Can Nootropics Make You Smarter?

When it comes to changing your mindset in order to change your life, you probably think of things like ‘the gratitude attitude’ or maybe meditation. You’re probably aware of mindfulness and of CBT.

 

But what if you could simply flick a switch and completely change the way that your brain works? What if you could become smarter and cleverer overnight? Wouldn’t that be the ideal?

 

This is what we see in the film Limitless. The main character Eddie Mora takes a single tablet and suddenly gains access to latent power of his brain. He becomes smarter, wittier, more charming, more creative – and in no time at all he has written a bestselling novel, made a huge amount of money on the stock market and run for political office.

 

This is what science would call a ‘nootropic’ and the shocking part is that they’re real…

 

What Are Nootropics and Do They Work?

 

Of course, the reality is nothing like the movies. There is no pill that can make you smarter. But what some nootropics claim to be able to do, is to make you a little more alert, to boost your memory and perhaps to help your motivation.

 

These work in a variety of ways and they take many forms. For instance, one of the most popular types is something called modafinil. Modafinil is a drug used to treat narcolepsy but it has also been used by fighter pilots and top CEOs in order to help them need less sleep and work longer and harder. This works by affecting a neurochemical called orexin, which regulates our sleep wake cycle.

 

Others might work by stimulating our fight or flight response through dopamine or adrenaline. Others meanwhile appear to enhance brain plasticity to increase learning. Some simply give the brain a bit of an energy boost to help you feel less tired.

 

So, do they work? The answer is simple: it depends! Some nootropics work well and really can give you a boost in focus. Others don’t really have much effect, while others still might actually be bad for you and cause headaches or even addiction!

 

The key is to finding the best ones by reading around and doing the research. But suffice to say that normally the best ones are the natural ones and the ones with the milder impact on the way you feel. Stick to these and you’ll reduce negative side effects – but just know that nothing can turn you into a genius overnight. 

 

Body Language and Zoom: 3 On-Screen Body Language Tips

As if the idea of non-verbal communication was not already complicated enough, in comes the era of Zoom and other forms of virtual communication. When we are in person, we have the advantage of seeing a person's body language more broadly. Whereas when we are in virtual meetings, it is easy to misinterpret body language and other non-verbal communication. It is why you need to learn about these three on-screen body language tips that will help you send the right message when communicating virtually.

 

1. Keep Eye Contact

 

While this may be more challenging when you are on a Zoom meeting than in person, you need to be focused and present during the call. Many people mistake either looking at the other people on the video call or multitasking by having other tabs up, which can take your attention away and give off the impression that you are not present.

 

Most experts agree that while it is essential to look a person in the eye when face-to-face, this is entirely different when you are on a Zoom call. The person on the other side of the screen can only know you make eye contact when looking at the camera.

 

2. Be Mindful of the Position of Your Camera

 

For others on the Zoom call to see your body language and other non-verbal cues, you need to ensure that your camera is in the optimal position. This includes making sure that you do not have the camera too close to where all they see is your head. The best positioning allows other people to see your head and part of your torso so that you can use hand movements and gestures appropriately.

 

Since body language includes your body and not just your face and head, people must see the parts of your body that will help them interpret your thoughts and emotions during the video call.

 

3. Maintain a Good Posture

 

Since many of the Zoom calls are happening in the comfort of your home, you tend to be more relaxed by nature. This can become a problem during important video meetings because you can convey to others that you are distracted or bothered.

 

Maintaining good posture means sitting up tall but keeping your shoulders somewhat relaxed. If possible, make sure you are taking these Zoom calls at a table with a bit of a background and not sitting or lying on your couch. This will demonstrate to others that you are paying attention and are fully present with the conversation at hand.

 

All in all, following these three tips on on-screen body language can help you make a successful Zoom meeting rather than one that sends the wrong message to others. You want to exude a sense of professionalism while also showing you can be relaxed and present people must-see simultaneously during these important video meetings.

 

Body Language Mistakes You Don’t Realize You Are Making

Learning to read others' body language is difficult, but learning to read your own is difficult too. 

 

It can become a problem because your body language is so important that it can affect your ability to get a job, keep it, and maintain friendships. Below are some of the common body language mistakes you might be making, as well as the impact they could have on your life. 

 

Crossing Your Legs

 

This one is more common if you are a woman, but men have been known to cross their legs as well. You may do it out of habit or even just comfort because you like to sit that way. The reality is, crossing your legs indicates to others that you are uncomfortable, or worse, if you cross at your ankles, it means you might be hiding something. Therefore, you should do your best to keep your legs uncrossed and your feet flat on the floor. 

 

Not Maintaining Eye Contact

 

It can be uncomfortable to maintain eye contact with someone. However, if you don't maintain eye contact, it can convey several different things, such as boredom, being distracted, or worse, that you are lying. Many interviewers and those looking to make business deals are huge on eye contact, so next time you talk with someone, be sure to maintain eye contact. 

 

Eye contact doesn't mean you should constantly stare, though. You should naturally break eye contact occasionally, but keep your eyes on their face or hands and don't let them drift around the room. 

 

Crossing Your Arms

 

Crossing your arms across your chest is very similar to crossing your legs, as you may be doing it out of habit or simply because you are cold. However, it will help if you put a stop to it because it can tell someone you are guarded, not open to new experiences, or that you feel you are above them. Try instead to keep your arms hanging neutral at your side or folded nicely in your lap. 

 

Don’t Lean in Too Much

 

When talking with someone, leaning forward can show that you are interested and let them feel they are important. Be careful not to lean in too much as this can lead the person to think that you want something from them. It can lead to feelings of hesitancy on their end and could ruin a business agreement. 

 

Overall, you likely didn't know you were making any of these body language mistakes. Now that you know, it's time to adjust so you'll never make these body language mistakes again. 

 

Body Language That Builds Trust

Did you know that body language is a big part of building trust? Even though someone may not realize it, they will subconsciously respond to your nonverbal cues and body language. Therefore, if you want to build trust with someone, you must exude the correct body language to achieve that goal. 

 

Keep reading to learn all about the best body language to use to build trust! 

 

Head Tilting

 

It may seem strange, but tilting your head when you speak to someone can help them trust you. A head tilt is a vulnerable position, making the other person feel you are listening and vulnerable to them. It will make them feel more comfortable with you than if you were to look at them straight on.

 

Please don't go overboard, though. That will only seem condescending. A little inch or two of a tilt is plenty! 

 

Keep Eye Contact

 

Maintaining eye contact is a sign of honesty. If you are talking with someone and moving your eyes all around, they may think you are lying. Instead, it would help if you kept your eyes focused on theirs when speaking.

 

Bare Your Palms

 

Another body language hack you may not be aware of is when you want someone to trust you, bare your palms. Baring your palms is a sign of peaceful intentions, and when you think about it, it makes sense as clenching your fists is a sign of anger or unrest. So if you want the individual across the table to trust you, definitely keep your palms relaxed and open as you gesture with your hands. 

 

Be a Mirror

 

Everyone uses and reads body language, even those who haven't been trained to look for it. Therefore, the best way to gain someone's trust is actually by returning their body language. It will give them a sense of familiarity. 

 

Copy both their posture and movements. If they are sitting with their back straight, you do the same. If they are using their hands to speak, you should too. It is especially useful for gaining trust in a formal setting like a business deal. 

 

Whether you realize it or not, body language is a huge part of gaining someone's trust. So next time you want to score a business deal or maybe make a new friend at the park, use the above body language tips to do so. You might be surprised by how quickly you can build trust! 

 

The Power of Body Language

The process of communicating non-verbally is the first thing that you typically notice when interacting with others. Body language has a way of relaying specific intentional or unintentional messages whenever there is interaction with others. We express ourselves through body language such as posture, eye contact, and gestures. Though the meaning of each varies from culture to culture, we read body language to convey thoughts, feelings, and intentions. 

 

Posture

 

In most cases, a person’s posture is one of the most important and first things that most people notice about another individual. This is because the way you hold yourself conveys specific messages to the people around you.

 

You can often demonstrate whether you are confident, shy, nervous, or apathetic by your posture. While standing tall, holding your shoulders back and your head held high can show that you are confident, standing with your shoulders slouched and head down can relay a message that you are not.

 

Whether you intend to convey specific messages, you tend to do so by how you carry yourself in front of others. The power of using your posture to show others the side of you that is strong, brave, and confident can go a long way to achieving your goals.

 

Eye Contact

 

Eye contact is another essential part of body language that demonstrates who you are as a person. Although maintaining eye contact may or may not be intentional, it can convey a specific message to others with whom you are interacting.

 

It can become an intense or awkward situation when you make eye contact with someone and hold it for an extended period. Whereas not making eye contact can make others think that you are not interested in what they are saying.

 

Although this can be somewhat confusing, it is vital to understand that maintaining eye contact does not necessarily mean staring someone down the entire time you talk to them. Instead, it is generally acceptable to hold eye contact in a more natural way that allows others to know that you are interested and not trying to intimidate them.

 

Gesture

 

Many people use hand gestures often as they communicate with others, whether they intend to or not. In most cases, this has become a habit that they picked up either from someone else or something they have done for an extended period.

 

It is important to remember that some gesturing is acceptable while others are not. Knowing the correct way and amount of gestures you should be using during a conversation can differentiate between a successful discussion and an unsuccessful one.

 

Many body language experts say that you should always try to convey that you are open and honest with the person you are speaking. It is essential to keep your palms open while facing the person and make sure you are demonstrating strength and confidence in what you are saying and the gestures you are using.

 

Overall, body language and other non-verbal communication have the power to convey messages that you may not be saying verbally. The way you hold your posture, make eye contact, and use gestures in your communication can demonstrate to others how you feel about what you are saying.

 

Watching Body Language to Tell If Someone Is Lying

Do you hate when people lie to you? You aren't alone. 

 

Lying isn't pleasant, and it would be great if everyone would tell the truth. Since we know this won't happen, it's important to learn to read the body language signs that someone may be lying. This way, you will know who you can trust and who you better keep at an arm’s length. 

 

Watch for Lip Biting

 

When some bites or folds their lip before telling you something, this is a clear sign that they are lying. However, it may not be an outright lie as it could mean they are also holding something back. For this reason, be sure to watch someone's lips when they are talking. 

 

Look for Fidgeting

 

Fidgeting can come in many forms, from leg bouncing to table tapping or even lip biting. Either way, fidgeting is a sign of nervousness that usually presents itself when someone is about to lie. However, be careful with this one as someone in an uncomfortable situation, like a job interview, may fidget from nervousness, not dishonesty. 

 

Observe Their Eyes

 

When someone is open and honest with you, their eyes will look straight into yours. But if they are being dishonest, you will notice their eyes moving around the room. It is especially prevalent when you ask a question and are waiting for an answer. So next time you ask a question, shift from watching the lips to watching the eyes. 

 

Evaluate Any Delays

 

Did you ask a question, and the individual left a big space before answering? This behavior is a red flag that the person is about to lie. This large pause is them getting their story together and likely deciding they will lie rather than tell the truth. Therefore, besides just watching their eyes and mouth, be sure you are also listening for the pause indicating a lie is coming. 

 

Crossing the Feet at the Ankles

 

Crossing your legs is a sign that you are uncomfortable if crossed at the knee. If they are crossed lower at the ankles, this is a sign that the individual is lying. If you are sitting with someone at a table, this can be hard to check without being obvious, but if you can take a peek without drawing attention to yourself, definitely check if they are crossing their feet.

 

Now that you know some of the most obvious signs that someone is lying, the next time you head into a conversation where you aren't sure about the honesty of the person you are talking to, be sure to watch their body language. This way, you will know whether or not they are lying to you. 

 

What is Body Language?

Have you ever been told you have terrible body language? This comment may have left you confused because you aren’t quite sure what body language is in the first place. Not to worry, keep reading to find out all about body language. 

 

Body Language is a Combination of Actions

 

Body language isn't as easy to explain as you may think. Body language isn't one thing. Rather, it is a combination of emotions, hand motions, and facial expressions that give away what you think or feel.

 

Not only are you expressing body language without knowing it, but you are also reading body language even if you don't realize you are. The human brain naturally begins to read certain aspects of body language from when you are young to increase self-preservation. 

 

Why Is Body Language Important?

 

Body language can help you with everything from getting a job to making new friends. 

 

For example, say you are at a party and notice someone standing alone in the corner. They have one arm hanging by their side, and the opposite hand is gripping the arm that is hanging. They are looking down at their feet and not making eye contact with anyone at the party.

 

This person hasn't said anything, but you already probably sensed that they were uncomfortable or shy. You got all this from just their body language. They didn't have to speak a single word. 

 

Body language is also important when it comes to raising children. When children are young, they can't always ask for what they want, meaning you'll have to read their body language to learn more about what they need. 

 

How to Read Body Language

 

You can take many classes to learn how to read body language, but you don't need to take one of these to get started. Rather you can start by simply taking the time to observe those around you. Even if it's something as simple as the party example above, you'll quickly discover how much you can learn about someone just from taking a moment to look at what their body language is telling you.

 

Overall, body language is a complicated combination of hand motions, expressions, and postures which helps give the mind clues as to how an individual may be thinking. Body language can help you more easily navigate life, so next time you see someone acting strange, take a moment and try reading what they aren't saying. 

 

Why Is It Important to Understand Body Language

You may not realize it, but body language is critical to your everyday life. Sound a bit strange? Please keep reading to find out why it is important to use body language in your daily life. 

 

It Helps You Get the Message

 

Sometimes, people aren't always saying what they mean. Other times, people may not mean what they say. This is where body language comes into play. Reading what someone isn't telling you can help you discern the real story and know whether or not you are being lied to. 

 

This knowledge can help you in situations where you may be in charge, such as when you are a parent or manager in a business. It can help you decide when an employee is truly late due to an accident or because they are a bad employee. 

 

What Isn't Said is More Important Than What Is

 

According to Science of People, verbal communication is only a fraction of what you mean when you say something. Therefore, if you only listen to what someone is saying and ignore their body language, you may miss the real point the

y are trying to make.

 

Today, it has become especially obvious how important body language is considering the invention of telephones and texts. It is very easy to miss someone's point or message when using these mediums because you can't read their body language. It can cause a misunderstanding that hurts someone's feelings, leading to an argument later. 

 

You’ll Be Able to Get Ahead in Life

 

Imagine if you could know that someone was thinking about stealing from you before they did so. It can be possible, thanks to the power of body language. Body language helps you predict the actions of others. It could save you the hassle of a bad business decision or hire. 

 

For example, say you are making a business deal with another company, but based on the CEO's body language, you notice his message is inconsistent. Avoiding this business deal could save you hassle and help your business get ahead rather than suffer a loss—all because you could read body language. 

 

In conclusion, it is important to understand body language for several different reasons. Not only can it help you more accurately understand the message someone is trying to convey, but it can also help you to understand the things people aren’t saying—allowing you to use these to your advantage to get ahead in life. 

 

3 Body Language Techniques You Should Be Using

Meeting new people is often a part of everyday life, especially if you are working or are in public regularly. Many people feel nervous or anxious when speaking in public, during interviews, or just conversing with others. It's imperative to find ways to manage your anxiety in these situations if you want to make it through with confidence. Here are three body language techniques that you should be implementing daily.

 

1. Embrace an Open Posture

 

It would be best if you conveyed a confident body posture when communicating with others. You can do this by ensuring that you are standing up straight but not rigid or too relaxed. Your hands should be by your sides instead of on your hips or crossed in front of you. This is because you must show others that you are open to the conversation about to take place.

 

Often, people can misinterpret what you are trying to convey through the body language you show. Many body postures can tell others that you are either close-minded, controlling, or you do not care about the conversation at all.

 

2. Focus on Maintaining Eye Contact

 

Most people know that keeping eye contact with the person you are talking to is essential to the conversation. Whether you are having a casual conversation with a friend or colleague or during a job interview, it is true. Maintaining eye contact shows the other person that you listen and are open to what they say.

 

A caveat to this technique is a balance between maintaining eye contact and staring a person down. Too much staring can make the discussion awkward and tell the other person that you are trying to control the conversation.

 

3. Use Appropriate Hand Gestures

 

Using hand gestures when conversing with others can communicate either a sense of confidence or nervousness, depending on how you use them. While hand gestures seem to come naturally to many people, others are not adept at using them.

 

It is essential to have a firm handshake that conveys confidence instead of awkwardness. The handshake upon initial meeting can tell a person quite a lot about the other person by the firmness and how long the handshake goes on. Additionally, using gestures throughout the discussion can show others that you are into what you are saying and that you are confident. However, be sure to choose your hand gestures carefully, or you can defeat the purpose of using them.

 

Overall, using these three techniques can help you have more confidence when speaking either in public or with other people during casual conversation or in more professional settings. It is crucial to remember that presenting yourself non-verbally is just as important as what you say.

 

The Importance Of Breathing For Confident Speaking

If you don’t get your breathing right then it is going to be a real challenge for you to speak with confidence. Fortunately, there are a number of things that you can do to breathe correctly when you are speaking no matter what situation you find yourself in.

 

In this article, we will discuss the importance of breathing properly so that you can be more confident with your words. There are plenty of resources online such as YouTube videos that will show you how to breathe properly. Most people do not breathe properly especially when they speak so this is worth your while paying attention to.

 

Learn to Breathe using your Diaphragm

 

The most confident speakers use their diaphragm to breathe. They do this because they know that it will make them feel the most confident when they are speaking. It is a lot easier than you may think to learn to breathe using your diaphragm and it should not take you long to master this technique.

 

At the end of the day, breathing using your diaphragm is just a matter of paying attention to the way that you inhale and exhale. When you are inhaling you will want to ensure that your stomach rises. For exhaling, you need to make sure that your stomach falls.

 

Breathing from your diaphragm will make you feel a lot calmer and will enable you to focus more on what you are saying. Once you have mastered breathing using your diaphragm you will be able to speak from your diaphragm as well. 

 

Speaking from your diaphragm will add a level of confidence to your voice that your audience will certainly pick up on. So, start practicing breathing using your diaphragm today so that you can be more relaxed when you are speaking and also add the right inflection to your voice that your audience will appreciate.

 

Relax your Throat with a Jaw Massage

 

Having a relaxed throat when you are speaking is very important. Your words will be a lot clearer and easier for your audience to understand when your throat is relaxed. Massaging your jaw regularly will help you to relax your throat and this is an easy thing for you to do.

 

For the best jaw massage, you need to open your mouth a little. This should be just enough so that you are able to part your teeth. Hold this position and then use your fingers to gently massage your outer jaw.

 

When you first try to massage your jaw, you may find that it is a little painful to do this. Be sure to persevere here as the regular massaging of your jaw will encourage your mouth to open wider. With your mouth open wider, there will be an increase in confidence with your voice.

 

Slow down your Breathing

 

It is a natural thing to be nervous before you have to make a speech or hold an important conversation with someone. As you progress with your confident speaking then this should happen less often but it will always be there.

 

When you are nervous you are going to breathe much faster. This will not help a confident delivery. You need to learn to slow down your breathing so that you can deliver your words in a confident manner. Speaking too fast is never a good idea.

 

Understanding The Science Of Focus

Please don’t worry – we are not going to use a lot of medical jargon in this article. But we do believe that it is important for you to know how focus works in your brain. So, we will explain the different processes that take place in the simplest terms for you.

 

When you Focus you Increase Neurotransmitters

 

When you focus there are a lot of things happening in your brain. You will create a lot more neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, dopamine and norepinephrine. These will change your state and put your memory on alert.

 

The neurotransmitters that you produce while focusing are similar to those that you will produce if you are in a state of “fight or flight”. This is a good thing as they will make you feel a lot more alert and engaged with what you are doing. Your memory will be on alert and you should be able to remember more things.

 

It’s all going on in your Prefrontal Cortex

 

A number of neurotransmitters will form in the prefrontal cortex area of your brain when you focus. This is essential as it is the area of your brain which has access to such things as deep thought, planning, remembering things and other higher cognitive functions. These areas are collectively known as your “attention network”.

 

The attention network is very important and as you focus you change the brain waves there. Focusing hard on something produces beta waves in your prefrontal cortex. Determining what is important for you to focus on is the job of the “salience network”. This area of your brain includes the anterior cingulate cortex or ACC.

 

Salience Network

 

Your salience network is responsible for determining what is really important for you to focus on. When the salience network makes this decision, it will direct the attention network to increase your level of focus for this particular thing.

 

One of the great things about the salience network is that it has a strong connection to your motivation. This in turn will help you to keep focusing on a task as your motivation levels increase. There have been a number of experiments with animals where the salience network was removed. The result was that the animals gave up very easily even when hunting for food.

 

As soon as your salience network decides what you need to focus on it will release a flood of dopamine and norepinephrine and this will excite your limbic system and reach the hippocampus area of your brain. The result of this is that you will commit more of what you are experiencing to your long-term memory.

 

Your Attention can be Directed by Internal or External Factors

 

There have been a number of scientific studies that have proven that both internal and external factors can direct your attention. When you make a decision to focus on something important, this is called a “top down” attention direction. This is activated in the dorsal area of your brain.

 

It is also possible to direct your attention through an external factor such as a loud noise or some other distraction in your environment. This results in a switch in your attention through reflex process. Your ventral network will then direct your attention using a “bottom up” process. 

 

Growing Veggies

I can hear you thinking that you have no clue about growing veggies. The truth is that you will be able to easily learn enough to be growing useful crops really quickly, and every session spent in your garden teaches you even more. You'll learn much that's unique to your own spot, like local soil conditions, your specific aspect in relation to the sun, and oddities that relate to your local microclimate. You'll learn most of this by getting out and giving it a go.

 

The taste of home-grown veggies is immensely superior to that of the commercially grown produce. Have you heard individuals complain that tomatoes no longer have any taste? They'll have when you grow your own - you'll never taste better. The lack of taste with the commercial crop isn't all the fault of the growers, as they're under pressure to produce a crop, of unvarying size and color, to the schedule of the wholesale market, and finally the supermarket. You set your own schedule.

 

The freshness of your own crop is a huge plus. Veggies I've bought from the supermarket, and stored in the refrigerator, have started to become inedible after a couple of days. I've had home grown produce still fresh in the refrigerator after two weeks! 

 

Commonly, your home garden will produce a generous yield, and may readily help pay for the cost of growing them. You are able to effectively end up having free veggies. Summertime, particularly, is usually a time of abundance, even glut, as loved ones and friends leave your place with possibly more produce than they had expected to see. A tip - when giving away fresh produce, try to limit your generosity - it's better to give a little amount to many rather than to give to the few more than they may really use.

 

Among the turn-offs to trying something you have not done before is the intimidating flood of information (and misinformation) you'll receive.

If you're browsing one of the major bookshops, you might find 100s of books on the topic - which do you purchase? To begin with, seek the simple, basic info. Don't bother with those full of jargon - you'll learn the technical terms as you go.

 

You’ll hear folklore from the family, like “Uncle Henry forever put ... (you name it) ... on his ... (name it again)”. Folklore is part of our heritage, but there's no guarantee of its usefulness. You'll hear from the office genius, who has done nothing, but still knows all the answers - nod wisely, and then ignore him.

Plants evolved millions of years before mankind, and they actually wish to grow. It has been said that in a lot of cases plants grow despite what we do to help them. If you supply the basics, and these are reasonable nutrition and regular watering, Mother Nature does the rest - let her work for you.