The Mindful Eating Challenge
One of the toughest challenges for me is staying conscious of food. Sometimes, I catch myself eating without even realizing I made that choice. It’s like something in me bypassed my awareness, and I reached for comfort instead of intention. These moments are difficult. I feel like I’ve let myself down—like I lost sight of […]
The No Blame Challenge
It’s easy to blame. I can blame my parents for not knowing exactly how to handle my thoughts and emotions growing up. I can blame my exes for hurting me, misleading me, or even lying. I can blame society for not being fully equal or making my day-to-day life harder. And frankly, the list could […]
The No Complaints Challenge
It’s easy to fall into the habit of complaining. The coffee isn’t hot enough. Traffic is terrible. The internet is slow. Someone didn’t text back as quickly as I’d like. None of these things are unreasonable to complain about—they’re inconvenient, frustrating, even tiring. And in the moment, voicing that frustration feels justified. But what does […]
The Rosenthal Experiment
In the 1960s, psychologist Robert Rosenthal conducted an experiment that revealed something powerful: expectations influence outcomes. In a study with elementary school students, Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson told teachers that certain students were expected to show exceptional intellectual growth based on a test. In reality, these students were chosen at random. But by the end […]
The Unfinished Business Experiment
In the 1920s, psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik noticed something interesting. Waiters in a café could remember unpaid orders in detail—but once the bill was settled, they forgot them almost instantly. Curious about this, she ran a study to dig deeper. In her experiment, a group of people was given simple tasks like solving puzzles or assembling […]
The Piano Stairs Experiment
In 2009, Volkswagen ran a social experiment in Stockholm to see if adding some fun to a mundane or even reluctant task could change behavior. They installed motion-sensitive musical steps on a staircase next to an escalator in a subway station, turning it into a giant piano. The result was an amazing 66% increase in […]
The Scar Experiment
In 1997, Harvard researchers ran a study that revealed something surprising about self-perception—what we believe about ourselves changes how we think others see us. Participants were told the study was about how facial scars influence social interactions. Makeup artists applied a realistic-looking scar to each participant’s face, making them believe they had a noticeable disfigurement. […]
The Mind-Set Matters Experiment
In 2007, researchers Alia Crum and Ellen Langer conducted an experiment that changed how we think about exercise. They studied a group of hotel housekeepers—people who spent their workdays vacuuming, scrubbing, lifting, and moving nonstop. But when asked, most of them didn’t see their work as exercise. They believed they weren’t active enough. So, the […]
SHAME – Should Have Already Mastered Everything
I’ve taken yoga classes where I felt fantastic. My flow was strong, my body moved with ease, and I left feeling like I had nailed it. But after knee surgery, everything changed. I had to relearn how to use my leg, starting with physical therapy and slow, careful steps. When I was finally able to […]
FINE – Feelings Inside Not Expressed
There have been times when I’ve felt so low, but I didn’t ask for anything. Not because I didn’t need it, but because I couldn’t bring myself to say it. It felt embarrassing to admit something as simple as I need love and affection right now. I wanted the comfort, but I also wanted the […]
