

Art can be music, or it can be tons of other things, but the therapeutic benefits cannot be ignored. Now, every time you do something artistic, it doesn’t mean you’ll reap significant benefits, but when you use it as an outlet, it can be beneficial. The song from Clapton shows raw emotion you can feel even if you don’t know the story behind the music, and you can find similar ways to express yourself.

Ways Art Can Make You Happier

A study by Americans for the Arts found through a public poll that more than two-thirds of the population use art to uplift the spirit. It can stimulate the receptors in the brain that bring pleasure and reward. Here are some of the benefits of enhancing your creativity.

1. Art Kicks Stress Out of Your Life

To live is to experience stress, so you need coping skills to combat these feelings. Art has been known to generate the feel-good chemicals that help to kick stress out of your life. Have you ever heard the term “art-therapy?”

Facilities all over the globe use this form of therapy to help with things from mental illness to dementia. When you’re creating something from the innermost workings of your mind, there’s no right or wrong answer. You can make whatever you want without reservation.

Some folks paint works that are wild and uninterpreted, much like the paintings of the famous Kandinsky. Abstract art often depicts what’s deep inside the soul and is a way to release those feelings that haunt you.

2. Creativity Has a Physical Effect on the Body

You might think it sounds silly to say that paintings physically affect your body, but it’s true. Whether confusing or pleasurable, viewing true talent triggers a response and stimulates you. The power of creativity can be felt when you look at paintings like the Mona Lisa done by Leonardo da Vinci, and you can’t help but have tears in your eyes.

Some folks probably feel moved because of the significance of this piece, while others appreciate raw talent. A historical battle scene painting might transport you to another time and place. Yet, a religious image might make you feel closer to heaven as you see a picture of Jesus and the angels.

Creativity is powerful, as it helps you move from the physical realm and go to another reality. It might be the mental escape you need.

3. Art Speaks to Your Soul

Using your creative side can send you a powerful message. It’s therapeutic because it stimulates emotions and forces you to see reality. For instance, someone who paints a dark and disturbing picture might be forced to deal with the reality that they’re not in a good place.

What’s on the inside always comes to the outside; this is one way you can safely express yourself. Edvard Munch painted one of the most expressive paintings of all times with “The Scream.” Common words describing this piece include eerie, scary, and painful. Some believe that the Norwegian Expressionist was trying to show human anxiety, while many other opinions exist.

Another famous artist was Vincent Van Gogh. He was known to be a troubled soul who often fought mental illness. Yet, his paintings were some of the most brilliant works. His creativity knew no bounds, and while it took you a while to decipher the message in his pieces, they always had a powerful meaning.

4. Creativity Makes You More Mindful of the Things Around You

Have you ever stopped and examined the magnificence of a snowflake? Have you ever got close and personal with an owl and looked at its long eyelashes? Do you make time to notice things such as the rain dripping from the leaves of the trees?

So often, people go through life and let the littlest things pass them by, but these things are often the most precious. Using creativity, you can capture these moments by painting, taking a picture, or in many other ways. Now some things aren’t moving you at all, but other things will speak to you and make you more mindful of the magnificence of planet Earth.

5. A Creative Outlet Teaches You to Live in the Moment

Did you know there are incredible works around you, but many people never venture too far to explore them? Even something as quirky as the train station can allow you to see the creative sides of people waiting in boredom for the next ride. Think of all the time you’ve passed art by in your life, and you’ve never appreciated the talent of others.

Some might consider graffiti a mess, considering only the costs of thousands of dollars to remove someone’s clever work. However, what if we examined the talent and appreciated the effort instead of focusing on a clean-up? According to Eden Gallery, these once despised markings are now praised for the artistic talent of the creator.

While not every person receives this work positively, more folks accept these creative drawings. It’s an expression that we must channel properly. Would you be surprised that this isn’t a new type of inspiration? Graffiti goes back to the times of cavepeople when folks used to draw and carve on the stone walls.

Graffiti-Art is now becoming popular in some galleries to help move these works from the streets to the showroom. When the people who make these works can use their inner passion to put something on a canvas, they can make money and even exhibit their work. Isn’t that what they all wanted to be seen and heard?

Moving on from graffiti, which is often hard to miss, have you ever considered the architecture of the buildings around you? Art can open your heart and mind to see things through other people’s lenses. You may find that your view on things differs vastly from those who walk beside you.

6. Art Improves Your Mental Health

The famous artist Van Gogh used painting to clear his mind, and you can do the same thing today. You can engage in artistic expression, which can help boost your morale and make you happy. You can create anything you want with a pencil, crayon, or paintbrush in your hand.

Maybe you’re going through a rough patch where you have lots of depression and anxiety. Why not sit to the piano and write a song expressing your inner pain? Rather than ruminating on everything wrong in your life, you can express yourself through music or other art forms.

The University of Calgary did a study about how using an arts-rich life can help to improve mental health. They found the cognitive-reflective aspects allowed people to shift mental focus from the negative to the positive. Even studies prove how these creative sides can enhance your brain, so it’s even more reason to engage in creativity.

Final Thoughts on Finding Happiness Through Art

One theory is that some of the most creative people were mad. Consider the greats like Beethoven and Van Gogh, for instance. These were emotionally unstable men who fought hard against mental illness. Perhaps there is a link between creativity and madness, but much research proves that artistic expression is a great way to fight those inner demons.

The truth is that vitamin or mental supplements can’t do what unleashing your creative side can do for you. When you’re drawing, sculpting, painting, and playing music, you’re entering a state where you’re more self-aware. Many say they’re not artistic and have no talents, but you may surprise yourself if you try it.

You might not play the piano like Liberace, but you may have the talent to draw impressionist pieces that are gallery-worthy. The key is to use artistic expression to surround yourself with creativity. Before long, you will notice that your mind will be churning with all sorts of ideas, and you’re happier and feeling better than you have in years.

4 Ways Being Mindful Improves Your Relationships

November 4, 2022 by Lakeisha Ethans

Mindfulness is a hot topic in the world of mental wellness, and tons of research has shown that it is effective for personal happiness, mental health, and growth. But did you know that being mindful can help others, too?

Yes, it’s true! Science has found that being mindful benefits, not just you but those in your life! If that’s not a reason to begin practicing the skill of mindfulness, we don’t know what is! But how does it work? Here are four ways being mindful improves your relationships.

1. It Allows You To Appreciate Others

Feeling unappreciated is a very common reason for tension and dissatisfaction in relationships. Mindfulness teaches the positive emotion of gratitude by making you more aware of all the wonderful things in your life. This includes a greater appreciation and thankfulness for the people around you, fostering happier and healthier relationships.

Studies have found that regular expressions of gratitude have positive effects on romantic relationships, so it’s fair to conclude that they can be similarly effective on various relationships of various intimacy levels. Better yet, being the provider of gratitude increases your own happiness in relationships, too, so you’ll benefit from this mindful pattern.

But how does mindfulness tie into all of this on a deeper level? Well, mindfulness is famous for improving your awareness of your internal world. But it also simultaneously increases awareness of the external world, allowing you to become more grounded in the present. You’ll see new beauty and blessings that you couldn’t see before, including those bestowed upon you through your relationships.

But now that you’re aware of how good your relationships are, where do you go from there? Mindfulness may make you appreciative, but you must express that appreciation.

You can do so by:

Making sure to thank the people in your life for what they do for you
Giving compliments to people when you notice their strengths, improvements, or efforts
Writing thank you notes for significant or notable acts of kindness that others have performed toward you
Ensuring that you never take those in your life for granted

2. It Aids Emotional Management

Mindfulness allows you to become more aware of the landscape of your feelings and emotions and those of others. This awareness lends itself to improved management and positive moderation of these emotions and your natural responses to them. Contrary to what it sounds like, this doesn’t refer to the act of repressing or denying feelings. Instead, it means:

Becoming more understanding and insightful of these feelings.
It allows you to regulate your emotions due to your closer connection to them.
Improving your sensitivity and awareness of your feelings.
Gaining improved perspective on your emotions, allowing you to use rationality to soften them as needed.
Developing better responses to emotions.
Understanding the true roots of your feelings.

How does this benefit relationships?

Well, it’s only natural that being able to comprehend and regulate emotions can affect the people around you. Specifically, this aid comes from:

Improved ability to regulate negative emotions so you don’t lash out at others.
Better insight into the incitement of other people’s emotions and their roots, so you don’t take them personally.
Better ability to be empathetic towards other people’s feelings.
Improved ability to communicate and explain your own emotions.
Heightened control over high-intensity emotions.

Of course, it is easier said than done to apply mindfulness to your and other people’s relationships naturally.

· Face The Emotion Directly

It can be tempting to turn away from your feelings – and the feelings of others. Emotions can be overwhelming for you and other people, and they can be intimidating to look at directly. But in order to use mindfulness, you must bravely and directly face the emotion. If it is your own emotion, take a deep breath and acknowledge the feeling, then pay attention to your thoughts carefully. This will let you analyze each unique individual word in those thoughts. If it is someone else’s emotion, focus on your natural defensive instincts and gently lay those instincts down. Focus on exploring the emotions that person is dealing with by observing them and tracing their roots. Validate those emotions!

· Make Space From Emotions

Emotions come with powerful waves of overwhelming energy. This makes them so overwhelming and can even make you feel controlled by them. Mindfulness allows you to separate yourself from those emotions and observe them as a witness instead of someone directly involved. If someone else is dealing with emotions, separate yourself from those strong feelings and take none of it personally. Instead, be grounded, like a rock for that person to tether them, and you can mindfully ask them what it is they’re feeling and guide them through their emotions.

· Put A Pause On Big Emotions

Regulating your own emotions with mindfulness means that you can hit pause on them and question their validity, appropriateness, and rationality. With mindfulness, you can tell your emotions to calm down and greet them with a more logical mind without the need for harmful repression. This affects the way you interact with the world around you. So when you feel those sweeping emotions, stop them in their tracks and ask them why they’re there to begin with!

3. It Helps You Correct Certain Behaviors

While good relationships of any nature involve accepting each other’s flaws, it’s no secret that certain flaws can be detrimental to relationships. A lot of the responses you may naturally have in a relationship – whether romantic, familial, platonic, or otherwise – are habitual, meaning you need to actually put effort into changing them.

But if you’ve ever tried to break a habit, you know how tough that can be. And it’s even more complicated when these routine reactions are conditioned and natural, occurring almost subconsciously. It can take more than just trying to shift them actually to create change. And that’s how mindfulness practice helps. Here’s how, in more detail:

· Mindfulness Makes You Aware

When you’re mindful, you can tune into your habitual behaviors and become much more aware of them. This allows you to recognize your natural reactions in relationships and trace them to their roots, so you see them for what they are.

· Mindfulness Changes Your Brain

Changing subconscious habits requires rewiring your brain, and mindfulness does that, according to research. Practicing mindfulness helps to shift the functional and structural conception of your neural circuits. This means you can unlearn automatic reactions and habitual behaviors by rewiring your pathways to different types of responses!

· Mindfulness Breeds Acceptance

As the people around you also work on their personal growth, being mindful will help you to accept the flaws in your relationships and be patient with the people working on changing them. Your acceptance will allow those in your life to feel supported by you, and they’ll support your efforts in growth in kind.

4. It Reduces Stress

A lot of the conflict that may arise in a relationship of any kind comes from high stress levels. You are less likely to manage disagreements and rough patches if you’re already in a state of depleted positive thinking, high-strung anxiety, or fight-or-flight stress. This is why mindfulness is so beneficial – it helps you manage stress long-term, preparing you in advance for relationship troubles.

Your interactions with other people are most likely to be effective and beneficial if your stress levels are well-managed and contained. Lower stress levels allow you to stay grounded to reality, connected to the people you’re interacting with, and rational in emotional situations.

When you are mindful, you can react in a more positive or appropriate way to a stressful situation. This is because you can remain aware of your emotions and reality all at once while maintaining empathy and understanding for the people around you. No wonder it helps relationships!

And even when you’re not in stressful environments, the natural reduction of psychological stress, thanks to mindfulness, is good for maintaining connectivity to your relationships on a regular basis. Even when you’re calm, the lower general stress works wonders!

Of course, natural mindful stress-reduction can take a while to learn. If you are engaged in conflict with someone in your life and can’t get mindful, request about five minutes to collect your thoughts before continuing. This benefits both parties’ stress levels, but more importantly, it allows you to perform a mindfulness exercise.

Follow these steps.

Get into a comfortable position. This may be a sitting or lying down position. It would help if you also tried to find a relatively quiet environment to perform this exercise in.
Ground yourself by taking deep, slow breaths. If you are in a heightened state of emotion, this may take a couple of minutes.
Once your mind and body are settled, put one hand onto your chest and the other onto your stomach. This position will allow you to feel your breaths.
Breathe in deeply and fill your stomach, not your chest. With your hands, take note of the air that fills your stomach and make sure that most of the “rise” in your body from the inhalation is in your belly, not your chest.
Keep breathing slowly, in and out, from your belly for about five minutes. When you feel calmer, you can get up and leave the room and return to the discussion.

If you want to really practice mindfulness regularly, you should make it a habit to spend five minutes every day performing the aforementioned breathing exercise. You can even do it multiple times a day or whenever you enter a state of stress. This will help your positive thinking and build a better response to stress, making your interactions with others more positive.

Final Thoughts On How Mindfulness Can Improve Relationships

Relationships require work from all parties involved to remain happy, healthy, and satisfactory. Mindfulness can help in that endeavor, giving you the chance to appreciate the people in your life, be understanding of flaws, correct negative habits, and help with stress and emotional management. Need help with mindfulness? Speak to a therapist or similar professional!

Psychologist Reveals the Power of Reaching Out to Others

November 4, 2022 by Kristen Lawrence

We often don’t realize the importance of reaching out to the people in our lives. Many people feel lonely and isolated in our busy world and long to connect with others in their free time. Unfortunately, connecting with people usually becomes secondary to other pressing matters, such as careers and family life. We need to normalize compassion, kindness, and connecting with others.

However, American Psychological Association (APA) researchers found that others appreciate us reaching out more than we’d think, especially if it’s unexpected.

“People are fundamentally social beings and enjoy connecting with others,” said lead author Peggy Liu, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh. “There is much research showing that maintaining social connections is good for our mental and physical health. However, despite the importance and enjoyment of social connection, our research suggests that people significantly underestimate how much others will appreciate being reached out to.”

The research appeared in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

For the study, the team performed several experiments with over 5,900 volunteers. They wanted to investigate how accurate people were at predicting how much others valued them reaching out. The researchers also wanted to examine which situations or scenarios made people the most appreciative.

In one experiment, researchers asked half the participants to recall the last time they emailed, called, or texted a friend “just because” or “just to catch up.” They specifically wanted to know about people reaching out to others after an extended period of no contact.

They asked the remainder of the participants to remember a situation where someone contacted them after a prolonged period. Next, depending on the circumstances, they asked volunteers to rate how appreciative, grateful, or happy they felt to reconnect. Participants rated their experience on a 7-point scale (1=not at all, 7=to a great extent).

What the Study About Reaching Out to Others Revealed

People who remembered reaching out to someone significantly underestimated how much they appreciated the compassion. However, those who recalled receiving a message or phone call reported being very pleased or grateful.

In other experiments, participants delivered a short message, or a note and a small present, to a friend they hadn’t contacted in a while. Like the prior experiments, participants who initiated contact had to rate the experience on a 7-point scale.

Specifically, researchers asked how much they thought the recipient would appreciate or feel pleased by the connection. After receiving their surprise, recipients also had to rate their appreciation and gratitude for the notes or gifts.

Researchers found those who initiated contact significantly undervalued how much recipients would appreciate them reaching out in all experiments. They also discovered that a specific scenario impacted the extent to which someone appreciated the communication.

“We found that people receiving the communication placed greater focus than those initiating the communication on the surprise element, and this heightened focus on surprise was associated with higher appreciation,” said Liu. “We also found that people underestimated others’ appreciation to a greater extent when the communication was more surprising, as opposed to part of a regular communication pattern, or the social ties between the two participants were weak.”

Never Underestimate the Value of Kindness and Compassion

Unfortunately, many people have grown distant from others in their lives, especially during the pandemic. For instance, people who used to work in an office together and now work remotely may have lost contact. This scenario provides a perfect opportunity to reconnect, primarily if you haven’t spoken in a while.

Of course, you might hesitate to initiate contact with someone after not talking for some time. You may feel nervous about how the person will respond or if they will even acknowledge your message. However, the findings suggest that these worries are largely unfounded. People generally appreciate when others try to reconnect, especially when it’s a surprise.

“I sometimes pause before reaching out to people from my pre-pandemic social circle for a variety of reasons. When that happens, I think about these research findings and remind myself that other people may also want to reach out to me and hesitate for the same reasons,” Liu said. “I then tell myself that I would appreciate it so much if they reached out to me and that there is no reason to think they would not similarly appreciate my reaching out to them.”

If you haven’t heard from a friend for a while, don’t think twice about sending them a message. It’s been a rough few years for most of us, and it never hurts to check in with people. It may mean a lot more to them than you’d think.

Other Ways to Show Compassion to Others

Reaching out to others isn’t the only way to show compassion and care for your fellow humans. If you want to extend your love to people outside your social circle, here are a few random acts of kindness ideas:

Pay for someone’s food or drinks at a restaurant or drive-thru. The people behind you will likely pay it forward, creating a chain of kindness!
Donate to your local food bank or homeless shelter. Compassion can go a long way, and the organization will feel grateful for whatever you offer.
Leave an extra tip for your waiter or waitress. If you can, give $10-20 more than you normally would at your next meal. In these challenging times, your servers will feel even more appreciative!
Provide water or food for animals in your neighborhood. We can’t forget our animal friends when reaching out to others. During ongoing droughts and habitat loss, animals desperately need our help.
Give someone a free hug. You never know what people go through in their minds. So, open your heart and offer a big hug to the next person you see. They might need it more than you’d imagine.

Final Thoughts on the Power of Reaching Out and Showing Compassion and Kindness

We often don’t prioritize reaching out to the people around us, whether they’re friends, family, or colleagues. However, a study by the APA shows that an unexpected message can mean so much to others. They found that the element of surprise played a significant role in how appreciative people felt about the connection. So, don’t hesitate to shoot your old friend a message – after all, you never know what they might be going through.

4 Levels of Intuition, According to Science

November 3, 2022 by Lakeisha Ethans

The human brain constantly absorbs vast amounts of information. The ability to make sense of this internal wisdom without active, conscious attempts at reasoning and analysis is intuition. There are many differing opinions surrounding what makes someone intuitive.

Some people view this ability as a skill that can be honed and sharpened like any other practical ability. Others see it as a more spiritual experience or a gift they can use for metaphysical purposes.

With all these ideas floating around, what can you know about intuition? Science has something to say about how intuitive wisdom works. So here are the four levels of intuition, according to science.

1. Intuition Level 1: Gut Instinct

The first level of intuition is a reasonably simple concept and one you’re likely familiar with: gut instinct. This impulse is rooted in natural survival instincts and the desire for security and safety. Unfortunately, many individuals falsely equate all intuition with gut instinct, even though it is only the first level of this form of wisdom.

There’s something very primal and profound about gut instinct. Unfortunately, it’s a very binary experience – you get the urge to go or stop, say yes or no, or feel safe or unsafe, depending on your gut. While gut instinct should not be your sole decision-making tool, it can help answer questions about your best interests, current situation, and safety. When you have little time to think and rationally analyze a problem, a gut instinct can be your savior.

How Reliable Is Gut Instinct?

Is gut instinct genuinely reliable? Studies say that emotion-based learning is a viable way to avoid serious problems. This is because:

The human brain naturally and subconsciously notes patterns and information as input and concludes them. So even if you are not consciously aware of these things, your brain is alerting you to its knowledge with gut feelings.
When you are aware of a riskier situation, your body naturally exhibits the somatic markers of a stress response, such as accelerated heartbeats and sweating. These serve as valuable warnings and steer you away from wrong choices.
There are some things that the human brain picks up on automatically, even if you cannot actively take notice of these factors. Research shows this is especially notable when you must discern if someone is lying; you fail to notice deception by ignoring your gut and focusing on the facts.
Overthinking things can be your downfall! Spending too long analyzing something can cause you to make poorer decisions based on facts and careful thought, say studies. Your brain has often noted the most crucial information in a situation before you’ve had the chance to consider everything consciously!

There are, of course, some caveats to this. High emotional intelligence yields better gut instinct, according to research. When you can parse, process, and regulate your emotions, you can interpret them accurately and correctly determine the right course of action from your intuition.

2. Intuition Level 2: Heart-Based Intelligence

Heart-based intelligence is about compassion and courage and how that can be used for interpersonal relationships, communications, and deeper connections with others and your surroundings. Experts may refer to this as intuitive intelligence, the second level of genuine intuition.

For the most part, heart-based intelligence is a guiding form of intuition that helps you:

Communicate in unspoken ways,
Bond in ways that can’t be rationally described,
Say and do appropriate things in unique or sensitive moments,
Discover what you love,
Bring your best self into the world,
Release fear and be courageous in your decisions.

Many people consider “following your heart” an inherently irrational term. Though the concept is romanticized, it is also widely considered the less wise thing to do. This outcome is not necessarily the case. The heart is more than just a tender and mushy thing – it’s a crucial organ in the body connected to many different physical parts of you. Consider:

The heart has a nervous system independent of the rest, comprising about 40,000 neurons!
The heartbeat constantly communicates information to the rest of your body and thus gets it all in order following a synchronized rhythm.
Many common emotions associated with the heart, such as compassion and love, are known to calm stress and the sympathetic nervous system while improving restful parasympathetic nervous system activity.
Your heart mirrors your emotions. Thus, you allow the organ to contribute to level one intuition.

Of course, this does not mean you should follow your heart alone. On the contrary, the ultimate goal of heart-based intelligence is to form a powerful and profound connection with your brain. As a result, both organs work in harmony. Examples of this harmony include:

Forgiveness

The brain wants to remember the wrong done to you because this is crucial for survival. Knowing that someone is not safe or may wrong you again is vital to your brain’s protection of you. However, holding grudges is notoriously bad for wellbeing, and heart-based intelligence allows you to forgive people for your own sake. Coherence means you’ll always be wise in your interactions with this individual, but you won’t bog yourself down with resentment.

Appreciation

The brain naturally seeks negative things over positive ones as information collection and protection. You focus on abundance and survival over living in the moment. By using heart-based intelligence, you can balance this impulse and learn to appreciate the small things around you without losing wisdom and awareness.

Non-judgment

It’s normal for the human brain to judge snappily based on what it sees. This is crucial for gut instinct intuition! However, judgment does not always serve a purpose. Being overly judgmental will damage your relationships with others and make you cold, jaded, and unpleasant. Heart-based intelligence will make you kinder and more compassionate, releasing the hold of judgment on your perception and making you more open-minded.

3. Intuition Level 3: Visionary Power

Many falsely equate level three intuitive skills with extrasensory perception, psychic abilities, and the metaphysical. On the contrary, visionary power and certainty come from your physical reality. This powers your creativity and imagination, promoting new intuitive intelligence that encourages you to reach for new possibilities, innovative solutions, and approaches.

Visionary power encourages you to go against the grain intuitively, supplemented by wisdom and awareness. It is not as simple as blindly following pipe dreams. Instead, it is the act of:

Putting aside jadedness and pessimism and working toward goals with optimism,
Considering brand new solutions to old problems,
Questioning what you may have overlooked in your logical and fact-based thoughts and approaches,
Daring to ask new, bold questions and seek new, bold answers,
Going against the status quo and creating ground-breaking new concepts.

Have you ever noticed that some people are reluctant to challenge the way things are and show no interest in leading anything remotely close to an extraordinary life? Of course, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, and it’s an excellent way to live. However, those individuals typically have shallow levels of visionary power, and their intuition does not reach this depth.

Luckily, like all things, you can learn level three intuition. Moreover, it’s a skill that you can sharpen by regularly exposing yourself to new concepts, challenging yourself to come up with unique ideas, and striving for creativity in hobbies and life.

4. Intuition Level 4: The Connection to Universal Wisdom

For the scientifically minded, level four intuition sounds like the stuff of fantasy. After all, the phrase “connection to universal wisdom” sounds like a strange, psychic version of the sci-fi concept of singularity. So how can it indeed exist?

Level four intuitive intelligence refers to unity consciousness or universal awareness, which means a profound ability to become conscious about your connection to all things. This means different things to different people.

Examples of Connecting to Universal Wisdom

Especially spiritual individuals may achieve this state during deep meditative practices, where they feel they are one with the universe,
Individuals who experience severe trauma or near-death encounters may suddenly realize how intrinsically linked they are to the world and how small but powerful they can be,
Confident individuals may understand universal awareness as the ability to captain their ship and create their change, forging their paths in life through their free will,
Altruistic individuals may see their innate ability to help others and send ripples of kindness and good vibes through the world through actions as simple as a smile and as notable as financial donations,
Mindful individuals may begin to recognize that all things in life have inherent value and may wish to appreciate that value more intentionally in their everyday life,
Any individual may be inspired to become someone’s mentor, guide, or teacher, as they see how the knowledge they have to offer can help someone and slowly make its way across a community,
Any individual may become more open-minded, realizing that differences are beautiful things to be celebrated while all human beings share innate similarities that all differences can become united under,
Any individual may become inspired to go out and seek more and more wisdom to add to their knowledge of the universe so that they may become one with it in their unique way.

Regardless of where you stand on the concept of universal wisdom, its core remains the same. Simply put, level four intuition is the innate understanding of your power in your actions to create various consequences. In other words, your intuitive decisions shape your actions and produce the desired effects. These outcomes reflect in yourself and the wider world.

Final Thoughts on Understanding the Four Levels Of Intuition

Intuition is a powerful tool. Contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with so-called ESP or psychic abilities. Indeed, it’s far from a metaphysical concept. Instead, it is a deep-seated capability rooted in the human brain’s desire for survival and protection. Anyone can learn to develop stronger intuitive knowledge, so start today and master the four levels of intuition!

Weekly tips, affirmations, and small actions to feel your best.

Every day is a day to shine. Shine on!