Developing awareness

Talk to yourself as to a friend: self-distancing according to Ethan Kross

When we talk to ourselves in the third person, “Ana, why are you so worried?”, we sometimes find it easier to think clearly. The psychologist Ethan Kross has studied this for more than a decade.

3 November 2026 / 5 min read

Awe: the emotion that makes us feel small, and more connected

Before a great mountain, a starry sky or an extraordinary work of art, we feel something that is not simply joy. Psychologists call it awe, and have studied it seriously only in the last two decades.

3 November 2026 / 5 min read

Name it to tame it: how words calm a strong feeling

When we put what we feel into words, “I am angry”, “I am afraid”, the feeling often weakens a little. Researchers have seen this even in brain activity.

3 November 2026 / 5 min read

Self-compassion: how to speak to ourselves when we make mistakes

With a friend who has made a mistake we speak gently. With ourselves, often, with a harshness we would never use with others. Psychologists have studied this difference.

27 October 2026 / 5 min read