It’s positive to be self-introspective from time to time. Regardless of your personality, age, sex, or position in the social hierarchy.

Looking inward allows us to figure out what is currently working for us, but more importantly, what isn’t functioning as intended, or what we can improve to live a happier, more successful life.

It’s a well-known fact that abilities we don’t use tend to deteriorate after a while since they operate on the “use it or lose it” principle.

But why is it that we need to use these hard-acquired skills to keep them?

Meet the synaptic pruning effect that gets rid of unused excess synapses.

Let me explain what it is, why it occurs, and how we can prevent this natural process from taking place.

Let’s start with the following two quotes that perfectly describe why both hope and concern are vital for taking action in my opinion.

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness.”

It means that even though times might be bad and rough at the moment, we still see the path toward something better. And not only do we see the road ahead that we must take, but we also have the confidence needed to accomplish this goal of creating a better life.

The second quote goes as follows: “Concern should drive us into action and not into a depression. No man is free who cannot control himself.”

It means that concern is no reason to feel down on ourselves. Only that we should utilize that fear and anxiety to fuel ourselves to undertake action so that we can improve our existence.

Giving presents to each other when we go to a person’s party, birthday, or marriage is considered a normal social ritual. This exchange cycle has been around for a long time.

Receiving presents, especially from the people we love dearly, is probably something we all remember and look back on fondly.

But why exactly do we give gifts to each other? Is it to show our appreciation and love to one another? Or are there multiple different reasons at play? Let’s find out.

We often put a huge emphasis on what other people think of us. Yet, that shouldn’t define our self-confidence.

It’s normal, and even healthy that our self-worth is partially determined by the social roles we fulfill in our immediate social circle consisting of close friends and family. However, letting random, unknown, or negative people determine our self-esteem is not.

Let’s find out why other people shouldn’t determine our self-regard, and why we shouldn’t put too much importance on what those around us think about us.

Ever wondered why we subconsciously know some things or can tell what’s happening, even when we aren’t consciously aware of it? It’s because of the dual-track mind.

This means that our conscious and unconscious minds work together to paint a clear and whole picture of the world. This is what we call the two-track mind.

Let me explain why it’s vital for both psyches to work together.

Physical activity is vital to keep our muscles, joints, bones, and organs in tip-top shape.

Yet, the importance of deep breathing for your overall well-being can not be overstated.

It’s important to keep our physical and mental health sturdy by providing enough clean oxygen to our muscles and organs.

Diaphragmatic breathing exercises in particular are great movements to relax the body and mind by accessing and influencing the parasympathetic nervous system, which is a subsystem of the autonomic nervous system.

Conflict can be described as beneficial or detrimental depending on the intentions and the execution of said arguments.

That’s why we need to know the difference between positive and negative conflict to get the results we desire.

And while most people regard battle as a negative thing, that’s not necessarily true. There are certainly advantageous aspects as well.

Productive, short-term struggle is the key to solving problems and living together peacefully and cooperatively. It aids in preventing issues and frustrations from getting out of hand.