Learn about the best way to deal with impostor syndrome; whether it’s more important to sit less or exercise more; and why the peak end rules says experiences are all about the ending. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: The Best Way to Deal with Impostor Syndrome, According to a New Study Which Is More Important: Sitting Less or Exercising More? The Peak End Rule Says Experiences Are All About The Ending Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day withCody Gough andAshley Hamer. Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
Learn about the best way to deal with impostor syndrome; whether it’s more important to sit less or exercise more; and why the peak end rules says experiences are all about the ending.
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:
Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/focus-on-the-ending-how-to-deal-with-impostor-syndrome-and-sit-less-or-exercise-more
CODY: Hi! We’re here from curiosity-dot-com to help you get smarter in just a few minutes. I’m Cody Gough.
ASHLEY: And I’m Ashley Hamer. Today, you’ll learn about the best way to deal with impostor syndrome; whether it’s more important to sit less or exercise more; and why experiences are all about the ending.
CODY: Let’s satisfy some curiosity.
The Best Way to Deal with Impostor Syndrome, According to a New Study — https://curiosity.im/2MhBPfT (Ashley)
A new study has figured out the best way to deal with impostor syndrome. I’ve talked on this podcast about feeling impostor syndrome a bunch of times before; it’s that feeling you get when you’re in a high-status role and you start to feel like you don’t really belong there, and you’re just one mistake away from being revealed as a fake. [ad lib how you’ve felt it, briefly]
ASHLEY: This Bringham Young study surveyed more than 200 high-achieving accounting students and asked them about different ways of dealing with impostor syndrome. They specifically asked about a handful of strategies that came out of a series of interviews they’d done with a smaller group of students. And they found some dos and don’ts that you can use to feel less like an impostor so you can better focus on just doing your “thing.” First, the don’ts: as in, escapism and faking your feelings. When students tried to escape through video games or other distractions, their schoolwork took a hit. And some interviewees tried to hide their feelings and fake excitement about their performance with friends, but they ended up still questioning how they were feeling. So impostor syndrome is a thing you have to DEAL with, not run away from or pretend isn’t there. And that brings me to the DOs. First, adjust your standards. In this study, the accounting students who changed how they measured their own success felt less like impostors. Some reevaluated their strengths and reminded themselves that it was okay to have some weaknesses. Others imagined an alternative but successful future self that wasn't totally dependent on their being the very best. Basically, remind yourself that you’ll be fine. Maybe you won’t get a diploma with honors, but you’ll still get a diploma. Or you won’t get a job at the company you really want to work for, but you’ll still get *A* job. The tactic that helped the most was reaching out, but not in. As in, look outside your field for support. In this study, students usually felt the worst when they were having a tough time and talked to other students in their program for support. Instead, family and friends OUTSIDE their field could help them feel better. Reaching outside your social group can help you see things more holistically instead of being focused on just one area. The more they say, "You're not a fake," the more likely you are to believe it. [ad lib how this works for you]
Which Is More Important: Sitting Less or Exercising More? — https://curiosity.im/2n19C31 (Cody)
Which is more important: sitting less or exercising more? We all know that sitting is bad for us, but what we should do about it is another question altogether. Fortunately, a study in Scientific Reports tried to figure out how we can counteract the negative effects of sitting for hours each day. And what they found out was pretty neat! No I mean literally: NEAT, as in, the acronym for non-exercise activity thermogenesis. And NEAT is just as important as hitting the gym.
For this study, researchers tracked the metabolic and cardiac health of a group of 61 adults of different weights as they tried out various lifestyles. There were three groups:
Sitting participants sat for 14 hours a day, only moving only for bathroom breaks. Gross.
Exercise participants sat for 13 hours a day and rode a stationary bike at a moderate speed for one hour a day.
And so-called “SitLess” participants sat for eight hours a day, and spent the remaining five or six hours standing or walking around.
When it came to those participants who just sat around, the study’s results reinforced the idea that sitting is bad for you. No surprise there. But when the results were more interesting when it came to the exercise and "SitLess" groups. In both, participants burned roughly the same number of calories per day. But while the exercise group had improved cardiac health with no change in metabolic health, the "SitLess" group showed improved metabolic health with no change in cardiac health.
These results suggest that you need both exercise and general movement to get past the dark side of sitting, but it builds on something we’ve known for a while — that even people who exercise regularly burn the bulk of their calories through non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT.
So carrying groceries or cleaning your house is just as important for maintaining a healthy weight as running a couple of miles, PLUS it’s providing unique metabolic benefits that intense workouts don’t. So, don’t let that stop you from going to gym, but at least you can feel better about carrying the groceries.
[SKURA]
ASHLEY: Today’s episode is sponsored by Skura Style. When’s the last time you replaced your sponge?
CODY: The average kitchen sponge is pretty gross, and hard to clean. And if you think you’re cleaning your sponge by putting it in the microwave or dishwasher, then think again! According to a study published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, the weaker bacteria get killed off when you do that, and that leaves lots of room for the more harmful bacteria to thrive. Yikes.
ASHLEY: Microbiologists recommend changing a kitchen sponge every one to two weeks, and Skura has solved that “is it time for a new one yet” question, with their “Fade-To-Change” technology that tells you when it’s time to change. And SKURA’s easy subscription plans mean you get sponges delivered right to your door, so you don’t even have to think about when it’s time to swap them out.
CODY: So once the Skura logo rubs off the sponge, you can just reach into your drawer, grab a new one, and get rid of that old sponge — so you can keep your kitchen squeaky clean. Talk about convenient! And if you go to Skura-style-dot-com now - and enter CURIOSITY in the promo box - you’ll get your first month free! Just pay for shipping; you can cancel at any time. ASHLEY: That’s S-K-U-R-A-style-dot-com. Try the sponge seen on the Today Show that was called life changing.
CODY: That’s Skura Style. S-K-U-R-A STYLE-dot-com. PROMO CODE CURIOSITY
The Peak End Rule Says Experiences Are All About The Ending — https://curiosity.im/2oyinCj (from Tuesday 10/22) (Ashley)
Psychology research says that experiences are all about the ending. And you can use this to your advantage to “hack” your own future experiences. The peak-end rule is an idea from a 1993 study that says you judge experiences not on how they feel overall, but on how they end. And it comes from a renowned team of psychologists including Daniel Kahneman, Barbara Fredrickson, Charles Schreiber, and Donald Redelmeier. For their research, they asked participants to dunk one hand in water chilled to 57 degrees Fahrenheit (or 14 degrees Celsius) for 60 seconds. That's a temperature deemed "very dangerous" for swimming by the National Center for Cold Water Safety, which is apparently a thing. Then, participants did the same thing with the other hand, except they kept their hand in the water for an extra 30 seconds while the experimenters secretly increased the water temperature by a couple degrees Fahrenheit. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but according to the study, that small difference was distinctly less painful. Finally, the researchers asked participants which trial they'd like to repeat for the third experiment. And most of them chose the second trial, even though it technically put them through more pain than the first trial. The big difference was that they were in noticeably less pain near the end. Kahneman and his colleagues tested and retested this hypothesis with film clips, colonoscopies, even watching other people's discomfort. Same results every time. And a more recent study found this conclusion with pleasant objects, too. Like I mentioned earlier, you can use this rule to your advantage: the next time you want to remember something fondly, focus on the ending. If you’re going into knee surgery, think about how good it'll feel to be able to walk again in a few weeks. If you’re at a concert, then is staying through the encore worth the misery of being stuck in the parking lot for hours? If not, you might want to skip the final song and make the concert one to remember fondly.
CODY: And now, let’s recap what we learned today. Today we learned that the best way to deal with impostor syndrome is to get social support from people OUTSIDE of that thing you feel imposter-y about.
ASHLEY: And that
CODY: And that the peak-end rule says that experiences are all about the ending.
[ad lib optional]
CODY: Join us again tomorrow to learn something new in just a few minutes. I’m Cody Gough.
ASHLEY: And I’m Ashley Hamer. Stay curious!