t fail, suggesting that their self-esteem indeed has a precarious basis.</p> <p>The Barnett et al. findings supported the roles of both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism in explaining scores on the sandbagging measure above and beyond the effects of self-esteem. Thus, people high in narcissism attempt to look good by predicting bad. They use sandbagging, the authors conclude, “to resolve the dissonance that stems from viewing themselves as superior yet potentially being negatively evaluated” (p. 5). This helps them manage their self-esteem by pretending that nothing’s at stake should they either succeed or fail.</p> <p>Before examining the implications of these findings, let’s turn next to the Sandbagging Scale. If Barnett and his collaborators are correct, the items on this scale should provide a novel way to test people’s levels of narcissism because those high in narcissism should score high on this measure.</p> <p>To test yourself, indicate your agreement with these items on a 6-point scale from disagree very much to agree very much:</p> <ol> <li>It’s better for people to expect less of you even if you know you can perform well.</li> <li>The less others expect of me, the better I like it.</li> <li>If I tell others my true ability, I feel added pressure to perform well.</li> <li>The less others expect of me the more comfortable I feel.</li> <li>I may understate my abilities to take some of the pressure off.</li> <li>When someone has high expectations of me I feel uncomfortable.</li> <li>I try to perform above others’ expectations.</li> <li>It’s important that I surpass people’s expectations for my performance.</li> <li>I like others to be surprised by my performance.</li> <li>I enjoy seeing others surprised by my abilities.</li> <li>I will understate my abilities in front of my opponent(s).</li> <li>I understate my skills, ability, or knowledge.</li> </ol> <p>In looking at your responses, flip your ratings of 7 and 8, which are the opposite of sandbagging. The 12 items divide into 3 subscales: Pressure (1-6), Exceeding Expectations (7-10), and Behaviour (11 and 12). The average scores were in the higher end of the 6-point scale, with most people scoring between about 3 and 5, but the highest scores were in items 7-10, the Exceeding Expectations scale. It appears, then, that most people engage in some <span><a href="">management</a></span> of their self-esteem through sandbagging. As indicated by Barnett and his co-authors, people highest in narcissism should be particularly likely to do so.</p> <p>Hearing an individual expressing false modesty about an upcoming evaluation, as the Sandbagging scale would seem to reflect, can provide you with cues that the individual is trying to protect a fragile sense of self. Rather than project an outward show of bravado, then, people high in narcissism can use the reverse strategy. The audience might be fooled by all of this down-regulation of expectations and not recognise that they are actually watching the self-preservation tactics of the narcissist.</p> <p><strong>To sum up,</strong> be on the lookout for sandbagging when you suspect that you’re witnessing false modesty. Fulfillment in life comes from being able to engage in situations involving competition or evaluation with a reasonable sense of inner self-<span><a href="">confidence</a></span>. People high in narcissism view every evaluative situation as a threat to their own fallibility and as a result, cannot experience this sense of fulfillment. </p> <p><em>Written by Susan Krauss Whitbourne. Republished with permission of <a href=""><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Psychology Today.</span></strong> </a></em></p>
Mind
The science behind why mediation helps relieve stress
<p><em><strong>Michaela Pascoe is a postdoctoral research fellow in Exercise and Mental Health at Victoria University.</strong></em></p> <p>Stress is common, and ongoing stress can contribute to the onset of <a href="">a range of psychological issues</a>, such as depression and anxiety.</p> <p><a href="">Meditation</a> and <a href="">yoga</a> have been shown to reduce people’s self-reported levels of stress. This is likely due, at least in part, to the effects that meditation and yoga have on the brain’s stress response system.</p> <p><strong>How the brain responds to stress</strong></p> <p>The body’s automatic stress response is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system plays a key role in stress reactivity via its two main divisions: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.</p> <p>A main function of the sympathetic nervous system is to mobilise the body to fight or flee from stressful or threatening situations, via control of internal muscles, organs and glands. This is called the “fight or flight” response.</p> <p>The parasympathetic nervous system counterbalances the sympathetic nervous system and returns the body to its natural baseline state after the systematic nervous system activates.</p> <p.</p> <p>So by measuring these <a href="">we can identify</a> if people are experiencing a homeostatic state or a more stressful state, on a physiological level.</p> <p>We <a href="">reviewed</a> how yoga and different forms of meditation influence the brain’s stress response system by studying physiological markers of stress.</p> <p><strong>What are the different forms of meditation?</strong></p> <p>A common method of classifying meditation techniques distinguishes between <a href="">open monitoring</a>, <a href="">focused attention</a>, and automatic <a href="">self-transcending</a> meditation.</p> <p>Open monitoring or mindfulness-based meditations involve the practice of observing the content of our ongoing experience in a non-reactive way, <a href="">to become reflectively aware</a>.</p> <p>In focused attention meditation, attention is focused and sustained <a href="">on a particular object</a>.</p> <p <a href="">free from focus</a> and mental effort. It is practised for 15–20 minutes twice a day while sitting with closed eyes.</p> <p><strong>What the evidence says</strong></p> <p>We found that meditation and yoga reduce diastolic blood pressure (the lower range) by 3-8 millimetres of mercury (mmHg), compared with people who engaged in another activity, such as aerobic exercise or relaxation.</p> <p <a href="">reduce the incidence</a> of heart disease and stroke.</p> <p>Open monitoring and focused attention meditation and yoga reduced heart rate by three to four beats per minute. This is similar to the effects of aerobic exercise, which <a href="">reduced heart rate</a> by five beats per minute in one study.</p> <p>Focused attention meditations and yoga both decreased measures of cortisol.</p> <p>Our findings indicate that all forms of meditation studied reduce physiological stress markers in one way or another, and therefore, all forms are likely beneficial in managing stress.</p> <p>In terms of deciding what form is best for reducing stress, we would suggest practising a form that is enjoyable and therefore you will practise regularly and in an ongoing manner.</p> <p>While understanding the different types of meditation is useful, meditation classifications <a href="">should not be considered</a> to be mutually exclusive, either within a single meditation session or over a lifetime of practice. Most meditative techniques lie <a href="">somewhere on a continuum</a> between open monitoring and focused attention types.</p> <p><em>Written by Michaela Pascoe._3<<
13 simple ways to improve your self-esteem
<p><em><strong>Susie Moore is a life coach columnist and a confidence coach in New York City. </strong></em></p> <p>Good self-esteem helps you make sound choices, have a healthy regard for your wellbeing and live authentically.</p> <p>And it's not defined by a six-pack, a six-figure career, or a feel-good buzz after six beers. It's deeper. It's how you feel about you.</p> <p>Sadly, many of us sabotage our self-esteem unconsciously (and then wonder why we feel bad).</p> <p>Could you be holding yourself back?</p> <p><strong>1. Don't obsess over mistakes</strong></p> <p>So, you were underprepared for a meeting two months ago. Or you made an insensitive comment to a friend. Maybe you have credit card debt you feel shame over. That's OK. Fix what you can. Move on. Learn. Live in the now.</p> <p>2. Stop hanging out with people out of loyalty instead of intention</p> <p>Are you hanging out with people because they'd be offended if you didn't? That's the worst reason to maintain a friendship. Your crew should inspire and uplift you, and when you tell them your life goals, they should encourage you every step of the way.</p> <p><strong>3. Start