Blog

  • Stuck in Replay? How Rumination Affects Our Mind and Self-Esteem

    Rumination, rooted in negative thoughts and devoid of solutions, triggers emotional distress and impairs self-perception. Distinguishing it from reflection, the act lacks benefit and perpetuates self-blame. Though it once aided survival, modern stresses provoke chronic… Read more

  • The Space Between Stimulus and Response

    The two-system model of thinking, developed by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman, explains how our brains react instinctively (System 1) or more thoughtfully (System 2) to stimuli. Reacting on autopilot can lead to regrettable responses. Recognizing… Read more

  • The Secret to Lasting Happiness: Get off the Hedonic Treadmill

    Hedonism, the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of pain, does not guarantee lasting happiness. The Hedonic Treadmill theory suggests that as people gain more, their desires increase, leading to no permanent gain in happiness. To… Read more

  • The Wisdom of Not Knowing: How a Beginner’s Mind Enhances Expert Decision-Making

    Master Suzuki Roshi highlights the value of a beginner’s mind in approaching activities with openness and eagerness. Daniel Kahneman’s ‘Expertize Bias’ supports this, showing how expertise can lead to overconfidence and decreased accuracy in decision… Read more

  • Stop Comparing, Start Thriving: Why “Comparison is the Thief of Joy” Matters More Than Ever

    Humans naturally compare themselves with others, driven by evolutionary and social factors. This comparison can be adaptive, motivating self-improvement and enhancing learning, or maladaptive, leading to negative emotions and decreased well-being. Shifting from maladaptive to… Read more

  • What Is ACT Therapy? A Beginner’s Guide to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

    Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) emphasizes embracing thoughts and feelings, committing to actions aligned with personal values, and promoting psychological flexibility. It involves acceptance, diffusion, mindfulness, and identifying core values. Research supports its effectiveness in… Read more

  • How to Set Goals Effectively

    Setting effective goals involves distinguishing between outcome and process goals. While outcome goals focus on end results and can lead to disappointment due to external factors, process goals emphasize actions and building habits. Striking a… Read more

  • How to be a Better Listener

    Satya Nadella’s approach to active listening transformed Microsoft’s culture. Executive coach Carolyn Coughlin’s work on listening, informed by adult development theory, describes three forms of listening: Listening to Win, Listening to Fix, and Listening to… Read more

Welcome to my blog!

I like to share photos that I capture on my smartphone because I find them beautiful. In the same way I want to share the beauty of understanding our minds, and priming it towards better well-being. I write in an attempt to demystify mental, emotional, and behavioral health from the lens of lived experiences and scientific inquiry, sharing concepts and practices that I have found useful through a decade of learning from masters in their fields.

Find me on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pawankapoor26789/

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