September 2011 | Heidi Smith Luedtke

Monthly Archives: September 2011

Blending Work and Life? Set Limits

By Heidi Smith Luedtke on September 27, 2011
Categories: Cognitive Psychology, Limit Setting, People Skills, Psychology Research, Relationships, Social Psychology

Meaningful work makes for a satisfying more life. Today, more and more people are blending their work lives and their personal lives. They’re working from home. They’re working from the sidelines at kids’ soccer practice. The internet allows many professionals to work whenever and wherever they may be. How liberating this can be. And how… [read more]

Motives Matter: Volunteering to Help Others Improves Longevity

By Heidi Smith Luedtke on September 23, 2011
Categories: Happiness 101, Health Research, Psychology Research, Uncategorized

The road to health may be paved with altruistic intentions, according to a new study published in the online journal Health Psychology. Researchers studied the motives of participants in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, which has followed a group of more than 10,000 people since their high-school graduation in 1957. Those who volunteered because of their… [read more]

Listen Up: Be Aware of these Listening Errors

By Heidi Smith Luedtke on September 18, 2011
Categories: Cognitive Psychology, People Skills, Relationships, Uncategorized

It is often said that we have two ears and one mouth because we are supposed to listen twice as much as we talk. But effective listening requires us to use more than just our ears. Listening takes place in the brain. First, we must pay attention what we hear, screening out background noise and… [read more]

Say No. Choose Your Yeses!

By Heidi Smith Luedtke on September 16, 2011
Categories: Goals, Limit Setting, People Skills, Relationships, Self-development

This week, for the first time ever, an expert I asked for an interview declined my request. She didn’t just ignore my emails, she said “No.” I won’t reveal her identity, but I will tell you that she is highly successful. She has a PhD, she’s a full professor at a demanding and well-respected university.… [read more]

6 Acts of Self-Compassion

By Heidi Smith Luedtke on September 13, 2011
Categories: Emotion, Psychology Research, Self-development

If you want to be truly happy, you can’t expect others to meet all your needs. You must treat yourself like you’d treat a treasured friend: with respect, compassion and a sense of humor. Here are six ways to be good to yourself. Do them all. When it comes to compassion, more is more. Write… [read more]

Talk Yourself Out of Social Insecurities

By Heidi Smith Luedtke on September 9, 2011
Categories: Beliefs, Emotion, Happiness 101, People Skills, Psychology Research, Relationships, Self and identity, Self-development

Everyone has some social insecurity. Jitters. Self-consciousness. Cold feet. Apprehension. “What does she think of me?” “I bet he won’t call.” “Do I look like a fool?” Our anxious thoughts swirl out of control, threatening to carry us out to sea where we’ll drown in our own self-defeating behavior. The script goes something like this:… [read more]

Getting your Child to Sleep through the Night (or, “Psychologist, Change Thyself”)

By Heidi Smith Luedtke on September 6, 2011
Categories: Beliefs, Motivation, Parenting, Uncategorized

Perhaps you’ve heard the classic joke: “How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?” Answer: “Only one, but the light bulb has to really *want* to change. Today I’m checking in with some recent “light bulb moments.” You know, the a-ha moments when something you should have known all along hits you… [read more]