Genevieve Douglass

Earlier I described my growing awareness of fear of failure, how it became a familiar part of myself at home in my psyche. So, how do I deal with this unhelpful little shadow, my fear of being valueless?

How do I deal with this unhelpful little shadow, the fear of being valueless, and rebuild my identity? Seeing what it’s been up to and how it manifests is undoubtedly the first step. Stepping back and looking at it seems to take away much of its power.

New research on perceiving work as a calling suggests that callings are dynamic, changing over time. This post discusses what a calling is, how it develops, and why we shouldn’t worry too much about finding it.

In a 2012 Swiss study, researchers Friese, Messner, and Shaffner tested whether a brief period of meditation would lessen the depletion effects of self-control. Their experimental group showed less ego depletion than the control group. Why? How might mindfulness affect self-regulation?

I frequently write songs as gifts for others. The best example is a lullaby I wrote for my baby niece. It makes me feel more connected and that I matter. This construct of mattering seems very similar to the feeling that we are a part of something greater than ourselves. Taken together, the research described here suggests that a sense of meaning might be embedded in the basic need of relatedness, which both contributes to and results from prosocial behaviors.

With intrinsic motivation, people behave freely of their own will out of interest in the activity for its own sake. Purpose in life is about having a sense of directedness toward goals. How do intrinsic motivation and purpose relate to each other and to well-being in general?

Valentine’s Day is upon us, the time of chocolate and red hearts. This association of love and hearts got me wondering. What do we know about the heart and positive emotion?

Researchers Amy Cuddy, Dana Carney, Caroline Wilmuth, and Andy Yap have found that just one minutes of taking a power pose can lower lessen fear, increase the capacity for cognitive function, lower stress, and increase feelings of power and the tolerance for risk-taking. This is just right for someone who needs to take the stage.

Two weeks ago, I gained first-hand experience of Hurricane Sandy, the largest hurricane to hit New York City in a long time. In the midst of subways being shut down and businesses being closed for days on end, there was no rush to get things done. No rush to be anywhere. I simply felt like I had time. That brought to mind the research by Melanie Rudd, Jennifer Aaker, and Kathleen Vohs concerning the question, “When do people feel as if they are rich in time?”

Much of what I enjoy and appreciate listening to is actually in a minor key, often in a key intended to induce sadness. Why would I gravitate toward experiencing a negative emotion such as sadness?

One of the things that most of us look for in life is a feeling of energy. We tend to steer clear of people who drain or deplete us. The sense of vitality is important to us. It lets us know that something is right. But what exactly gives us vigor?

Genevieve Douglass, MAPP ’10, is a positive psychology coach living in New York City. She considers her work to be helping individuals find their authentic selves. Read more on her…