psychology

The advent of mobile phone makes consuming news an anytime, anywhere habit. With it comes anxiety and other mental health issues induced by nonstop consumption of negative content. We’re going to look into the reasons driving us to overdose on negative content, despite knowing for sure that it feels unpleasant. Then we’ll examine some coping strategies to stay informed while maintaining our composure. why do we consume negative content? We are programmed by our genes to be more attentive to negativity....

Our frequent distractions amid constant changes in the outside world provoke our survival mode frequently. We easily become restless, which affects both our physical and mental health. We seem to lose touch with our innate calmness. In recent years, I find out that practicing mindfulness by turning our antenna from outward (e.g., refreshing social media, binge viewing shows, etc.) to inward (focusing on our breath, fleeting thoughts and senses) anchors me on what I can control vs the external forces that are beyond my control....

We always hear the catchy phrase you are what you think, but is this true? Recent reading of neuroscience and psychology books taught me that our brain is not trustworthy, because thinking can be unreliable due to its automatic (thus uncontrollable) mechanism. We are easily derailed by cognitive bias, and allow our contrived stories/thoughts to create negative experiences. In this post, we will see how our brain’s wirings can trip us, and how mindfulness can mitigate....

In this digital era, what values can physical bookstores still offer? In this post, we’ll look at the Japanese cultural mecca Tsutaya Daikanyama T-Site, which started a revolutionary wave of curated spaces promoting idea exchange, lifestyle exploration and rural revitalization. Its central promise is that visitors can enrich what they already know, and find some new hobbies at the same time. We’ll also look at how the company behind Tsutaya...

It’s often said that traveling offers atypical experiences that sharpen our senses and train us to be more adaptive with creative improvision. Far removed from our usual dwellings, we have no choice but to observe our environment more keenly for both survival and enjoyment. Our usual status quo no longer applies, and our eyes begin to take into things that might be deemed too bland or extreme at home. Specifically, the time you spent before, during and after a trip can be a valuable training ground for product planning and management skills....

Ask any traveler to Japan and they will tell you mouthwatering tales of what they found in convenience stores (called konbini in Japan) no matter where they go. In fact, tons of posts have been written about konbini food selections and how different they are from convenient stores elsewhere. These konbinis have, huge variety of products, from over 20 flavors of rice balls, sushi, noodles, salad, bento, sandwiches, mixed drinks, fried food, chips and cup noodles to fancy desserts, to daily essentials such as soap, shampoo, toothbrush, magazines, to emergency needs such as underwear and umbrella (I have bought so many transparent umbrellas over the years)....

Why am I here? What should I do now? These questions come to our minds from time to time, regardless of what stage of life we are in. We play many roles every day. We may be students, looking forward to improving our studies and securing a good job after graduation. We may be children, trying to live in harmony with our parents. We may also be team members, working jointly to finish a project on time to satisfy our boss or client....

“The Drowned and the Saved” is the last book from Holocaust survior and writer Primo Levi, published shortly before his suicide in 1987. In this book, he attempted to address the questions “why atrocities happened” and “how to prevent them from happening again”. In different chapters, he distilled his experiences in the camp to explore the fluidity (he termed it “the grey zone”) in human characters, the fragility of perceived memory as well as the state of mind of those in the camps....

Are these scenarios common to us or those around us? We want to create an app that millions will download and use everyday. We want to write a blog post that will be cross-linked from all popular sites and social media accounts. We spend so much time over-planning that we postpone starting the actual work. Once we actually sit down and work, we are shocked by the stark reality and keep stumbling upon blocks after blocks....