2016 COUNTDOWN: BEST MISS PSYCHOBABBLE ARTICLES OF THE YEAR

best of 2016
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Describing the Year 2016 as "surprising" is an understatement!

 Several significant events happened throughout the globe. Syrian War caused tremendous devastation especially to innocent young children. Reality star and business mogul Donald Trump won the United States presidential election. Renowned celebrities such as Prince, Carrie Fisher, and Alan Rickman passed away.

 I shall bring the lenses closer to home! An observable political shift swept the Philippines and the international authorities. We cannot predict what will happen next.

 Zooming in further will give you a glimpse of the holistic summation of my year. I reached potent milestones in my adult life. These achievements were made possible by using "goal setting". I will share more about its power in the succeeding article. 

Odd Is The New Normal: Why You Shall Accept Your Inner Weirdness

author's opinion

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"In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful." ~ Poet Alice Walker

Whether you chew like you are eating robust nails or you cannot sleep without your smelly childhood pillow, we all have characteristics that make us extraordinary. I am not referring to the abnormal deviance from the norm! I am simply talking about the humble quirks that makes us special. I think there is nothing wrong with being "weird"! In fact, weirdness can be one of your powerful strengths.

Psychology Behind Our Fascination Over The Brangelina Split

brad pitt and angelina jolie

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When the news broke that Hollywood’s powerhouse couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt (better known as #Brangelina) were parting ways due to “irreconcilable differences”, my social media feed went wild! I bet that the same thing happened to most of us.

Humanity processed the imminent doom of Brangelina’s relationship. Digital and physical publications were filled with the de-Brangelization headlines, which caused outbreaks of sadness and anger from the avid fans of these said celebrities. People all over the world were mourning. However, there were some people who cared less. My seemingly cool hippie cousin was one of them. 

 As I was observing the reactions of most netizens, it made me ponder about the existence of the public’s fascination over celebrities and their relationships. Why do we care so much about the Brangelina split? 

BLEPP Effect: Rise Above It All

blepp 2016

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Written by: Inna Agravantes | Edited by: Anna Agoncillo

There are always two sides to a story. The journey of others to becoming a Registered Psychometrician may be triumphant but, it does not translate to everyone. Only a few people from the other end of the pole are willing to share their stories. Thankfully, Inna Agravantes was one of them.

I admire her great resilience despite the unwanted circumstance that she was in. She rose above it all with a mindset that is purely optimistic and hopeful. As of today, her inspiring voice has reached more than 8,000 people.

BLEPP Effect: How I Became A Registered Psychometrician

blepp 2016

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Becoming a Registered Psychometrician - an achievement that was unlocked in my list of goals for 2016.

While most people ushered the New Year 2016 with a multitude of resolutions, I kicked it off with a list of goals. At that very moment, I was not sure whether I will be able to complete everything in time. All I know is that I was motivated and hopeful about the future. My list included small goals such as "learning how to ride a jeepney" and bigger goals such as "investing a portion of my money to mutual funds". One of the career milestones that I included is to become a Psychometrician.

I never knew that I will become one! For starters, I graduated overseas under a United Kingdom degree. This means that I had to endure stricter guidelines when it comes to my requirements. It took me a total of 5 months to complete all my requirements and to wait for the authority's approval. I am not complaining. This length of time was understandable due to my unique circumstance. In fact, my TOR was shipped from UK in a span of 15 days.

Grief And Loss: 3 Ways To Positively Express Your Condolences

bereavement

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By: Suzie Kolber | Edited by: Anna Agoncillo

One of the most difficult things for a person to express is the feelings of empathy, sympathy, and condolences to someone who has lost a family member, a friend, a co-worker, or a significant someone.

Searching for the "right" words to say can be a serious struggle! This is why Suzie Kolber collated three tips to make this situation easier for both you and the person you want to comfort.

#1: BE GENUINE AND SINCERE.

It may not be intentional yet, you can come across as insecure when you say something that you do not mean. "I understand exactly how you feel!" is a prime example of this. 

Although you went through the similar situation, you cannot fully know how the other person actually feels. Everyone has a distinct personality and so are their emotions and actions. It is much better to say: "I cannot fully measure how you feel right now, but I am here for you."

Cognitive Economy: Why Automatic is Genius and Pragmatic

cognition

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Admit it, you schemed through and scrolled down first to get a glimpse of this article. We all have the ability of simplified and (often times) automatic thinking. In Psychology, this tendency is called cognitive economy. 

 COGNITIVE ECONOMY

 The tendency for cognitive processes to minimize processing effort and resources (Colman, 2014). It assumes that when we categorize our brains we try to make them informative with as little expenditure of mental energy as possible. 

 We make an average of 226.7 decisions everyday in food alone (Wansink, & Sobal, 2007). Yes, that’s a lot and we are not even aware of some of them! We make hundreds of decisions every day but is it beneficial to cut it down?

 A good example unveils the reason behind “Why does Mark Zuckerberg wear the same grey t-shirt every day?”.

Food And Psychology: How Junk Food Control Our Eating Habits

behavior

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Obesity has become a greater health problem than hunger worldwide.  Most cases are attributed from one's sedentary lifestyle - lack of physical activity and indulgence on unhealthy food.  Little do you know that junk food not only causes you to gain weight but it also causes you to stick to fixed eating preferences.

Social Psychology And Attraction: Dogs Can Make You More Attractive Instantly

attraction

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Forget designer suits and flashy vehicles because a furry wingman might just be your secret weapon to find a lovely date!

 According to a recent study of 2,000 Brits, the biggest turn-on apart from physical attraction is someone who owns a pet dog. In fact, 1 in 5 women found a man with a dog more attractive. This showed that a dog is twice as appealing as having a hefty salary or a huge house. 

Love And Attraction: Which Type Of Infidelity Will Anger You The Most?

attraction
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As overly dramatized by the media, the society clamors for a good story about public personalities who had messy affairs. This influenced the shift towards the acceptance of affairs. Nowadays, some people see affairs as an option for men or women to gain the excitement and intimacy that they otherwise lack in their dull marriages.

Psychology Hacks: How To "Win" The Break-up

breakups


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We will all experience breaking up or parting from someone at least once in our lives. The end of any romantic relationship has its negative effects such as loneliness, distress, and a loss of sense of self. Aside from these negative outcomes, break-ups can also lead to fruitful results such as personal growth and self-improvement. A good coping strategy shall encourage individuals to focus on the positive aspects of their experience while simultaneously minimizing negative emotions. 

 Here are some ways to positively handle your recent break-up: 

 LIMIT YOUR GRIEVING

 Accept your emotions and allow yourself to grieve - to feel pain and anger. We all grieve in different ways, which is why there is no actual time limit for it. But, there is a difference between healthy grieving and drowning in depression and regret. Set a maximum of 30 minutes of grieving each day followed by an uplifting task. This will allow you to reflect and process your loss. 

Which Type Of Daydreamer Are You?

coping

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All of us experienced altered states of consciousness throughout our lives. And its most common form is daydreaming. According to Psychology Today, everyone or nearly everyone experiences daydreaming on a regular basis with studies indicating that as much as 96% of adults engage in at least one outburst of daily fantasies.

Contrary to popular belief, daydreaming is not a complete exclusion from the outside and is not entirely detrimental. Daydreaming allows us to focus on our inner thoughts and imagined experiences that can be beneficial to improving creativity and problem-solving skills. Interestingly, the pattern or type of the daydream associates with one's personality.

Know if you fall under one of the most common types: 

How One Brain Trick Can Affect Your Aircon Setting

aircon servicing singapore

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Placebo has taken a form in various areas of Science. In most cases, the placebo is shown to copy or even exceed the effects produced by active treatments such as medications and therapies. Generally Placebo effect is defined as giving simulated, fake, or inactive treatment intended to deceive its recipients. It works because of the brain's role in the physiological health.

 In the HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) industry, placebo is seen in the form of the "Placebo button". This button may seem to change the temperature by going up or down but it actually is not. However, there is a chance that you will feel cooler or warmer even though there has been no "actual" change to the machine's temperature.

4 Ways To Strengthen Your Mother-Daughter Bond

children

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How do I begin to define the mother-daughter relationship? 

I for one think that it's very dynamic and complex.

Its dynamism is due to the natural progression of life. Mothers start out as primary caregivers and role models for their young daughters. Some mothers even wish that their daughters would choose a path that resembles theirs. However, as daughters mature, they become increasingly independent. In their attempts to map out their own identities, daughters often choose paths that are purposefully distinct from their mothers.

I shall explain its complexity with personal sentiments. Sometimes I feel that my mother does not understand me nor do I understand her. Other times I feel that it is only us against the world. Like any other relationships, we have our lows and our highs. But no matter what, I know that she will always be there for me as I am there for her. 

If you value building a loving, healthy, and strong bond with your mother as much as I do, consider this simple list as a guide.

5 Tips To Survive Valentine's Day When You're Single

cupid

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Valentine's Day is fast approaching! You can just see heart-shaped chocolates at the groceries and smell fresh flowers in the air. However, there is one thing that you realized - you are single! 

 HASHTAG FOREVER ALONE.

 Instead of smothering yourself with loneliness, here are some Psychology-based hacks to survive February 14: 

1. CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE

Try to be as positive as possible in a seemingly negative situation such as this. Thoughts lead to feelings which lead to behavior. Think of how lucky you really are because you can spend V-Day in a way that pleases you the most. You can even ignore it if you want. 

7 Surefire Ways To Make People Like You

cognitive tricks
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Tired of being #ForeverAlone?

 Win the hearts of many and influence others by using these Psychology-based tips to make yourself more likable:

 1. MIRRORING

 According to my counseling classes, one of the easiest ways to make people like you is to mimic them. This enables you to validate the feelings and behavior of the person you are interacting with. In fact, studies have shown that people who were mimicked felt happier, more confident, and more agreeable. So copy one's mannerisms, speech patterns, tone, and behaviors and act as naturally as possible. 

A Prosperous 2016 To You!

best of 2015
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“A good beginning makes a good end!” ~ English Proverb

2015 holds a dear place in my heart as it was the year that fulfilled my childhood dream of becoming an Author. I was able to share an Ebook called Psychology of Love, Money, & Life to all of you. And now, I am aiming to get it published on print (fingers crossed).

As we bid adieu to this blessed year, let us start the year on a higher note by looking back at its best Miss Psychobabble articles:

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