Tag Archives: Relations

The science of “hangry” — how low blood sugar makes you a monster

Written by Modar HIJAZI 5:29 pm on 4 January, 2016 — Leave a Comment

This is what happens when Bruce Banner skips breakfast. Ferdaus Shamim/Getty Images

You may have heard the term “hangry” before — the word for the state of being both hungry and angry. As in: “I’m so hangry that I yelled at my boss. Someone please pass me a banana.”

there’s a growing body of evidence that being hangry is a real thing

But it’s not just weird slang. There’s a growing body of scientific evidence that being hangry is a completely real thing — and that low blood sugar leads to bad behavior.

Case in point: in a study published in 2014 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers showed that married couples get increasingly angry and mean towards one another when their blood sugar is low.

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Seven Destructive Habits that Kill Solid Communication

Written by Modar HIJAZI 3:38 pm on 9 October, 2015 — Leave a Comment

Seven Destructive Habits that Kill Solid Communication

Kristin Wong

Your partner drops the ball and forgets to pay rent on time. You’re hit with a late fee. The practical thing to do? Come up with a solution so it doesn’t happen again. But you’re angry, so instead, you criticize your partner, and a fight erupts. Criticizing is one of seven common habits that can destroy healthy communication.

We all know how important communication is to just about any relationship. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always come easy. Psychiatrist William Glasser came up with the concept of the “seven deadly habits” of communication. In basic terms, the idea is that most of us have a handful of habits we’re accustomed to, and those habits are destructive to our relationships. If we can reframe them and choose better habits (what he called the “seven caring habits”), we can improve our communication, and therefore, our relationships.

Seven Destructive Habits that Kill Solid Communication

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Ask These Two Questions to Stop Relationship Bickering in Its Tracks

Written by Modar HIJAZI 2:52 pm on 23 September, 2015 — Leave a Comment

Vanessa Marin

Ask These Two Questions to Stop Relationship Bickering in Its Tracks

After a few years together, it’s easy to bicker with your partner over mundane stuff. Nitpicking each other about the minute details of daily life can feel involuntary—you know you’re being unreasonable and crabby, but it’s just so hard to stop yourself in the moment. Here’s one simple technique to stop bickering dead in its tracks. Read more »

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Improve Your Relationship with a Simple Adjustment to Your Expectations

Written by Modar HIJAZI 9:23 am on 22 June, 2015 — Leave a Comment

Patrick Allan

Good relationships are a balance of give and take. By adjusting your expectations even just a small amount, you can strengthen your relationships tremendously.

People wouldn’t develop relationships with each other if both parties didn’t get something out of it. It could be love, support, or even friendship. Relationship problems arise, however, when someone’s expectations aren’t being met. Stephen Guise , the author of Mini Habits, suggests that the best way to fix and avoid those problems, is to adjust your own expectations:

…expect to receive less and expect to give more. Giving more will increase your value to the other person, while expecting less will make you far less likely to be disappointed in them… Imagine two people in a romantic or friend relationship who both decide to give more than they receive to the other. Their admiration, trust, and respect for one another will grow, and the relationship will thrive, because when you give more and expect less, you increase your value and decrease your burden to the other person.

The adjustment is slight, but it can create a world of difference. The little things that grated on you before aren’t as bad because you’re no longer looking for perfection in someone. And you make things better for the other party by giving just a little extra effort. Take your newly adjusted expectations and do your best to keep things exciting, and your relationship might go the distance.

 

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How to get your boss to love you

Written by Modar HIJAZI 2:17 pm on 29 May, 2015 — Leave a Comment
Elizabeth Garone
You will probably receive antiquated advice. Don’t protest. (Credit: Alamy)

They may be numerous, but they’re not your boss — yet.

Millennials are now the largest generation in the US workforce. In another decade, they will comprise 75% of the world’s workers. But this generation, also known as Gen Y and born between 1982 and 1992 (give or take a few years, depending on the country), is not yet in charge. For years to come, many will have bosses from an earlier generation, who still remember telephones with cords, the Rolodex and handwritten thank you notes.

Impressing those older bosses and learning from their feedback and guidance is crucial. Here’s what five workplace gurus suggest millennials can do to bridge the intergenerational divide.
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