Everything You Need To Know About Mental Toughness

athletes

By: Anna Agoncillo
Image Credits: pixabay.com (CC0 Public Domain)
Have you ever wondered what makes elite athletes or great leaders excel from the rest? 

 Is it because of their innate skills or their formative environments? Most likely, it is the combination of the two plus an ability called Mental Toughness.

 Mental Toughness helps an athlete to positively persevere despite the difficult circumstances. And, it can help you too!

 DEFINITION

 This Psychology term has been frequently used by Sport Psychologists, coaches, and business leaders. Despite of its popularity in Applied Sport Psychology, experts have yet to arrive at a singular description for it. 

Suggested Mental Toughness definitions from 1970s-1990s include:

 a. an ability to persist,
b. an ability to overcome failures,
c. the possession of superior mental skills,
d. and an ability to cope with pressure, stress, and adversity.

Move Away Self-Esteem; Make Way For Self-Compassion

guest writer

By: Anna Agoncillo and Ooi Huan Jie
 Image Credits: Juliana Coutinho via Flickr with CC License
I am strong. I am capable. I can do anything. Repeat.

 These are the positive statements that people often tell themselves to alter their attitude for the better. But, does it truly improve everyone's Self-Esteem? Some findings showed otherwise. In 2009, a study called: "Positive self-statements: Power for some, Peril for others" showed that positive statements helped people with high esteem to feel good. However, it worsens the feelings of individuals with low Self-Esteem.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy And Social Psychology: Fake It 'Till You Make It True

by anna agoncillo

By: Anna Agoncillo
Image Credits: instagram.com/criswalkz
Whether you are a strong believer of predictions or not, there is one Psychological phenomenon that make predictions real. It is called the "Self-fulfilling Prophecy". 

 Self-fulfilling Prophecy, as the name suggests, are expectations about the occurrence of a future event or behavior that act to increase the likelihood the event or behavior will occur (Feldman, 2012).
In 1948, sociologist Robert K. Merton defined Self-Fulfilling Prophecy as: "the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behavior which makes the original false conception come true". 

Free Apps: 5 FREE Mental Health Apps To Improve Your Life

abnormal psychology

By: Anna Agoncillo
Image Credits: CAFNR via Flickr
There is a wide selection of Apps that will help improve your physical, emotional, and mental health. Hidden through it all are these free yet efficient gems we all should have…

1. MINDSHIFT

 Available on Android and iOS

 Tired of running away from anxiety? Then, face it with MindShift App. Developed by Anxiety BC, MindShift App is designed to help individuals to cope efficiently with anxiety. It teaches its users to develop new thinking, healthy activities, and relaxation skills designed to cope with anxiety (e.g., performance or social anxiety), worry, panic, and more.
Image Credits: MindShift via Itunes

Health Psychology And Exercise Motivation: The Good And Bad Reasons Why People Exercise

by anna agoncillo

By: Anna Agoncillo
Image Credits: Victor Tongdee via Flickr
Exercise, a subset of physical activity, is structured and goal oriented. Whether you are hitting the gym, yoga studio, or other fitness centers…you are there on a MISSION. The reason behind your intended goal is personal and subjective. Ideally, it should come from a good place in order to maximize its benefits. But in reality, the motivation to exercise is influenced by several factors such as age group, gender differences, emotional state, and exercise intensity. 

 THE GOOD

According to research, here are the Top 10 Reasons Why Men And Women Exercise:

ASK ANNA #4: Saying Sorry Too Much

advice
Visit Ask Anna Page to find out how to ask!

SAYING SORRY TOO MUCH
Image Credits: butupa via Flickr

Mr. Krabs asks…

 I always say sorry even though I didn't do anything wrong. To the person I bump, to the sales lady if I'm asking for another size I didn't see. I made it an expression. Am i too insecure? Help me anna!

 Anna says...

 Yes! Your constant need to say sorry may be rooted from different things such as low self-esteem, higher sense of guilt, overly strict parents, inferiority complex from childhood, or internal locus of control. 

 It is certainly good to say sorry…if it is necessary. However, if there is no valid reason to be sorry then it may affect your everyday relationships. For instance, in business, your clients need to feel that you have good judgement. But, constantly apologizing doesn't send that message. 

Biopsychology: Is Self-Efficacy Inborn?

albert bandura
By: Anna Agoncillo
Image Credits: Alexandre Normand via Flickr
Ever since I was young, our parents indulged us with books that opened our eyes to the wondrous stories that we often imagine. They also immersed us in educational tools and summer classes that shaped our creativity and skills. Far greater than the television, these stimulating resources shaped the curiosities of our young minds. Furthermore, it made us believe that we can do anything we put our minds into.

My parents are very supportive. They gave us the positive mindset that we can succeed in life.

 These said belief of personal success is called "self-efficacy".

Social Psychology and Victim Blaming: Why you gotta be so rude?

attribution
By: Anna Agoncillo and Genesis | mypsychobabbles.com
The news about rape in the Philippines has been rampant these past few months. More so, survey showed that the trend of victims each year has been increasing (PNP Women and Children Protection Center, 2013).
(C) GMA News Philippines, 2014
In 2012, approximately 346,830 women were raped, as a result, there were about 17, 342 unwanted pregnancies (U.S. Department of Justice, 2013). You can’t rule out men just yet, most of them suffer in silence too. In 2003, 1 in every 10 rape victims were male.

These numbers are from United States and Philippines alone. Imagine how many individuals were raped globally. Furthermore, these are from reported victims. How about those who kept it from others due to social misogyny and shame? Maybe the statistics thereafter will double or even triple. Indeed, it’s very alarming, horrifying and disappointing.

In this video, you’ll see how hard it is to be sexually assaulted especially in a place you call home and by someone whom you call mom or dad.

Cyberpsychology: But first…make way for the Selfie Nation!

by anna agoncillo
By: Anna Agoncillo




These are the headlines that make people wonder---why on earth would someone risk his or her own life just to take the ultimate selfie? Is it because of vanity and narcissism, because of improving self-presentation and personal identity, or because of the rewards (internal or external) they get from taking the “perfect selfie”?

But first… what is a selfie?

A selfie, short for a self-portrait photograph, is usually taken with a mobile phone or a hand-held camera and are usually in a slightly titled manner (Wikipedia, 2014). A study by Bruno and Bertamini (2013) showed that selfies taken by non-professional photographers seemed to have a bias for showing their left cheek (which i do a lot of :)), as seen in the picture below). 


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