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Another year is coming to an end – this article is a celebration of the top 10 best psychology and self improvement articles published in 2014 at The Emotion Machine.

As of today, there have been more than 500+ articles published here in the past 5 years. These are great places to start learning more about how your mind works and how to improve your life.

Check out what you may have missed this year. And get ready to continue this journey into the new year!





My Top 10 Psychology Articles of 2014



1. 3 Sources of Happiness That Aren’t Tied to People or Stuff

When your happiness is only tied to things that are always changing, you’re going to get easily caught up in the “highs” and “lows.” In certain times, it’s necessary to have sources of happiness that aren’t tied to anyone but yourself.



2. How to Build Thick Skin and Stop Being So Sensitive

Check out these important tips for building thick skin in your life – and stop feeling so easily threatened and offended by what people say or do.



3. How Perfectionism Destroys Happiness

Perfectionism is one of the most effective ways to destroy the happiness in your life, because it sets your expectations at an unrealistically high standard that can’t ever be met.



4. Free Won’t: Why You Shouldn’t Take Any Single Thought Too Seriously

Think of your mind as a suggestion box and ‘free won’t’ is the power to veto any thought or impulse.



5. 30 Positive Reframes: How to Start Changing Your Perspective on Life

Two people can have the same exact experience but walk away from it with a completely different perspective and interpretation of the facts. This is the power of reframing.



6. 5 Reasons to Calm Down Your Analytical Mind

Your analytical mind comes with both advantages and disadvantages. There are certain situations where it’s better to calm down too much thinking and rationality.



7. Do You Talk About Your Problems Too Much?

When you feel the need to talk about your problems over and over again, they can often seem much worse than they really are.



8. Creating Boundaries Between You and Your Bad Habits

When you can’t always rely on sheer willpower to change yourself, one tool you can use is creating more boundaries between you and your bad habits.”



9. Grit and the Need for Achievement

When we achieve anything in life, however big or small, we often feel much more confident and happy for ourselves. Are you fulfilling your need for achievement?



10. The Mindbus Technique: A Visualization for Defusing Negative Thoughts

A great exercise to help become more aware of thoughts while at the same time creating distance between “you” and them.





Personal Favorites



– Be Careful of What You Let Enter Your Mind

Studies show that misinformation remains in our brains even after it’s been corrected, especially if it conforms to pre-existing beliefs. This is why we need to be extra careful of the information we blindly let into our brains.



– The Echo Effect: How Repeating People’s Words Improves Social Interaction

Repeating people’s words can be very important in building likability, comfort, and social connectedness. Psychologists are calling this the “echo effect.”



– Why You Should Believe in Hard Work Over Genes

While genes determine a lot of your overall potential, hard work determines how much of that potential you will fulfill. And no matter where you start in life, it’s ultimately up to you to make the most of what you have.



– Accepting Your Bias

Everyone has a bias. No single person has a perfect view of reality. Instead, we each have our own window into reality. And everyone’s view is going to be a little bit different.



– Curiosity and the Advantages of a Hungry Mind

New psychology research has discovered the many benefits of curiosity and a “hungry mind.” Check out how to cultivate more curiosity in your own life.





Join Me Next Year

It’s been over a decade of learning about psychology and self improvement, and sharing it with others. There’s no indication that I’m going to be stopping anytime soon. Make sure you sign up to my mailing list below to continue this journey with me into the new year!



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