Applied Psychology Archives

You Procrastinate Because Of Emotions, Not Laziness. Regulate Them To Stop Procrastinating!

November 19, 2019May 4, 2019 by Aditya Shukla

I am so stressed that relaxing makes me more stressed because I am not working on what's making me stressed

There are two trains of thought – One leads to procrastination and one leads to motivation. And somewhere in between, there is a junction called anxiety. Let’s first look at the procrastination train of thought (at least that’s going somewhere, amirite?). People often think procrastination is about time management, laziness, or a weak will but …

You Can Mentally Slow Down Time To Savor The Moment. Brain Time Dilation Is A Thing.

November 1, 2019March 6, 2019 by Aditya Shukla

How to slow down time to make a moment last longer

The brain experiences ‘time’ very differently compared to how it experiences information from other senses. It is actually possible to savor a moment deliberately and slow down time so you can enjoy it as much as you’d like. Time is a variable- not in a physical sense; not in a metaphysical sense – in a …

Cognitive Load Theory: Definition, Types, And Applications For Learning [Guest Post]

July 24, 2019February 24, 2019 by Guest Author

Humans are simple in a way: Information comes in through our senses, stuff happens in the brain, and then the information is used. When I say information, I really mean what you see, feel, hear, touch, taste, and think. This information is re-packaged in the brain. Repackaging takes resources. The quantity of resources the brain …

The Fundamental Science Of Brain-Based Learning: 7 Subconscious Brain Functions And Learning Processes

July 24, 2019February 14, 2019 by Aditya Shukla

I won’t tell you what you can do today to learn better or be smarter, but I will tell you what the brain does for you. The brain is a complex learning machine. While you can deliberately learn by using strategies, I will share with you what happens behind the scenes. The brain has a …

How to be smarter: 50+ actionable tips to have a sharp mind and increase intelligence

July 24, 2019December 27, 2018 by Aditya Shukla

These are 50 actionable activities YOU can do to become smarter, keep your mind young and active, and gain experience-based intelligence. Have you ever wondered – what are some healthy activities I can do for my mind, body, and soul (?)? Look no further. Here are 50+ answers. 1. Accept that you do not know …

The scientific truth behind ‘Fake it till you make it’

September 4, 2019December 4, 2018 by Aditya Shukla

It really works. You can fake it till you make it. You can fake a smile to become happier. After analyzing 138 studies, researchers have strong evidence to show that smiling can make you happy. You can fake confidence to increase it and then lower anxiety. But not exactly, not always. If you wish to …

8 Neuroscientific techniques to learn how to play the guitar better

August 15, 2019November 17, 2018 by Aditya Shukla

Improve guitar playing skills using insights from psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive science

We are going to look at a very specific set of tips on how to master the guitar. These specific strategies are in the realm of ‘Psychology & Neuroscience to learn the guitar better.’ Why do we need to take this approach? Because many guitarists spend time practicing inefficiently. Here are a few examples: Practice 3-4 …

How to Increase Productivity? The Ultimate Psychological Guide

September 23, 2019October 2, 2018 by Aditya Shukla

The ultimate guide on how to get better at work and increase productivity

You know, people have been giving productivity advice for ages. People have published so many books which outline tips on how to increase productivity. This article is going to take a different approach. I am going to show you how to be productive using psychological insights. Not copying the habits of Bill Gates or Steve …

MOOCs and the unexpected advantages of online learning

July 24, 2019September 25, 2018 by Aditya Shukla

What are MOOCs and what are the benefits of online learning

I’ve done courses from the following fields: genetics, python coding, neurobiology, calculus, music, astrobiology, learning, teacher training, introductory Chinese and a few more. I volunteered as a community mentor to help students as well. This post will clearly outline the benefits of doing an online course like those found on Coursera or MIT open courseware. …

The Peter Principle OR Why Everyone Sucks At Their Job – tips to overcome incompetency in the work place

July 24, 2019August 24, 2018 by Aditya Shukla

Back in 1969, a guy called Laurence Peter made a shrewd observation and published a book on it – The Peter Principle. If you are someone’s boss, you probably know this. You can skip ahead to the part where I discuss how to counter the Peter Principle. I’m certain everyone has a friend who complains about …

How does background music affect work productivity and creativity? 10 research findings

July 25, 2019July 14, 2018 by Aditya Shukla

Leaving all anecdotes aside, let us look at the scientific evidence. Considering the value of this question in our day-to-day lives, I’ll summarize music psychology research here. Research has given us quite a few valuable insights into how music affects our minds and behavioral output. One example is: Listening to slightly distracting music in the …

Font Psychology: New research & practical insights

July 25, 2019May 28, 2018 by Aditya Shukla

Font Psychology: Bad fonts can be psychologically useful

Welcome to font psychology or the science of typography – how fonts affect cognition & behavior of people. Designers swear by the importance of fonts. They often see what most people overlook. At the superficial level, it could feel like fonts are about the beauty of the written word. But, as designers say, ‘It reflects …