Posts Written By Joseph Mazzola

Popular by Joseph Mazzola

Information Overload: Overexposure to the News Can Hurt Your Mental Health
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Mudvayne
Bang Your Head: 4 reasons why rocking out could be good for you
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Tony Robbins on the Science of Achievement
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Doctors turn to acting classes to better express empathy
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The Places You’ll (Pokemon) GO!
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Setting the bar high involves more than we think
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How to design a workspace that facilitates health
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If you have an average IQ you might be smarter than you think
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Information Overload: Overexposure to the News Can Hurt Your Mental Health

by on ·Psychology, Technology

Welcome to the information age, where answers to your questions are a click away and borderline instantaneous. Technology has brought civilization to a plane of unprecedented knowledge, leaving scholars wondering about the multidimensional ways in which it continues to impact humanity. As people communicate with one another at the speed of light, one trend you yourself may observe is a sense of information overload.

If you’re reading this, then it’s a safe bet that you’re active on some form of social media, and if you’re on social media, it’s not a stretch to assume that your news feed is perpetually updated with breaking stories and comment threads featuring people at each others’ throats.

Never forget the old saying, “If it bleeds, it leads.” This mantra has offered direction for dominating news outlets in their quest for views and ratings across time, and it isn’t showing any signs of slowing. Skewing public perception towards the most tantalizing headlines, it may seem that trending topics are nothing more than a relentless string of bad news. You’re apt to see an overabundance of horrors plaguing the world before long. There’s no doubt that tragedies occur on-the-regular, but it is important not to forget that so does beneficence.

The good news is the human race has never been as interconnected as it is now. The bad news is the human race has never been as interconnected as it is now.

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If you have an average IQ you might be smarter than you think

by on ·Psychology

The concept of emotional intelligence (EI) refers to a person’s ability to not only acknowledge and effectively (or affectively, to be even more appropriate) manage their emotional disposition but to also recognize the emotions being exhibited by others.

It is a mode of intelligence which is often overlooked since academics is primarily focused on fostering more intellectual forms of cognitive prowess. Moods, feelings, and emotions are often regarded as the “soft” side of differences amongst people, but with such a label, it is too common to underestimate their value. Possessing the ability to tune into these cues not only within you but also in others, can offer many advantages in regulating your own behavior and managing interactions with others.

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Doctors turn to acting classes to better express empathy

by on ·Psychology

Doctors find themselves in a revered and vital (pun intended) societal position.

They bear a weight that encumbers the possibility of both life and death and it was no easy feat to attain this responsibility. Getting to where they are as medical professionals involves almost a decade (and sometimes longer) of rigorous academics and practical experience but now their curriculum may be expanding to include acting and improv classes to better suit them for interactions with their patients. The nature of the work can be both exhausting and numbing as studies have shown that some doctors exhibit a tendency to become desensitized to the plight of their patients, often being short and blunt with the ones who need a sense of sympathy and comfort the most.

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How to design a workspace that facilitates health

by on ·Business

In the 21st century workplace, experiencing strains and work-related illness can be all too common.

The dynamics of work itself are changing, and specialists in the field of Industrial/Organizational Psychology (yes, it’s a mouthful) have been applying psychological concepts and principles to seek improvement for both the organization, and the individual who works within it. Interestingly enough, professionals are beginning to embrace notions that completely contrast assertions rooted in theories of scientific management, which sought the most effective methods of performing a task with little concern to laborers involved (Barling and Griffiths, 2003).

What are the consequences of laboring endlessly in a cubicle? Would you consider your mind and body well if you engaged in the same repetitive task for hours on end? How about if the demands for your job were incredibly stressful, and you lacked the support and control to adjust the manner in which you went about your responsibilities? Think about this, in the 1960 lawsuit Carter v. General Motors Corporation, a line worker successfully sued after claiming that working 8-12 hour days performing the same function, endlessly, actually made him mentally impaired!

Work is such a crucial component of our lives and our time is too precious to be spent on the mundane, day in and day out.

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Bang Your Head: 4 reasons why rocking out could be good for you

by on ·Psychology
Mudvayne

Heavy metal. Punk rock. Hardcore. Screamo. Metalcore. The heavier side of the rock genre has evolved and diversified plenty since its breakout years in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Many regard it as the antithesis to the jams of the “free love” movement in the 1960’s that clashed with the sociopolitical upheaval of the era (like the continued U.S. involvement in Vietnam). Consequently, a new form of expression found its way into pop culture through angst-ridden themes and heavier tunes.

From the big four (Metallica, Megadeth, Antrhax, and Slayer) to newer groups making waves like A Day to Remember, Parkway Drive, and System of a Down, the list goes on and on of bands who have a following transcending generations. Although the sub-genres have accumulated a broad and dedicated fan base, debate still rages regarding metal’s link to inducing anger and facilitating delinquent and violent behaviors. For too long these antagonistic claims have been founded on loose assumptions and generalizations, but it is not an accurate representation. That’s right, metal may have a myriad of positive effects on the health of its listeners, like facilitating personal development, enabling the ability to deal with difficult emotions and process anger, and even creating communities.

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Tony Robbins on the Science of Achievement

by on ·Business

Inside Quest: Tony Robbins on the Science of Achievement features Tom Bilyeu, one of the founders of the successful power-bar company, Quest Nutrition, and one of his biggest inspirations, Tony Robbins, the philanthropist billionaire and master strategist. Tony may have had humble beginnings, but during the interview he discusses the traits and foundations that can be not only the key to success, but also the basis for personal fulfillment in all that you do. His book, Money: Master the Game, offers self-help and a path to financial independence for his avid readers.

The interview between Tom Bilyeu and Tony Robbins is sure to strike a chord with viewers of all kinds.

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The Places You’ll (Pokemon) GO!

by on ·Psychology
It’s a new school year, and you know what that means. A return to waking up earlier, and seeing all of those familiar faces you don’t always have the best luck engaging with socially. You’ve always felt like you were on the outside looking in when it came to the cliques. The ambitions you have of talking to that crush of yours in the front of class are all but lost on you as you struggle to think of what you may have in common. The bell is about to ring when you notice them reach for their bag and, wait, is that what you think it is? The light blue aura of the Pokemon GO! app emanating from their phone is unmistakable. Summoning some courage, you get the nerve to say hello and walk with them in the hallway, breaking the ice. You both discuss what you’ve caught so far, and make plans to have your own safari one day this week after class.

The short narrative above is a fictitious example of a potentially beneficial experience that could occur amongst introverted young adults. Since online gaming came about, people have been capable of remote social experiences, but this new mobile gaming trend may have the potential to bring people together like never before.

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Setting the bar high involves more than we think

by on ·Psychology

“You can do it.” Such a simple yet positive affirmation of one’s capability can often lead to great and unexpected accomplishments. Sometimes, expectations that are set on us can directly affect our own behaviors and actions, for better or worse. Just as well, you may not even be aware of it. In the field of Social Psychology, a popular phenomenon known as the Pygmalion Effect shows that greater expectations often lead to greater efforts. Borrowing from famed psychological studies, integrating this knowledge into your daily life could create new habits that reinforce a better lifestyle.

Derived from poetic Roman origins, Pygmalion was a sculptor who fell in love with a statue of his own creation.

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