What Psychologies learnt in 2013

Every month, as we compile all the latest research, tips, and advice for the latest issue of Psychologies magazine, we find ourselves learning something new. After a lot of whittling down, we’ve managed to compile our favourite parts of each of the 2013 issues.

September

Some people suit having one best friend, whereas for other people, it’s more important to have several friends. ‘Not everyone needs a best friend’ says Irene S Levine, psychologist and author of Best Friends Forever: Surviving A Breakup With Your Best Friend (Overlook Press, £11). ‘People can serve different roles in your life and your losses aren’t as great if you have many friends as opposed to losing one best friend.’

October

The stress we feel when we’re short on something, such as time or money, is down to ‘scarcity’. ‘Scarcity captures the mind’ say psychologists Eldar Shafir and Sendhil Mullainathan (Why Having Too Little Means So Much, Allen Lane, £20), ‘When we experience scarcity of any kind, we become absorbed by it. The mind orients automatically, powerfully, towards unfulfilled needs’.

November

It is possible to have a great day at work. According to careers coach Suzanne Hazelton (Great Days At Work: How Positive Psychology Can Transform Your Working Life, Kogan Page, £14.99), it’s all about your perspective; celebrating your successes, and looking back over the day, reminiscing over the positive things, however small,  help us build a more positive frame of mind.

December

We may feel like our lives are boring, mundane, full of back to back chores, but rather than putting up with the day to day, we should be finding delight in it. ‘Finding joy in the mundane helps you to look a life ‘in the round’ and see that, in the grand scheme of things, it’s good’ explains author and career coach Jessica Chivers.

To see our best bits from January- April, click here, and from May- August, click here.

You can buy these issues and other back issues of Psychologies magazine here.

For more tips, stories and advice on making 2014 great, read the rest of our New Year, new beginning series, click here. 

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