We live in a time where the choices that are provided to us are almost infinite. The choices of where to live, what to study, where to work, what occupation to persue and what product to choose can sometimes be overwhelming and it can make deciding which option to choose very hard. There are different strategies we can undergo that help us make a decision. But because of the endless amount of options provided to us, there are some of us (maximisers) who like to make the most of that and need to invesitigate all possibilities, whereas others (satisficers) are content with the first option they stumble upon that satisfies them. But what effect can this decision making process have on our general life satisfaction? Are maximisers happier because they find the best possible option, or are satisficers happier because they spend less time agonising over the decision? Barry Schwartz and colleagues provide the answer to these questions.... Read More

As children we are given the impression that our intelligence is a fixed characteristic that will not change throughout our lives. I don’t know about you all, but as a child I worked extremely hard at school as I thought that if I failed at school, it meant I was dumb and that I would fail at everything else in my life. What I was not told as a child, was that there are simple steps and activities you can take that will improve your intelligence, or IQ.  That is why I have done some research and compiled a list of steps you can take to improve your IQ and intelligence more generally.  So next time you take a dreaded IQ test and don’t get a very promising score, don’t throw away your dreams. Because just like anything else you want to succeed in; it’s about practise and training.... Read More

Feeling like you are having trouble with your memory? Can’t remember those little things you usually seem to be able to remember? Before you start googling Alzheimers to see if that is what you have, perhaps you should turn to something you would not normally associate with memory loss; your diet.  You may not be aware that the food you eat can have an immediate impact on your cognitive abilities.  Research published in the February 2009 edition of the Journal, Apetite, found that a diet low on carbohydrates lead to poor performance on memory tasks.... Read More

According to Dr. William Fishbein, a cognitive neuroscientist at the City University of New York, “Not only do we need to remember to sleep, but most certainly we sleep to remember.” Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night, randomly remembering that thing you were supposed to have done last week but totally forgot to do? Or have you ever woken up with a great idea for your next blog post/book/assignment or a great solution to a problem you have been trying to fix. Recent studies on how sleep helps the brain process memories may provide an answer to why these random thoughts come to us during our sleep.... Read More

Our physical health is always something that we are reminded of. We are always told that we need to keep our bodies physically active so that we have longer and healthier lives as we get older. But something that is never stressed is the importance of our mental/brain health.... Read More

This week marked the start of my exam period, and i’ve been busy studying and revising. A study method i use to get through all the material in such a short period of time; is mind mapping. Mind maps are not only useful for studying or learning, they are also a helpful tool to organise your thoughts when brainstorming and problem solving.... Read More