November 2021 — NIMBLE FOUNDATION BLOG

What Is Happiness?

Happiness is an emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfillment. While happiness has many different definitions, it is often described as involving positive emotions and life satisfaction.

When most people talk about happiness, they might be talking about how they feel in the present moment, or they might be referring to a more general sense of how they feel about life overall.

Because happiness tends to be such a broadly defined term, psychologists and other social scientists typically use the term ‘subjective well-being’ when they talk about this emotional state. Just as it sounds, subjective well-being tends to focus on an individual’s overall personal feelings about their life in the present.

Two key components of happiness (or subjective well-being) are:

The balance of emotions: Everyone experiences both positive and negative emotions, feelings, and moods. Happiness is generally linked to experiencing more positive feelings than negative.
Life satisfaction: This relates to how satisfied you feel with different areas of your life including your relationships, work, achievements, and other things that you consider important.

How to Know If You’re Happy

While perceptions of happiness may be different from one person to the next, there are some key signs that psychologists look for when measuring and assessing happiness.

Some key signs of happiness include:

Feeling like you are living the life you wanted
Feeling that the conditions of your life are good
Feeing that you have accomplished (or will accomplish) what you want in life
Feeling satisfied with your life
Feeling positive more than negative

One important thing to remember is that happiness isn’t a state of constant euphoria. Instead, happiness is an overall sense of experiencing more positive emotions than negative ones.

Happy people still feel the whole range of human emotions—anger, frustrastion, boredom, loneliness, and even sadness—from time to time. But even when faced with discomfort, they have an underlying sense of optimism that things will get better, that they can deal with what is happening, and that they will be able to feel happy again.The Benefits of Optimism

Types of Happiness

There are many different ways of thinking about happiness. For example, the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle made a distinction between two different kinds of happiness: hedonia and eudaimonia.

Hedonia: Hedonic happiness is derived from pleasure. It is most often associated with doing what feels good, self-care, fulfilling desires, experiencing enjoyment, and feeling a sense of satisfaction.
Eudaimonia: This type of happiness is derived from seeking virtue and meaning. Important components of eudaimonic well-being including feeling that your life has meaning, value, and purpose. It is associated more with fulfilling responsibilities, investing in long-term goals, concern for the welfare of other people, and living up to personal ideals.

Hedonia and eudemonia are more commonly known today in psychology as pleasure and meaning, respectively. More recently, psychologists have suggested the addition of the third component that relates to engagement. These are feelings of commitment and participation in different areas of life.

Research suggests that happy people tend to rank pretty high on eudaimonic life satisfaction and better than average on their hedonic life satisfaction.¹

All of these can play an important role in the overall experience of happiness, although the relative value of each can be highly subjective. Some activities may be both pleasurable and meaningful, while others might skew more one way or the other.

For example, volunteering for a cause you believe in might be more meaningful than pleasurable. Watching your favorite tv show, on the other hand, might rank lower in meaning and higher on pleasure.²

Some types of happiness that may fall under these three main categories include:

Joy: A often relatively brief feeling that is felt in the present moment
Excitement: A happy feeling that involves looking forward to something with positive anticipation
Gratitude: A positive emotion that involves being thankful and appreciative
Pride: A feeling of satisfaction in something that you have accomplished
Optimism: This is a way of looking at life with a positive, upbeat outlook
Contentment: This type of happiness involves a sense of satisfaction

What Are the Types of Happiness?

How to Cultivate Happiness

While some people just tend to be naturally happier, there are things that you can do to cultivate your sense of happiness.

Pursue Intrinsic Goals

Achieving goals that you are intrinsically motivated to pursue, particularly ones that are focused on personal growth and community, can help boost happiness. Research suggests that pursuing these types of intrinsically-motivated goals can increase happiness more than pursuing extrinsic goals like gaining money or status.³

Enjoy the Moment

Studies have found that people tend to over earn—they become so focused on accumulating things that they lose track of actually enjoying what they are doing.⁴

So, rather than falling into the trap of mindlessly accumulating to the detriment of your own happiness, focus on practicing gratitude for the things you have and enjoying the process as you go.

Reframe Negative Thoughts

When you find yourself stuck in a pessimistic outlook or experiencing negativity, look for ways that you can reframe your thoughts in a more positive way.

People have a natural negativity bias, or a tendency to pay more attention to bad things than to good things. This can have an impact on everything from how you make decisions to how you form impressions of other people. Discounting the positive—a cognitive distortion where people focus on the negative and ignore the positive—can also contribute to negative thoughts.

Reframing these negative perceptions isn’t about ignoring the bad. Instead, it means trying to take a more balanced, realistic look at events. It allows you to notice patterns in your thinking and then challenge negative thoughts.What Is Cognitive Reframing?

Impact of Happiness

Happiness has been shown to predict positive outcomes in many different areas of life.

Positive emotions increase satisfaction with life.
Happiness helps people build stronger coping skills and emotional resources.
Positive emotions are linked to better health and longevity. One study found that people who experienced more positive emotions than negative ones were more likely to have survived over a 13 year period.⁵
Positive feelings increase resilience. Resilience helps people better manage stress and bounce back better when faced with setbacks. For example, one study found that happier people tend to have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and that these benefits tend to persist over time.⁶
People who report having a positive state of well-being are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors such as eating fruits and vegetables and engaging in regular physical exercise.⁷
Being happy may make help you get sick less often. Happier mental states are linked to increased immunity.⁸

Improving Your Happiness

Some people seem to have a naturally higher baseline for happiness—one large-scale study of more than 2,000 twins suggested that around 50% of overall life satisfaction was due to genetics, 10% to external events, and 40% to individual activities.⁹

So while you might not be able to control what your “base level” of happiness is, there are things that you can do to make your life happier and more fulfilling. Even the happiest of individuals can feel down from time to time and happiness is something that all people need to consciously pursue.

Get Regular Exercise

Exercise is good for both your body and mind. Physical activity is linked to a range of physical and psychological benefits including improved mood. Numerous studies have shown that regular exercise may play a role in warding off symptoms of depression, but evidence also suggests that it may also help make people happier, too.

In one analysis of past research on the connection between physical activity and happiness, researchers found a consistent positive link.¹⁰

Even a little bit of exercise produces a happiness boost—people who were physically active for as little as 10 minutes a day or who worked out only once a week had higher levels of happiness than people who never exercised.

Show Gratitude

In one study, participants were asked to engage in a writing exercise for 10 to 20 minutes each night before bed.¹¹ Some were instructed to write about daily hassles, some about neutral events, and some about things they were grateful for. The results found that people who had written about gratitude had increase positive emotions, increased subjective happiness, and improve life satisfaction.

As the authors of the study suggest, keeping a gratitude list is a relatively easy, affordable, simple, and pleasant way to boost your mood. Try setting aside a few minutes each night to write down or think about things in your life that you are grateful for.Why You Should Write Down the Things You’re Grateful for Each Day

Find a Sense of Purpose

Research has found that people who feel like they have a purpose have better well-being and feel more fulfilled.¹² A sense of purpose involves seeing your life as having goals, direction, and meaning. It may help improve happiness by promoting healthier behaviors.

Some things you can do to help find a sense of purpose include:

Explore your interests and passions
Engage in prosocial and altruistic causes
Work to address injustices
Look for new things you might want to learn more about

This sense of purpose is influenced by a variety of factors, but it is also something that you can cultivate. It involves finding a goal that you care deeply about that will lead you to engage in productive, positive actions in order to work toward that goal.How to Find Your Purpose In Life

Press Play for Advice On Reaching Your Dreams

Hosted by Editor-in-Chief and therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, featuring best-selling author Dave Hollis, shares how to create your best life. Click below to listen now.

Follow Now: Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Google Podcasts / RSS

Challenges of Finding Happiness

While seeking happiness is important, there are times when the pursuit of life satisfaction falls short. Some challenges to watch for include:

Valuing the Wrong Things

Money may not be able to buy happiness, but there is research that spending money on things like experiences can make you happier than spending it on material possessions.

One study, for example, found that spending money on things that buy time—such as spending money on time-saving services—can increase happiness and life satisfaction.¹³

Rather than overvaluing things such as money, status, or material possessions, pursuing goals that result in more free time or enjoyable experiences may have a higher happiness reward.

Not Seeking Social Support

Social support means having friends and loved ones that you can turn to for support. Research has found that perceived social support plays an important role in subjective well-being. For example, one study found that perceptions of social support were responsible for 43% of a person’s level of happiness.¹⁴

It is important to remember that when it comes to social support, quality is more important than quantity. Having just a few very close and trusted friends will have a greater impact on your overall happiness than having many casual acquaintances.

Thinking of Happiness as an Endpoint

Happiness isn’t a goal that you can simply reach and be done with. It is a constant pursuit that requires continual nurturing and sustenance.

One study found that people who tend to value happiness most also tended to feel the least satisfied with their lives.¹⁵ Essentially, happiness becomes such a lofty goal that it becomes virtually unattainable.

“Valuing happiness could be self-defeating because the more people value happiness, the more likely they will feel disappointed,” suggest the authors of the study.

Perhaps the lesson is to not make something as broadly defined as “happiness” your goal. Instead, focus on building and cultivating the sort of life and relationships that bring fulfillment and satisfaction to your life.

It is also important to consider how you personally define happiness. Happiness is a broad term that means different things to different people. Rather than looking at happiness as an endpoint, it can be more helpful to think about what happiness really means to you and then work on small things that will help you become happier. This can make achieving these goals more manageable and less overwhelming.How to Make Your Health Goals S.M.A.R.T.

History of Happiness

Happiness has long been recognized as a critical part of health and well-being. The “pursuit of happiness” is even given as an inalienable right in the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Our understanding of what will bring happiness, however, has shifted over time.

Psychologists have also proposed a number of different theories to explain how people experience and pursue happiness. These theories include:

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

The hierarchy of needs suggests that people are motivated to pursue increasingly complex needs. Once more basic needs are fulfilled, people are then motivated by more psychological and emotional needs.

At the peak of the hierarchy is the need for self-actualization, or the need to achieve one’s full potential. The theory also stresses the importance of peak experiences or transcendent moments in which a person feels deep understanding, happiness, and joy.

Positive Psychology

The pursuit of happiness is central to the field of positive psychology. Psychologists who study positive psychology are interested in learning ways to increase positivity and helping people live happier, more satisfying lives.

Rather than focusing on mental pathologies, the field instead strives to find ways to help people, communities, and societies improve positive emotions and achieve greater happiness.

Decision-Making Skills: Definition and Examples

This article has been approved by an Indeed Career Coach

Decision-making skills can be the difference in making a choice that improves your organization. The aptitude to make decisions is a leadership trait, which portrays your ability to think objectively and relates concepts to the goals you’re trying to reach. Your capacity to make a quick decision can help establish a strong bond with all employees that strengthens your company’s culture.

In this article, we will talk about what decision-making skills are, examples of decision-making skills, how to improve decision-making skills and how to highlight them when applying for a job.

What are decision-making skills?

Decision-making skills show your proficiency in choosing between two or more alternatives. You can make decisions once you process all the information available to you and speak with the right points of contact involved in a certain situation. Overall, it’s important to identify processes that help you make the right decision on behalf of the organization and make a concerted effort to uncover biases that may affect the outcome of it.

Examples of decision-making skills

You must incorporate a wide variety of skills to make the right decisions. Check out these decision-making skills below that you can add to your resume to stand out to your future employer:

Problem-solving
Leadership
Reasoning
Intuition
Teamwork
Emotional Intelligence
Creativity
Time management
Organization

Problem-solving

Leaders can employ their problem-solving skills to make critical decisions for their company. You need to factor in different viewpoints to consider the numerous variables required to make a thoughtful decision. It’s a necessity that you separate the emotions from the conversations you have with people that’ll influence your decision-making. The essence of having adept problem-solving skills is that you can formulate decisions quickly and effectively, so you need to do your research and pay close attention to detail to match the facts with the situation you’re addressing.

Leadership

Leadership is defined as the act of organizing several employees within your organization, and good leadership can establish a consensus about a particular decision. In this case, leadership involves working with people to evaluate the present and motivate them to achieve their goals once a decision is made.

Make sure that you take the time to build a strong relationship with your coworkers, so you can get to know them and have them be comfortable to speak freely around you. The more engaged and personable you are, the higher the likelihood there is to work cohesively with your team and making productive choices that have a long-term impact.

Reasoning

Reasoning is one of the main skills needed to be informed about the decision you can make. Make sure that you review all the advantages and disadvantages of the decisions that you’re considering taking action on. This is the best way to reason with the present and plan for the future while staying objective and grounded during this process.

Consider all available and relevant points of data to help you guide your decision-making and take a stance about who you’re making it with. You want to keep your reasoning aligned with the people you trust and aim to stay committed to the goals you’re trying to achieve.

Intuition

Intuition is about deciding and trusting your instincts. Your instincts come from the experiences you’ve witnessed in the past and the core values that drive you each day. The sum of the experiences and the lessons you’ve learned from them factor into your decision-making. You need to associate your instincts with the potential actions you can take to see if your decision is logical and actionable.

Teamwork

You must collaborate with your coworkers at some point to make a sound decision. For example, you may have to work with your marketing manager on the best way to work with the client and improve the results of their marketing campaign last quarter.

Here, you use reasoning to break down options to help the client improve their campaign, so a status report can give you applicable data. After, you can weigh the possible key performance indicators (KPIs) that can measure its success going forward. Overall, your ability to work with a team determines the results you earn and the number of people affected by the decision your team made.

Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence makes you critically aware of your emotions, and you can express them in a way that encourages action. Your emotions should lay the groundwork for your inspiration regarding a specific cause or mission that motivates you. However, the way you analyze data on the subject matter is going to dictate how well-informed you are when making your final decision.

Creativity

Your creativity harnesses your logical and emotional thinking to generate a unique solution. You need to have trusted employees within your organization to exchange ideas to come up with short and long-term solutions. You can also use your creativity to frame the conversations you have with employees during meetings and the amount of time allocated to ensure that everyone’s voice can be heard. Consider having weekly brainstorming sessions to maximize employees’ creativity to gain noteworthy input.

Time management

Since decisions need to be made quickly, you have to outline the amount of time you have to make your decision. You always have to work within the confines of your situation, but time management allows you to structure how you can make a decision. If you make have to decide by the end of the week, you can spend the time on each stage of the decision-making process including possible actions and purposed solutions you can take.

Organization

Organization is vital in your making a final decision. You should use this skill to find out what results you’re looking for and if it’s a top priority. If you’re giving surveys about your product, your priority is to gain feedback from your target audience and see if you’re using the correct user personal for your marketing campaign.

Read more: What Are Organizational Skills?

How to improve decision-making skills

Check out this guide to aid you in improving your decision-making skills:

Identify the situation.
Note potential solutions or actions.
List the advantages and disadvantages of each option.
Choose the decision you want to proceed with and measure the results.

1. Identify the situation

Problems can be recognized by any member of the organization. They should be reported to a department manager or human resources depending on the seriousness of it. The executive team may also be informed if it’s tied to the long-term goals they set out. Schedule a meeting with all parties involved first before proceeding with informing the rest of the organization.

2. Note potential solutions or actions

Document all possible solutions for the problem in front of you and keep a record of them. List them in front of your team during a meeting, so they can actively participate in this process. They should also be sent an email to keep a record of it for themselves. Once you have the solutions listed, list potential action items to all team members to execute the decision agreed upon.

3. List the advantages and disadvantages of each option

Discuss the pros and cons extensively to see which options can proceed to the decision-making stage. Take your time and calculate the pros and cons wisely to see if it matches your goals and KPIs that measure its success.

4. Choose the decision you want to proceed with and measure the results

Think of the decision you make as one with a short and long-term impact. The good news is that you’ll always learn from the decisions you make, so track the performance of this decision to align the outcome with the pros and cons you listed.

How to highlight decision-making skills

Take a look at three ways you can showcase your decision-making skills on your resume:

Use applicable verbs shown in the job description

Word association is key to properly display your skills to the hiring manager. Verbs like selected, decided and strategized and executed all exemplify a decision-maker. The caveat is that you need to expand on substance within the description to earn an interview.

Underscore the metrics you earned in different roles

List the top-performing metrics at each position you held to get the interest of the recruiter. For instance, your last position in a leadership role made you responsible for managing a 10-person team and guided them through a six-step content creation process that boosted engagement by 20%.

Check out examples from job posting websites

Since you’re tailoring your resume to the company in your targeted industry, browse multiple job postings sites to compare the experiences of other applicants and see if you can showcase your decision-making skills in the same way.

15 Best Places to Visit in Moldova

This small landlocked European country is found between Romania to the west and the Ukraine to the east. Up until World War II, it was a part of Romania and if you visit both countries, you’ll see a lot of cultural similarities. Then it was part of the Soviet Union until 1991, so you’ll also see a number of similarities there. But Moldova has a lot to offer in its own right. First, it’s remote and rarely visited – making it perfect for adventurers who want to blaze a trail. Second, it has a growing wine-tourism industry and those who know wines know that some of the best in Europe come from Moldova. You’ll find traditions are still alive and hospitality in the villages is genuine. Consider these top attractions while you’re planning your trip.

1. Chisinau

This is modern and friendly place is Moldova’s biggest city and serves as its capital. Chisinau has loads of green space, parks, and historical buildings. It feels like a city with space. There’s also no shortage of restaurants, art galleries, nightclubs, spas, and casinos! You’ll want to visit Pushkin Park and the orange pyramid at the World War II memorial. You’ll find marvellous frescoes in the Nativity Cathedral, and if that’s not for you, check out the stalls of the local modern artists in the art market.

2. Orheiul Vechi

Just an hour outside of Chisinau is Orheiul, or Old Orhei, Moldova’s most incredible sight. It’s an archaeological complex with rich cultural and historical significance. It’s also a place of stunning natural beauty. Overlooking the Raut River, this open-air complex features fortifications, baths, caves, ruins, and monasteries – all which date back as late as the Dacian tribes of 2000 years ago. The ancient monuments date from various periods including the Tatar and Mongol invasions, the 10th century BC, and more recently the occupation of the Golden Horde in the 14th century. Because of the unusualness of the area, a museum has been built that offer exhibits and provide information and context for such a unique place.

3. Cricova Winery

A quick 30 minutes from Chisinau is Cricova Winery. The second largest underground winery in the world; it is definitely something to experience. You’ll find 120 kilometres of complex roadways above ground and an elaborate tunnel system underground which has been in place since the 15th century when the limestone was dug out to build Chisinau. This wonderful “wine city” includes warehouses, underground tasting rooms, and guided tours. You’ll travel 100 metres below ground and have a look at what 1.25 million bottles of wine looks like. The wine industry is growing in Moldova, which means that it’s worth bringing a bottle or two home.

4. Tipova Monastery

Located in a remote but beautiful part of Moldova, Tipova Monastery comprises three main complexes that have been dug out of the rocks along the banks of the Dniestr River. The oldest complex is the Church of the Feast of the Holy Cross (11th century). The remaining two are the Church of St Nicholas (14th century) and Horodiste (16th century). If you follow the path past the caves you’ll enjoy a nice nature hike that ends in a lovely waterfall. Within each cave are monk’s cells, enough for up to 700, though there are less than 20 monks living there now.

5. Manastirea Curchi

This monastery wins the award for the most beautiful in all of Moldova. The complex is made up of five churches, a refectory, several abbeys, and monk cells. Its beauty comes from the Bessarabia architectural style. The centrepiece for the complex is the Mother of God Church, built at the end of the 19th century. After you’ve explored the grounds and learnt about the unique history of the monastery (it was once a psychiatric hospital during the Soviet era) enjoy a nice stroll through the orchards.

6. Saharna

This small village is the one that visitors most often say they’d love to return to. The Holy Trinity Monastery is there, but it’s also a place of breathtaking natural beauty. There is a silence and calmness that permeates the place – and you, after just a short time. Saharna is a pilgrimage place for many Moldavians because of a footprint on a rock which is believed to be the Virgin Mary’s. Nature lovers will for sure love Saharna. The River Saharna has 22 waterfalls – the most famous being “Gipsy Hole” (as it’s known by the locals). Enjoy hiking that offers incredible views of the surround area and the monastery below.

7. Transdniestr

This narrow strip of land on the Dniestr River is definitely one of the oddest places in Eastern Europe. The government there has declared Transdniestr an independent republic. Though it’s a republic that doesn’t officially exist anywhere else but there. Officially still a part of Moldova; the locals here believe they won their independence during a civil war in 1992. Transdniestr has its own currency, police force, and borders while still clinging to a Soviet era aesthetic throughout the region. You’ll see plenty of Lenin busts as you’re exploring. The unofficial capital city at Tiraspol will be one of the strangest looking places you’ll see in Moldova.

8. Bendery

One of Transdniestr’s three cities, Bendery is the greener and more aesthetically pleasing counterpart to Tiraspol. Though you can still see the bullet holes that remain from the civil war with Moldova, the city itself is friendly and fun. Be sure to check out the fortress, built in the 16th century. It’s changed hands a number of times and is a great reflection of the history of the city.

9. Gagauzia

The Gagauzia region is an autonomous non-contiguous stretch of land made up of three towns and 27 villages. The culture and heritage here is primarily influenced by Turkey and although the people are largely Christians, their ancestors were Muslim refugees fleeing from war and looking for a place to lay roots. They were permitted to stay in this region only if they converted. With such a distinct history, you can image that the area is intriguing. Visit the Comrat Regional History Museum to get a glimpse of what daily life is like here.

10. Soroca

Soroca has played a large and important role throughout Moldova’s history due to its location on the Dniestr River. During wars and sieges, armies were able to defend the country well from this vantage point. The highlight is Soroca Fortress, one in a chain of military strongholds built as early as the 14th century by princes looking to fortify their position against invaders. Because of the large Roma community here, Soroca is the unofficial Roma capital. For fun, walk by the mansions of the Roma elite that line the streets of the city centre.

11. Padurea Domneasca (Royal Forest) Natural Reservation

Founded in 1993, this is the largest natural reserve in Moldova and is located in Glodeni. Here you’ll find the country’s oldest stand of old-growth oak tree where the oldest oak is estimated to be about 450 years old. Nature lovers will enjoy the many bird species with the most notable being the herons that nest near the river. Discover the area known as “One Hundred Hills,” a landscape of rolling knolls – that no one understands how they were formed. Padurea Domneasca is a great way to spend a day outdoors with Mother Nature.

12. Capriana

Sitting in a lush green forest in Capriana is one of the oldest monasteries in Moldova. Founded in the 15th century by Alexander the Good, it was once the home of the Moldavian bishop as well as Chiprian, one of the first Moldavian poets. It houses the largest convent library in the country and after years of neglect, was reopened in 1989 as a symbol of national revival. While you’re there, you can make some stops nearby to visit the oak tree of Stefan the Great and Codru, the oldest nature reserve in the country.

13. Codru Natural Reservation

The most popular (as well as oldest!) reserve in the country, Codru lies in the centre of Moldova and is made up of a series of magnificent ravines and valleys. You’ll find over 1000 species of protected plants, 145 bird species, 43 mammal species, seven reptile species, and more. There is a natural history museum on the reserve worth checking out in between solo or guided hikes. You’ll love the wide open feeling of this popular reserve.

14. Kvint

You can purchase a bottle of some of Europe’s best cognac at the entrance gate to the Kvint factory. They’ve been making top-quality cognac here since 1897 and even buying from the street vendors here will give you value for your money. Located in quirky Tiraspol, the locals consider Kvint to be a national symbol and its image is even on the Transnistrian five ruble banknote. They produce about ten million litres a year and you can sign up for a daily tasting tour.

15.Taul Park and Pommer Manor

Located in Taul Village, Taul Park is the largest in the country. Inside the park is the stately manor house of Ivan Pommer, which was built at the beginning of the 20th century. It’s a testament to landscape architecture and was highly revered in its time. The park itself is comprised of two parts. The upper part is where you’ll find the manor house with tons of footpaths being swallowed by amazing flower beds. The lower park feels more like a forest. Various tree groups have been planted and each group is characteristic of a different geographical area. Discover 150 varieties of trees and bushes – many exotic – when you walk the 12.5k of trails.

5 Ways to Cope With Emotional Stress

Emotional stress can be particularly painful and be challenging to deal with. It can take more of a toll that many other forms of stress. Part of the reason is that thinking about a solution, or discussing solutions with a good friend—coping behaviors that are often useful and effective in solving problems—can easily deteriorate into rumination and co-rumination, which are not so useful and effective.

In fact, rumination can exacerbate your stress levels, so it helps to have healthy strategies for coping with emotional stress as well as redirecting yourself away from rumination and avoidance coping and more toward emotionally proactive approaches to stress management.

Causes of Emotional Stress

Relationship stress carries a heavy toll on our emotional lives and creates strong emotional responses. Our relationships greatly impact our lives— or better or for worse.

Healthy relationships can bring good times, but also resources in times of need, added resilience in times of stress, and even increased longevity. However, conflicted relationships and ‘frenemies’ can make us worse off in our emotional lives, and can even take a toll physically.

Relationships aren’t the only cause of emotional stress, however. Financial crises, an unpleasant work environment, or a host of other stressors can cause emotional stress, which sometimes tempts us toward unhealthy coping behaviors in order to escape the pain, especially when the situations seem hopeless.

Perhaps one of the more challenging aspects of coping with emotional stress is the feeling of being unable to change the situation. If we can’t change our stress levels by eliminating the stressful situation, we can work on our emotional response to it.

Coping With Emotional Stress

Fortunately, while you can’t always fix these situations overnight, you can lessen the emotional stress you feel, and the toll this stress takes on you. Here are some exercises you can try to effectively cope with emotional stress.

Get Advice From The Verywell Mind Podcast

Hosted by Editor-in-Chief and therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares how you can change your mindset to cope with stress in a healthy way.

Practice Mindfulness

When we feel emotional stress, it’s also often experienced as physical pain. You may feel a ‘heavy’ feeling in the chest, an unsettled feeling in the stomach, a dull headache.

It’s common to try to escape these feelings, but it can actually be helpful to go deeper into the experience and use mindfulness to really notice where these emotional responses are felt physically. Some people notice that the pain seems more intense before dissipating, but then they feel the emotional and physical pain is lessened.

Distract Yourself

Common belief used to be that if we didn’t express every emotion we felt (or at least the big ones), they would show themselves in other ways. In some ways, this is true. There are benefits to examining our emotional states to learn from what our emotions are trying to tell us, and ‘stuffing our emotions’ in unhealthy ways can bring other problems.

However, it’s also been discovered that distracting oneself from emotional pain with emotionally healthy alternatives—such as a feel-good movie, fun activities with friends, or a satisfying mental challenge—can lessen emotional pain and help us feel better.

How to Cope With Emotions Using Distraction

Block Off Some Time

If you find that emotional stress and rumination creep into your awareness quite a bit, and distraction doesn’t work, try scheduling some time—an hour a day, perhaps—where you allow yourself to think about your situation fully and mull over solutions, concoct hypothetical possibilities, replay upsetting exchanges, or whatever you feel the emotional urge to do.

Journaling is a great technique to try here, especially if it’s done as both an exploration of your inner emotional world and an exploration of potential solutions. Talk to your friends about the problem, if you’d like. Fully immerse yourself. And then try some healthy distractions.

This technique works well for two reasons. First, if you really have the urge to obsess, this allows you to satisfy that craving in a limited context. Also, you may find yourself more relaxed the rest of the day because you know that there will be a time to focus on your emotional situation; that time is just later.

Practice Meditation

Meditation is very helpful for dealing with a variety of stressors, and emotional stress is definitely in the category of stressors that meditation helps with. It allows you to take a break from rumination by actively redirecting your thoughts, and provides practice in choosing thoughts, which can help eliminate some emotional stress in the long term.

5 Meditation Techniques to Get You Started

Talk to a Therapist

If you find your level of emotional stress interfering with your daily activities or threatening your well-being in other ways, you may consider seeing a therapist for help working through emotional issues. Whatever the cause of your emotional stress, you can work toward lessening and managing it and feeling better in the process, without losing the ‘messages’ that your emotions are bringing you.

The Blog is Curated by Vikram Kakri.

TOP 10 ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Being able to communicate effectively is an essential skill. Whether it’s in our business life or our personal relationships, effective communication is the key to our success.

Life coaching for effective communication is a fantastic way to learn and attain this skill. Through a number of communication models, I’ll show you how to get ahead and stay ahead.

Here are my top ten essential skills for effective communication. Master these skills now, and they’ll serve you well for a long time to come!

1. Listening

One of the most important aspects of effective communication is being a good listener.

People do not like communicating with others who are only interested in telling you what they want to tell you, and don’t listen to what you have to say. Effective communication requires active listening, so practice active listening until it becomes second nature to you.

So what is active listening? Active listening involves hearing and understanding what a person is saying to you. Unless you understand clearly what a person is telling you, you can’t respond appropriately. Gain clarification by asking questions or rephrase what you’re being told, so that you’re sure you fully understand the message that’s being conveyed to you. For example, you could say “So, what you’re saying is…”

2. Non-Verbal Communication

The words we choose make up just 7% of the message being conveyed, which makes non-verbal communication all the more important. Body language is an important communication tool. Your body language should help convey your words. Other factors you should consider are things like the tone of your voice, your hand gestures, and ensuring eye contact.

A person is going to be encouraged to speak openly with you if you are relaxed and have a friendly tone. Adopt an open stance position, with relaxed legs and open arms. It is important that you make eye contact with the person you are communicating with, but be careful that you do not stare at them, as this is just uncomfortable. It is just as important that you recognise the non-verbal signals being displayed by the other person. These signals will give you an insight into how that person is feeling.

3. Be Clear and Be Concise

Convey your message using as few words as possible. Whether in person, via telephone, or email, convey your message clearly, concise and direct. If you are excessive with your words, the listener will either lose focus or just be unsure as to what it is that you want. Before speaking give some thought as to the message you want to convey. This will prevent you rambling and causing confusion.

4. Be Personable

When communicating face to face with someone, use a friendly tone with a simple smile, and ask a personal question. These things encourage the other person to engage in honest, open communication. When using written communication (e.g. email), you can achieve this by adding a simple personal message, for example, “How was your weekend?”.

5. Be Confident

Confidence underpins all effective communication. Other people will believe you will do as you say if you sound confident. Making eye contact, using a firm but friendly tone (never aggressive), are all ways you can exude confidence. Remember to always be listening to the other person and looking out for those nonverbal clues.

6. Empathy

Empathy is the skill of being able to understand and share the feelings of another person.

Even if don’t agree with the person you’re communicating with, it’s very important that you understand and respect their view. Simply saying to that person “I understand what you’re saying”, will let them know that you have been listening to them, and that you respect their point of view.

7. Always Have An Open Mind

Being an effective communicator requires that every conversation is approached with a flexible, open mind. This isn’t always easy to achieve, but is very important to communicating effectively. Always engage in active listening, and be sure to demonstrate empathy by acknowledging you understand what the other person’s point of view is. Adopting this approach will always ensure honest, productive communication.

8. Convey Respect

Other people will be more likely to engage in communication with you if you respect them and their ideas. Simply addressing another person using their name, will make them feel appreciated. If communicating via telephone, always keep focused on the conversation and avoid being distracted in any way. When communicating through email, take time to construct and edit your message, taking care to address the recipient by name.

9. Give and Receive Feedback

Giving and receiving appropriate feedback is an essential communication skill, particularly for those of us whose roles include managing other people. Providing constructive feedback, as well as giving someone praise, can greatly increase motivation and build morale.

It is just as important that you accept and encourage feedback from others. Always listen to feedback and act positively on it. If you’re unsure about any aspect of the feedback, simply ask a question to gain clarification from the other person.

10. Consider The Best Medium for The Job!

The final item on my list is knowing what the best form of communication is to use. Being mindful of using the best form of communication will result in your response being a positive one. Consider things such as, who it is you’re trying to communicate with, how important the topic is, and how busy that person might be. For example, asking your boss for a raise is never going to be taken seriously if you do it by text – so consider what’s appropriate!

Creative thinking skills: definition and examples

When was the last time you came up with something truly new and original? Exercising your creative thinking skills is a critical part of life, no matter the field you work on.

For those that consider creativity and innovation to be gifts of nature, it is important to understand it is a skill that can be improved with the right training. Not only that but you can also make use of certain techniques to create innovative solutions steadily.

It is also important to break the myth that creativity is fully dependent on a mystical source of inspiration. Instead, it is the byproduct of consuming all kinds of content, being able to relate to different pieces of media, and deconstruct issues to come to the appropriate answers. The proper creative thinking makes this easier.

In this post, you will find out more about:

What is creative thinking?
Creative thinking techniques
What are the main benefits of creative thinking?
How to develop creative thinking skills?

What is creative thinking?

Creative thinking refers to using abilities and soft skills to come up with new solutions to problems. Creative thinking skills are techniques used to look at the issue from different and creative angles, using the right tools to assess it and develop a plan.

The focus on creativity and innovation is important because most problems might require approaches that have never been created or tried before. It is a highly valued skill to have individually and one that businesses should always aspire to have among their ranks. After all, the word creativity means a phenomenon where something new is created.

Creative thinking is a skill and, like any other, it needs constant exercise to stay sharp. You need to regularly expose yourself to situations in which a new idea is needed and surround yourself with like-minded people to achieve this goal.

Such a process is made easier with the use of certain techniques. They help get you on the right mindset and provide the basic structure to reach new ideas on demand.

Creative thinking techniques

As you have just learned, creative thinking can be triggered by some widely used techniques. These are effective methods to help you come up with new ideas, test them under new environments, and count on other people’s input to make them even more innovative.

Some of the best examples of creative thinking skills may include: lateral-thinking, visual reading, out-of-the-box thinking, copywriting, artistic creativity, problem-solving, analytical mind, and divergent thinking.

Here are the best creative thinking techniques you can use.

Brainstorming

This technique can be very useful in small or large-scale problems that require a creative solution. The main goal is to form a group of people and throw around ideas without interference.

The general idea of brainstorming is that, by having an excess of creative potential solutions, it gets easier to reach one with the highest level of quality.

Brainstorming has several advantages that can help you exercise your creative thinking skills. For starters, it does not require a rigid structure to function, being very informal. However, it can be facilitated by professional guidance. Also, the people involved do not even need to be together at the same time, as you can use a virtual setting or put ideas into a shared document.

For it to work well, all participants must be aware of the problem that requires a creative solution and are familiar with how brainstorming works. In the end, do not forget to register all the ideas through proper documentation.

Lateral thinking

Sometimes, the answer to a problem is not in front of it, but besides it. That is the general idea of lateral thinking, which is a great way to exercise your creative soft skills and come up with innovative plans.

Lateral thinking involves looking in less obvious areas and lines of reasoning. It can work well if you and your partners try to put yourselves under different perspectives or reverse the problem to look at it differently.

For instance, the direct solution to a loss of sales online would be to put up more ads and promotions. However, lateral thinking might reach alternative paths, like using e-mail marketing to reach customers that have not bought from you in a while.

This can be extrapolated further, even using absurd lines of thinking to get your creative juices flowing. The most important aspect of this process is to go where you would not usually choose to go.

Mind mapping

The process of mind mapping helps you connect ideas you never imagined could be combined. Because of that, it might help you reach appropriate solutions while using creative thinking skills.

A mind map is a chart where you input ideas and connect them. It can have possible solutions to a problem, its immediate consequences, and be the best course of action to deal with them. Alternatively, your mind map can serve as a way to see a bigger picture regarding what you are trying to do.

Mind mapping can even be done individually. Sometimes, you may already have all the ideas you need but it is required to put them to paper. Creating a mind map helps to organize them and naturally reach conclusions.

Also, since a mind map is essentially an infographic, those who were not part of the process can easily understand it. Therefore, it serves as a valid piece of documentation.

Examples of creativity skills

Besides these creative thinking techniques we presented in this chapter, there are several skills you’ll need to develop to enjoy the advantages of the techniques. Some of the creativity skills may include:

experimentation
opposing views
asking questions
communication
organization

What are the main benefits of creative thinking?

Developing your creative thinking skills is highly beneficial for any field of work. After all, every area needs people that can come up with the best solutions to the everyday problems that arise and creativity is critical to do that.

You can experience advantages such as these by developing creative thinking skills:

ability to create the best solutions to daily demands, which provides value to clients and your own business;
improvement on problem-solving for not only work-related matters but also those in your personal life;
higher workplace involvement in daily activities and engagement, which is beneficial to a healthier environment;
a better understanding of data — also known as data literacy — and how to present it through data storytelling;
focus on self-improvement as you and your teammates will develop more soft skills.
more effective teamwork and bonding, since people grow used to bouncing off original ideas and learn each other’s creative traits.

How to develop creative thinking skills?

Now that you know exactly what creative thinking skills are, the next step in this process involves learning how to work on them. After all, stagnation can be the biggest threat to your creativity, as it requires constant stimulation.

Check out below the best ways to develop creative thinking skills for yourself.

Consume different kinds of content

Your creative thinking can be heavily benefited if you diversify the kind of content you consume in your daily life. After all, the information we absorb can be combined, remixed, and repurposed in several ways to provide solutions. However, this becomes impossible if there is no variety.

To do that, you can make use of the internet’s vast selection of content types. Try to visit different blogs, YouTube channels, and social media profiles you are not used to — preferably those that deal with topics you do not usually consume.

This also works if you try to vary the forms as well as the content. This means engaging with different types of media, like text, videos, audio, and even more specific ones like e-books, podcasts, infographics, and others.

Keep up with the trends

Much of your creative thinking can be influenced by the trends that are influencing the market right now and the ones that are coming up in the future.

Keeping up with the trends is not just about consuming all kinds of news related to your field. It is also necessary to develop a keen eye to distinguish what has the creative potential to get viral or not. This ability will be essential to the success of your strategies in marketing.

Being able to predict trends does not require a crystal ball. Instead, you need to understand how your business segment operates and where the innovation comes from. Having a problem-solving stance is critical for coming up with creative and original ideas.

Try to create something every day

When someone wants to lose weight, they come up with an exercise plan that requires a daily effort as commitment. The same concept applies to the workout of your creative thinking and technical skills required to stay sharp.

So, with that goal in mind, make sure to try to create something new daily. It does not have to be something large or significant, just anything new that derives from all the new references you are absorbing.

Such creations might also serve as solutions to everyday problems you or your community face. The most important part of this process is creating a habit of coming up with new things so it begins to come naturally to you.

Build a network for creativity

Get help from others to keep your creative thinking and technical skills in constant development. You can build a network of people with the same goals and put all these tips in action as a group.

Interacting with your peers is a great way to exercise your creativity. It is even better when these people are also creatively-oriented and contributes to coming up with original ideas as a network. Try to come up with group projects to create a solution to a common problem or innovate on a certain aspect of work.

Be careful not to surround yourself with people that think and create exactly like you. Seek as much diversity as you can while creating this network, since all this variety can be highly beneficial to everyone’s ideas.

Realizing creative thinking skills require constant training is the first step in improving how you come up with new ideas. People who are experienced in this craft can improve every field of expertise. Consider the tips in this article and begin a process of self-improvement focused on honing your creative thinking skills.

Speaking of improvements, how about learning more about how to evaluate your results? Check out this post on the 14 most important metrics to measure content performance.Share

The Benefits Of Time Management

Ram had been trying to integrate physical exercise and meditation into his daily routine for quite some time. However, he faced the same challenge as millions of people worldwide: lack of time.

“I sleep at well past midnight and as soon as I wake up, it is time to get ready and run to the office. I wish I had some free time,” he felt.

WHAT IS TIME MANAGEMENT?

Ram’s problem is not unique. It can be solved with dedication and by understanding the importance of time management in life.

We often value things according to the amount spent on them. Hence, many of us fail to understand the true value of time.

Time management is a critical skill for all of us. When we don’t manage our time well, our productivity declines, and stress levels rise. Time management is important to ensure we don’t face such problems.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME MANAGEMENT

There are immense benefits of time management. By understanding the importance of time management in life, we can achieve more in life. Everybody has the same 24 hours in a day. It’s important to learn how to maximize your time so you can be productive at work and life in general.

By understanding the importance of time management skills, we can transform our lives as well as the society around us.

Let’s take a look at the advantages of time management:

DO MORE IN LESS TIME

One of the biggest advantages of time management is that it allows us to be more efficient by being in control of how we spend our time. We can focus better on important tasks, and better focus leads to better efficiency.

Imagine a vehicle being driven slowly by someone busy talking on the phone and looking out of the window repeatedly. Now think of another vehicle being driven by someone focused on driving at an optimal speed to reach their destination faster.

That’s what time management can do for you.

BETTER DECISION-MAKING

A person well-versed with the importance of time management skills is likely to make better decisions. Poor time management skills leave you with little time to comprehend and predict the impact of your decisions.

You may feel pressed for time and hurriedly choose whatever proves to be the easy option. By taking the easy option, however, you run the risk of losing out in the long run. Time management, on the other hand, will give you the ability to calmly evaluate your options and choose the one that promises the best outcome.

SUCCESS

Of all the benefits of time management, the biggest advantage is that it enables you to achieve greater success in your endeavors. You can perform better regularly, take more effective decisions, and differentiate between important and meaningless tasks. This ability to identify and focus on important areas will eventually lead to greater success in life.

SUPERIOR QUALITY OF LIFE

Life has become fast-paced, competitive, and stressful today. Days seem to fly by, and, in our quest for success, the quality of life is the biggest sufferer. We eat on the go, spend insane hours at work, and miss out on hobbies and family time. In simple words, we trade the joys of living, bonding, relaxation, and health for material accomplishments.

We all want success and material wealth. But by understanding the importance of time management and making it a part of our lives, we can achieve things more harmoniously. Time management won’t give you extra hours. It will, however, teach you how to get more from the same number of hours.

Time management can help us free up time that we can spend on things that make us happy. Thus, we feel less stressed and experience fulfilment in life.

CONCLUSION

Harappa Education’s Practicing Excellence course can help you work efficiently and develop smart time-management skills, By managing your time well, you will be able to achieve excellence and exceed expectations. The course teaches tools and concepts like the Pomodoro Technique and the Eisenhower Matrix which help in better time management and prioritization of tasks. You can enroll for this anywhere, anytime course, and transform your life with the time-tested techniques of time management.

Ram had been trying to integrate physical exercise and meditation into his daily routine for quite some time. However, he faced the same challenge as millions of people worldwide: lack of time.

“I sleep at well past midnight and as soon as I wake up, it is time to get ready and run to the office. I wish I had some free time,” he felt.

WHAT IS TIME MANAGEMENT?

Ram’s problem is not unique. It can be solved with dedication and by understanding the importance of time management in life.

We often value things according to the amount spent on them. Hence, many of us fail to understand the true value of time.

THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME MANAGEMENT

By understanding the importance of time management skills, we can transform our lives as well as the society around us.

Let’s take a look at the advantages of time management:

DO MORE IN LESS TIME

That’s what time management can do for you.

BETTER DECISION-MAKING

SUCCESS

SUPERIOR QUALITY OF LIFE

Time management can help us free up time that we can spend on things that make us happy. Thus, we feel less stressed and experience fulfilment in life.

CONCLUSION

Importance of Self Awareness as a life Skills

Self-awareness skills, as the term indicates, refer to one’s ability to be aware of or to recognize his emotions, behaviors, beliefs, motivations and other characteristics such as strengths and weaknesses, such that it enables him to identify and understand himself as a separate entity.

Having self-awareness skills not only enables you to understand your own personality but also helps you apprehend other people, their perceptions about you, and your response to their actions. Apart from enabling you to understand, it also helps you to change your own thoughts and interpretations in an effort to alter some unwarranted emotions.

Why is self-awareness important

Developing self-awareness skills is important for learning about yourself and discovering your true capabilities, which may be vital for a successful career. Following are some of the most significant implications of self-awareness skills:

Improves emotional intelligence. Developing self-awareness skills is the key to developing emotional intelligence as a skill. The self-analysis that you conduct will help you be aware of your own values which, if touched by any event or action, will generate certain emotional responses. When you have a better understanding of the problem, you can take more effective actions to address it.
Gives a direction to your efforts. Knowing your strengths enables you to utilize them more effectively and in appropriate situations. Whereas, knowing your weakness helps you figure out when you need to draw on the strengths of others. Also, acknowledging our weaknesses prevents us from reacting inappropriately at any point in time and from making disastrous decisions.

How to improve self-awareness skills

Knowing the importance of self-awareness skills for a successful career, you can try to improve them in the following ways:

Take personality tests. Taking some free or paid online personality tests will give you a deeper insight into the person that you really are and will help you understand your own behaviors better. Some of these may also give you recommendation about the changes you can make in order to improve your performance at work.
Write a journal. That’s right. Keep a track of all your feelings and thoughts regarding day to day experiences. This process can be very enlightening since it makes you think about your true thoughts and feelings.
Ask for feedback actively. Always encourage honest suggestions and feedback from your friends, family, colleagues, as well as your boss. It makes you aware of how others perceive you. Listening to all such feedback and correcting yourself is very important. Otherwise, you will be responsible for letting your weaknesses limit how far you can take yourself.

Blog is curated by Vikram Kakri.

Site URL: www.cleverism.com/skills-and-tools/self-awareness/

TEN KEY REASONS WHY BUILDING EMPATHY IS IMPORTANT FOR CAREER SUCCESS

Empathy is an important ability to have for career success, because it improves your capacity to communicate with others, to be part of a team, and to better your leadership skills.

Building one’s ability to empathise is quickly becoming one of the most important tasks of the twenty-first century.

Empathy is an emotional skill that’s built through understanding others. One way to improve your ability to empathise with others is by working with people from backgrounds different to your own.

A great way to do this is to go abroad to work with people on a project, internship, or service-learning expedition. You’ll learn how to work with people across cultures and gain other skills associated with leadership, teamwork and intercultural competency, which are crucial for our global workforce.

Build up your empathy by volunteering with children in schools

WHAT IS EMPATHY?

Empathy is largely understood as the ability to understand another person’s feelings and to consider another person’s perspective. By building empathy, you can broaden your worldview.

Practising empathy also helps you to relate more to others. When we’re in tune with our own emotions, we can relate to other people’s emotional reality more readily and effectively. This is especially significant in settings where there’s diversity among individuals.

Practising empathy helps you relate more to others.

WHY IS EMPATHY IMPORTANT FOR WORKING ABROAD?

Going abroad presents challenges in many ways. We all have our own perspectives, values, backgrounds and cultural understandings that make us who we are.

When we mix these things together, especially in a new situation or cultural context, we stretch our ability to understand and empathise with others.

Building empathy is valuable if you want to have a career in learning and interacting with new cultures. It’ll help you be more understanding of others, which will create more collaborative workspaces and learning environments.

Becoming a volunteer teacher is a great way to make an impact and build up empathy

These qualities are also increasingly important to employers, as they search for workers who can demonstrate critical thinking, and the ability to adapt to new learning or situations quickly.

Here are ten key reasons why empathy is important to your future success.

1) YOU’LL BETTER UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE AROUND YOU

If you express empathy towards the people you work with, you’ll be able to understand what they need from you, and how you can treat them the way they want to be treated.

2) YOU’LL MORE CLEARLY UNDERSTAND HOW YOU AFFECT OTHERS

By understanding another person’s viewpoint, you can evaluate more clearly how your words and actions affect or influence them.

Reflecting is a good way to build understanding and empathy from other peoples perspectives.

3) YOU’LL GET TO GRIPS WITH NON-VERBAL CUES

By focusing on your intuition, you’ll be better equipped to understand unspoken communication with others. This means you’ll be able to improve your interactions with others in the workplace and in social spaces.

4) YOU’LL BE BETTER AT YOUR JOB

Besides better knowing and understanding your colleagues, empathy will make you a more efficient and effective provider to your clients. You’ll be better able to read, or anticipate the needs of your clients or customers at work.

When you work with other people, you have an opportunity to learn conflict management skills

5) YOU’LL BE BETTER EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT

Engaging with another person’s perspective will help you in both your personal and professional relationships. It’ll make it easier for you to resolve any potential conflict.

6) YOU’LL MORE ACCURATELY PREDICT PEOPLE’S BEHAVIOUR

By focusing on what motivates people’s behaviour, you’ll be better able to understand how to interact with the people you work with or are close to. You may also be able to predict their actions or reactions.

Your authority as a volunteer puts you in the position to inspire and motivate those around you

7) YOU’LL BE BETTER ABLE TO MOTIVATE THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU

If you know what motivates others, how they want to be treated and what they want to achieve, then you’ll be better equipped to inspire and motivate them.

8) YOU’LL MORE EFFECTIVELY CONVINCE OTHERS OF YOUR POINT OF VIEW

If you’ve established yourself as a good listener and a caring co-worker, people will be more likely to listen to your viewpoint.

9) YOU’LL LEARN TO LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE

When you incorporate several different perspectives or worldviews, you’ll be able to see the bigger picture of an issue or concept.

10) YOU’LL BECOME A BETTER LEADER, WORKER AND FRIEND

Empathy will help you understand your coworkers, family and friends better. You’ll be in a better position to effectively lead and inspire others, as well as develop more caring and compassionate relationships.

What better way to build up your ability to empathize than going on a team trek in Nepal with GVI

Empathy is a valuable attribute that enhances overall cooperation, respect and understanding. By cultivating empathy, we are better equipped to make connections across cultures.

Feel ready to start cultivating your ability to empathise? Find out more about GVI’s international, award-winning programs and internships, and work with people from around the world on sustainable development initiatives.

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The blog is curated by Vikram Kakri

Critical Thinking Definition, Skills, and Examples

What is critical thinking? Critical thinking refers to the ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment. It involves the evaluation of sources, such as data, facts, observable phenomena, and research findings.

Good critical thinkers can draw reasonable conclusions from a set of information, and discriminate between useful and less useful details to solve problems or make decisions.

Why Do Employers Value Critical Thinking Skills?

Employers want job candidates who can evaluate a situation using logical thought and offer the best solution.FEATURED VIDEO

Someone with critical thinking skills can be trusted to make decisions independently, and will not need constant handholding.

Critical thinking abilities are among the most sought-after skills in almost every industry and workplace.2 You can demonstrate critical thinking by using related keywords in your resume and cover letter, and during your interview.

Examples of Critical Thinking

The circumstances that demand critical thinking vary from industry to industry. Some examples include:

A triage nurse analyzes the cases at hand and decides the order by which the patients should be treated.
A plumber evaluates the materials that would best suit a particular job.
An attorney reviews evidence and devises a strategy to win a case or to decide whether to settle out of court.
A manager analyzes customer feedback forms and uses this information to develop a customer service training session for employees.

Promote Your Skills in Your Job Search

If critical thinking is a key phrase in the job listings you are applying for, be sure to emphasize your critical thinking skills throughout your job search.

Add Keywords to Your Resume

You can use critical thinking keywords (analytical, problem solving, creativity, etc.) in your resume. When describing your work history, include any of the skills listed below that accurately describe you. You can also include them in your resume summary, if you have one.

For example, your summary might read, “Marketing Associate with five years of experience in project management. Skilled in conducting thorough market research and competitor analysis to assess market trends and client needs, and to develop appropriate acquisition tactics.”

Mention Skills in Your Cover Letter

Include these critical thinking skills in your cover letter. In the body of your letter, mention one or two of these skills, and give specific examples of times when you have demonstrated those skills at work. Think about times when you had to analyze or evaluate materials to solve a problem.

Show the Interviewer Your Skills

You can use these skill words in an interview. Discuss a time when you were faced with a particular problem or challenge at work and explain how you applied critical thinking to solve it.

Some interviewers will give you a hypothetical scenario or problem, and ask you to use critical thinking skills to solve it. In this case, explain your thought process thoroughly to the interviewer. He or she is typically more focused on how you arrive at your solution rather than the solution itself. The interviewer wants to see you use analysis and evaluation (key parts of critical thinking) approach to the given scenario or problem.

Of course, each job will require different skills and experiences, so make sure you read the job description carefully and focus on the skills listed by the employer.

Top Critical Thinking Skills

Analysis

Part of critical thinking is the ability to carefully examine something, whether it is a problem, a set of data, or a text. People with analytical skills can examine information, understand what it means, and properly explain to others the implications of that information.

Asking Thoughtful Questions
Data Analysis
Research
Interpretation
Judgment
Questioning Evidence
Recognizing Patterns
Skepticism

Communication

Often, you will need to share your conclusions with your employers or with a group of colleagues. You need to be able to communicate with others to share your ideas effectively. You might also need to engage critical thinking in a group. In this case, you will need to work with others and communicate effectively to figure out solutions to complex problems.

Active Listening
Assessment
Collaboration
Explanation
Interpersonal
Presentation
Teamwork
Verbal Communication
Written Communication

Creativity

Critical thinking often involves creativity and innovation. You might need to spot patterns in the information you are looking at or come up with a solution that no one else has thought of before. All of this involves a creative eye that can take a different approach from all other approaches.

Flexibility
Conceptualization
Curiosity
Imagination
Drawing Connections
Inferring
Predicting
Synthesizing
Vision

Open-Mindedness

To think critically, you need to be able to put aside any assumptions or judgments and merely analyze the information you receive. You need to be objective, evaluating ideas without bias.

Diversity
Fairness
Humility
Inclusive
Objectivity
Observation
Reflection

Problem Solving

Problem solving is another critical thinking skill that involves analyzing a problem, generating and implementing a solution, and assessing the success of the plan. Employers don’t simply want employees who can think about information critically. They also need to be able to come up with practical solutions.

Attention to Detail
Clarification
Decision Making
Evaluation
Groundedness
Identifying Patterns
Innovation

More Critical Thinking Skills

Inductive Reasoning
Deductive Reasoning
Compliance
Noticing Outliers
Adaptability
Emotional Intelligence
Brainstorming
Optimization
Restructuring
Integration
Strategic Planning
Project Management
Ongoing Improvement
Causal Relationships
Case Analysis
Diagnostics
SWOT Analysis
Business Intelligence
Quantitative Data Management
Qualitative Data Management
Metrics
Accuracy
Risk Management
Statistics
Scientific Method
Consumer Behavior

Key Takeaways

Add Relevant Skills to Your Resume: Demonstrate critical thinking by using keywords related to your skills in your resume.

Highlight Skills in Your Cover Letter: Mention some of these skills in your cover letter, and include an example of a time when you demonstrated them at work.

Use Skill Words in Your Job Interview: Discuss a time when you were faced with a challenge at work and explain how you applied critical thinking to solve it.

Site URL: https://www.thoughtco.com/critical-thinking-definition-with-examples-2063745

This article was published on June 8 2020.

Critical Thinking is one of 10 life skills which hqas been identified by UNESCO. The other skills are:

Problem Solving
Effective Communication
Decision Making
Creative Making
Interpersonal Relationship skills
Self Awareness
Empathy
Copping with Stress
Copping with Emotions.