This is a guest article was contributed by Luke Strauss.

Exercise is one of the best things we can do for our health. It keeps our bodies fit and our brains anxiety-free, so that we can face the day ahead feeling confident and clear-headed. Unfortunately, for some of us, the very prospect of going ...

“Say ‘Thank You’,” you were told time and time again as a kid. Your parents just wanted you to be polite, but it turns out there’s actually a lot more to gratitude than just good manners.  

Building a practice of gratitude has been linked to better wellbeing, decreased depression, better-quality...

Every time I see friends comment “I see from your social posts that you’re doing great and very busy“, I’m flattered and disappointed at the same time.

Shame on both of us. I admittedly only post brag-worthy stuff. Who doesn’t? My friends seemingly assume that’s my entire life status. We all do ...

On a recent gray Monday, I felt unmotivated, dumpy, and otherwise disheveled. Despite my mood, I greeted the yoga instructor and classmates with genuinely warm hellos indicating that I was happy we all were there, especially after a long year of not seeing these gym friends.

A couple entered lat...

Ever drive somewhere and realize you somehow got there without really paying attention to the road the entire time?  It’s because you’re distracted at least and more likely overwhelmed.

Being overwhelmed hijacks everyone’s executive functioning, denying us presence so that we just go through the...

We’re taught that showcasing our accomplishments is “cocky”, but here’s why that’s not true: 

Cockiness is defined by “overconfidence”, meaning that you are speaking above your accomplishments, not about them. While confident behavior builds credibility and trust, cocky behavior diminishes it. 

Ow...

Ever hear the phrase, “Monkey see, monkey do”? This is often used to describe the way monkeys (and people) seem to do things without understanding it. What’s interesting is that this phrase accurately describes Giacomo Rizzolatti’s experiment with macaque monkeys in 1992. In this experiment, Rizz...

Most people think outwardness and confidence go hand in hand. From heavily socialized classrooms to open floor plan offices, western society grooms extroverted tendencies and then scans for those same traits when teasing out the leaders from the followers—believing that introverts aren’t as confi...

No matter how hard you work to strengthen and sustain your own confidence, there will always be people who put it to the test; acting in ways (whether intentionally or not) that threaten to blow your hard-earned skills to the ground, like a flimsy house of cards. 

Upon first glance, these people mi...

People who know me are often surprised that I don’t have a housekeeper. While I can afford it and with all that I manage and do, it would seem I ‘should’ have someone help.

Some people may see cleaning as something below them, a waste of time, or simply something they don’t do. Some may feel tha...

Criticism can cut, though some people have higher pain tolerances. But if you don’t consider yourself good at taking feedback, there’s hope.  Receiving constructive criticism is a learnable skill that perhaps ironically, builds confidence.

Why feedback hurts:
If criticism feels like a personal at...

Picture this: You’ve worked hard to prepare for an important meeting: researching the data, studying the numbers, and compiling notes. Come meeting day, you open your mouth to make your first point when your co-worker jumps in—speaking louder than you. When you finally do get a word in, your boss co...