Sometimes it can be hard to give a compliment, you may feel awkward or you don’t know how to put it in words. Some people may find it even harder to accept compliments from others. Yet the importance of giving compliments cannot be underestimated as it has been proven that compliments can benefit us in many ways. 

Compliments make others feel better

Research in neuroimaging has shown that when we receive praise the reward pathway in our brain is activated, leading to a ‘mini high’. This is same area that is active after eating food, having sex or after receiving money. Therefore, by complimenting others we can make them feel better and improve their self-esteem.  

Compliments can help us to learn

Research also shows that those who were complimented on their progress, after learning a new skill, performed better when tested later. A compliment can act as a social reward. This can motivate someone to keep on learning and to be more confident in their abilities. 

Compliments can improve our relationships

The foundation of a good relationship is great communication!  In healthy relationships compliments outnumber criticism toward our partner from five to one. By giving compliments we can make people feel more appreciated, this feeling is often reciprocated and can make our interactions more enjoyable. 

Giving compliments is great

Compliments create positivity and a good atmosphere. People are naturally attracted to positivity and will enjoy spending their time with you. Giving compliments can also help us practice appreciating others and the world around us creating a more positive mindset. 

The more you compliment others, the more confident you will get at using compliments and  the better you will feel about yourself, those around you, and your environment. National compliment day is coming up on March the 1st, so get practising! 

If you need support improving your social skills, the psychologists and coaches from NiceDay can help you! 

Do you believe in the power of the universe? I do. I believe that the universe rewards you with good karma if you are good to other people. Also, if you not kind to other people, the universe “punishes” you with a bad karma. I have seen it several times in my surroundings and also in myself. Recently I experienced something different spiritually. I felt a very deep connection with someone. I was shocked myself, because I have never experienced this before and I did not know it existed. Confusion arose. That confusion is actually still there, because it is so new. To better understand the deep connection, I started researching.

Soulmate

It is often thought that a partner is equivalent to a soulmate, but this does not have to be. A soulmate can occur in both friendships and romantic relationships. The moment you meet your soulmate, it immediately feels familiar. It seems like you have known each other for years. In addition, it feels safe and you feel as if you can be yourself. 

Soulmates sometimes come into your life for a while. For example, they can teach you something or help you heal and then disappear from your life. It is also possible that they are always in your life. What it feels like to meet your soulmate is, in my opinion, different for everyone. Every person feels things in his or her own way. For one person it can feel very intense, and for the other it may feels normal. Yet, I think the universe somehow gives you a signal with the message that this person is your soulmate.

Twin flame

We are all born with a soul. With a twin flame, or twin soul, one soul is split in two. With a twin soul it is always about a man and a woman who are each other’s mirrors. Both twin souls come from that one soul, but are reincarnated in other bodies. They both follow their own path with the necessary obstacles and learning opportunities. It can happen that both souls find each other again and are reunited with each other. There are many traits that are the same with twin souls, but there are also the necessary differences. When twin souls meet, different things take place in your subconscious mind. This way strong emotions can arise or you feel a very strong bond between you and your twin soul. You can feel more energetic or very tired physically. In addition, you can go to sleep worse or dream a lot. Before you can really merge with your twin soul, you must go through different phases: recognition, testing, crisis, running away, surrender, enlightenment and harmony. After this both hearts will open for each other and unconditional love follows.

Soulmate + twin flame = Soul twin?

I recently had a conversation with someone with whom I felt a deep connection. The term “soul twin” came up. A term I had never heard before. After doing some research I didn’t get much wiser. Some websites say soult win is the same as twin flame. I find it vague. The only thing I’m sure of is what I feel when I’m with this person. It feels like we’ve known each other for a long time, it feels familiar. In some respects we are alike, we are working on the same process and sometimes it seems that we are each other’s mirror. But whether we are soulmate, twin flame or soul twin to each other? It is a new concept for me. Perhaps I will have more answers in a while.

Love,

Ghyta

Friends and family are meaning a lot to many people. There has been a lot of research of getting social contacts and there well-being. In this article there will be described how having a social life with friends and family, will influences your happiness.

Happiness, what is it?

In psychology there is a whole flow which  focuses on happiness: positive psychology. To be happy you have to meet two conditions: pleasure and satisfaction. Pleasure can be described as: the ability to enjoy. Satisfaction is the feeling that your life is meaningful. You get this feeling because you are good at the things you do, you feel connected with the people around you and you experience freedom in the choices you make.

Friendship and family
There has been a lot of research about happiness and how others can influence this happiness. Like discussed before, feeling connected to other people can contribute to feeling happy. Research of Harvard Medical School and the University of California (2008) show  that when somebody feels happy in a social network and shares it with the other people of this social network, their happiness will increase with three lucky grades. Also Christakis and Fowler wrote about it in the book: Connected. They describe that all people are connected to each other by invisible lines. When one feels happy, the other will feel happier too.

Family, one has more contact with the family then the other. The influences of the family on your happiness can differ between different cultures. In some cultures, especially from the East of the world, there is a lot of interference from the families. This is in contrast to the culture of the western part of the world. Both has its benefits. In the western countries the biggest disadvantage is that people are often lonelier, in the not western country you have this issue less. Mostly because in these countries family is a very important aspect, a lot of value is attached to family. There is a lot of support by family, which means that you are feeling less lonely.

Relationship
Ruut Veenhoven described that having a relationship has influence on your happiness too. Through relationships you might  experience the feeling of meaningfulness: that your life has more meaning. Relationships do not have to mean intimate relations only, other relationships like friendship have the same effect. Keeping a relationship is not that easy.In a relationship it is important to be yourself. You can reach this by being open and talk about it with your partner or friends/family. In the article ‘Being yourself in a relationship’, you will read more about how to be yourself.