Life Hacks

If you want to figure out how you feel about someone, try the ‘Two Beers and a Puppy’ test.

It comes from the book “Works Well With Others,” by Ross McCammon. Here’s how it works……

Pick a person in your life – a friend, coworker, cousin – and ask yourself two questions: 

Would I drink two beers with this person?

And……would you allow this person to look after your puppy for a weekend?

Some people are no and no. These people are to be avoided at all costs. 

Some people are yes and no. Yes to having a couple beers – no to the puppy. These people are to be cautiously trusted. 

Some people are no and yes. No to the beers – yes to the puppy. These people aren’t much fun but they make the world a better place – especially for puppies! 

And some people are yes and yes. These are wonderful people and your life is better for knowing them. Seek them out. Collaborate with them. Enjoy their company.

And, strive to be that person yourself.

And that’s the ‘Two Beers and a Puppy’ test.

Neurologist Dr. Richard Restak wrote “The Complete Guide to Memory.” And he says reading fiction demands extended attention to remember what happened at different stages in the story. After all, finding out whodunnit on page 200 won’t be as fun if you can’t remember the clue you read about back on page 20. So, we use deeper thinking skills, and concentrate harder, with fiction.

And Dr. Restak says that’s why people having memory problems start to prefer nonfiction! Because you can jump around a bit, and still get something from it – without having to focus, like when you read fiction.

Reading is also a workout for the brain. For example, if a character in your book is playing tennis, areas of your brain that would light up if you were physically playing tennis yourself are activated. And that can literally be seen in your brain waves when you read.

Fiction also rewires your brain in general. It strengthens your ability to imagine, remember details, and think through complex problems. 

Bottom line: Reading exercises your brain and makes you functionally smarter!

According to the journal Frontiers In Psychiatry, superhero movies can help us conquer our fears, improve our confidence and reduce anxiety! The experts say superhero movies are being used as a kind of “cinema therapy” to treat a range of psychological disorders. 

That’s because we see ourselves in Superhero Stories. Most people believe in fighting for justice. And superheroes often come from tragic beginnings, which inspires us to cope with our own hardships, find meaning in loss, and discover our strengths and use them for good. Superhero movies also tap into our capacity for empathy. 

And watching the Avengers reminds us that teamwork is vital to success. And by the way, superhero movies featuring women, like Wonder Woman, make young girls feel more confident. 

My favorite superhero has always been Superman, but Captain America is a close second.

According to Daniel Pink, co-author of “Magic Words: What To Say To Get Your Way,” Instead of asking your kids to HELP you with chores, ask them to be your HELPERS.

Or at work, don’t ask a colleague to MANAGE a project……Ask them to be your project MANAGER! And with your own goals, start thinking of yourself as a RUNNER, a LIFTER, and a healthy EATER!

Notice a pattern? In most cases, Pink says you’re simply adding an “-er” to the end of action verbs. But that’s effective…… because where verbs tend to demand a change in one’s behavior – think “help,” “run” and “work,” nouns appeal to someone’s values and personal identity! As in, you’re a “helper” and a “hard worker!”

In fact, a study found that kids were a whopping 33% more likely to help with chores when adults asked them to be “a helper,” compared to asking them “Can you help me clean?”

It works the opposite way, too. When researchers gave people a test and told them, “Don’t be a cheater” – instead of “don’t cheat” – it cut unethical behavior in half! Because people don’t want to see themselves negatively.

Bottom line: To be more persuasive, try appealing to people’s identity in your requests.

What do you think? Ready to try this? Let me know your thoughts at [email protected]

Those are the most prominent of the 17 facial muscles we use to form a SMILE! They’re the ones at the corners of the mouth, which help pull our lips up into a semi-circle.

And surprisingly, there’s been growing demand lately for so-called “smile coaches” who can help strengthen and train those muscles!

Why? According to smile coach Keiko Kawano, many people’s facial expressions got “rusty” during the pandemic. And since smiles do everything from boost our mood, to our attractiveness, to even our career opportunities, it makes sense that some people may need extra help flexing the best smile possible.

Kawano’s advice? Try puffing out your cheeks, like a puffer fish…… and then slowly exhale between your lips with your mouth closed – so you make a “brrrrrr” sound for as long as possible.

Researchers say that’s something most babies do, and it offers a great way to work your Zygomatic Smile muscles. No Smile Coach required.

To keep your brain sharp as you age, learn several new skills at once! Dr. Rachel Wu is a psychology professor at UC Riverside, who says learning multiple things simultaneously activates more areas of the brain than when you learn one thing at a time. For this study, Dr. Wu recruited older adults with an average age of 68. 

Study participants were asked to learn 3 new skills simultaneously over the length of a college semester, taking classes in Spanish, photography, painting, computers or music composition.

The result: At every follow-up assessment, cognitive scores were at least 3 times higher than before classes started!

Personally, I love this tactic for learning and I practice it every day. There is an enormous rush of Serotonin that comes from mastering even small skills.

Our family has developed this habit of never arriving or departing each other without a hug. It may seem obvious to you, but I know plenty of people who don’t do this.

We’ve never talked about it…it just happens. It feels natural. And if one of my grandkids gets all the way out the door and into my son’s car, she will run back if she forgot to give everyone a hug. And I mean everyone. Even Leroy, the dog. Well now I find that we’re on to something….at least when it comes to our health.

For many reasons there’s been an increased focus on boosting our immune system lately. But today researchers are reporting that we don’t need supplements – or a special diet……what we need to strengthen our immune system is a daily hug.

According to the journal Psychological Science, every time we hug a loved one, we give our immune system a powerful boost. In a recent study, people were purposely exposed to a cold virus……but those who got the most hugs were significantly less likely to get sick.

That’s because, when we’re stressed out, our immune function is suppressed and we’re more vulnerable to infection. But a hug – and the emotional support we feel through that physical contact – dials down our stress, bolstering our immune system, and our ability to fight off infections. 

Alright….let me hear it…when was the last time you hugged someone?…and who was it? [email protected]