Posts tagged as:

best impression

Why your mate deserves extra thanks

by Gabrielle on March 9, 2010

Your honey helps you become a better person—and vice versa! According to a new study in the journal Current Directions in Psychological Science, we all tend to improve our partners by encouraging positive personality traits and helping them achieve personal goals. For instance, your sweetie may help you overcome shyness by asking you to share one of your funniest stories at a dinner party. And you might help your sweetie achieve a lifelong dream of learning the guitar by signing him up for lessons.

[photo: rochelle, et. al.]

Hagglers get a better deal 9 out of 10 times

by Gabrielle on March 8, 2010

And the savings aren’t only on items at tag sales. A national study by Consumer Reports finds that more than 90% of folks who asked for a better price got it on brand-new [more…]

A little glitz makes you more likeable

by Gabrielle on March 7, 2010

Sure, Oscar night is famous for its glitz and glam as our favorite actresses get dressed to the nines and stroll the red carpet. But, special occasions are not the only time actors—or you—should dress up. A study in the Home Economics Journal reveals that wearing your dressier outfits for everyday activities makes people see you as friendlier and [more…]

Sniff your way to more energy and joy

by Gabrielle on March 7, 2010

Burning a scented candle or spraying a room with your favorite air freshener doesn’t only make your home smell wonderful, it stimulates areas of the brain that change your mood. “Scents can generate reactions in the frontal lobe and the hypothalamus that influence behaviors and personalities,” says Alan Hirsch, M.D., Founder of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. According to his research, if you want to be more… [more…]

Earn more by temping

by Gabrielle on March 5, 2010

Many of us think of a temp job as a last resort, yet University of Florida researchers found they’re often just the opposite. Their recent study shows that [more…]

Want to get in shape for swimsuit season?

by Gabrielle on March 3, 2010

Grab a pen!  The American Heart Association found that of the 69% of women who set an exercise goal in past 12 months, just 22% achieved it. So, what did the successful women do that the others didn’t? Nope, they didn’t hire a pricey personal trainer. They simply wrote down their goals, used calendars to manage their time and tracked their progress with paper charts and online trackers.

Tip: The longer you stick to your routine, the easier it gets! About half of women who fail at their exercise goal stop trying after just two months while those who are more successful stick it out for at least six months.

5 easy steps to getting on a reality TV show

by Gabrielle on March 3, 2010

Dream of starring on America’s Got Talent, Top Chef, The Bachelor or The Amazing Race? Getting on these and other reality TV shows is easier than you think, says television producer and reality TV expert Donna Michelle Anderson (aka DMA), author of The Show Starter™ Reality TV Made Simple System. Here are her 5 tips to snagging a spot on your favorite reality program: [more…]

Botox-free secret to being beautiful

by Gabrielle on March 2, 2010

Check on an elderly neighbor, return cash to a cashier who gave you too much change or do another nice deed. Just like Mom insisted, beauty really does come from the inside, report researchers in the journal Personal Relationships. In their study, volunteers who were asked to rate the attractiveness of strangers in photos actually changed their views after learning how nice they were. Folks who were friendly and honest were perceived as better looking while those who were unfair or rude were perceived as less attractive!

[photo: Zaldymlg]

Which is more believable: gossip or truth?

by Gabrielle on March 2, 2010

We’re more likely to believe gossip—even when it contradicts what we’ve witnessed with our own eyes! To prove it, researchers from Germany and Austria recruited 126 college students to participate in a revealing [more…]

Want to get ahead at work? Tell a joke

by Gabrielle on March 1, 2010

Contrary to the old belief that kidding around isn’t appropriate at the office, researchers from the University of Missouri-Columbia found that just the opposite is true: an occasional joke among colleagues improves creativity, the ability to work as a team and overall performance.

[photo: D. Sharon Pruitt]

Secret to all-day calm? A good night’s sleep

by Gabrielle on March 1, 2010

When you don’t enough zzz’s, it triggers a shutdown of your prefrontal lobe, a part of your brain that keeps emotions under control. The result? You’re more likely to act irrationally and dramatically overreact to negative situations—such as spilling your drink or someone showing up late to a meeting, according to a new brain imaging study from researchers at Harvard Medical School and the University of California, Berkeley. “Sleep appears to restore our emotional brain circuits, and in doing so prepares us for the next day’s challenges and social interactions,” the study authors explain.

[photo: aussiegall]