There’s a saying that goes: People’s opinions are like bellybuttons; everyone has one. So true. It’s part of what makes us individuals, adds variety to life! But have you ever wondered if your beliefs are really your own? What if it was put there by someone else without you even noticing?

Many of us are certain that no ad or news piece changes the way we think or makes us wanna buy something. Think about it: if you know that a commercial or sponsored social media post is designed to manipulate how you think about something, then how could it work? Plus, do you even pay attention to ads? We all skip them! But you will probably be shocked when you found out all the tricks the commercial media uses to influence us!

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Now imagine that you’ve been driving for 10 hours non-stop, and that you didn’t really have a good night’s sleep before that either. What do you think may happen while you’re at the wheel? That’s right: microsleep can be dangerous.

Now, microsleep sounds as if it’s just an extra short nap that you take when your body says, “I’m done with this.” But what really happens is that you’re both asleep and awake at the same time. You can sit in front of your computer or at a meeting and stare at some random point on the wall opposite you without even being aware of it. That is, until you wake yourself up or someone does this favor for you.

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Do you sometimes feel like your emotions are so deep and colorful you just can't compete with them? That's a sign that you may be a highly sensitive person. But are you really? If so, what does it even mean? Let's try to figure it out together!

The essence of being a highly sensitive person is closely connected to another important notion: sensory processing sensitivity. This term was created by psychologists Elaine and Arthur Aron back in the ‘90s. They explained that sensory processing sensitivity is basically a temperamental or personality trait that reflects an increased sensitivity of the central nervous system along with deeper cognitive processing of physical, social, and emotional stimuli. Put simply, it means you can have acute responses to pretty much everything from your surroundings to your own thoughts.

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How to live longer? According to the World Health Organization, Japanese people have the highest life expectancy in the world: 83.7 years. They also have one of the lowest obesity rates. In Japan, only 3.8% of men and 3.4% of women are obese compared to the United States where it’s 37.9% of men and 41.5% of women. A huge part of why Japanese people live so long and why they beat most countries with regards to health is their diet. So keep watching to learn how to slim down like the Japanese.

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Do dreams actually have meanings? Or are they just short movies that your subconsciousness randomly creates? Dreams have always fascinated people. To this day, psychologists conduct extensive research to try and figure out what happens in our mind and body when we sleep.

In ancient Egypt, those with colorful and vivid dreams were considered to be special people. So special that most of their dreams were recorded on papyrus! The Egyptians firmly believed that divine revelation came from dreams, in which you could find all the answers to your worries and gain wisdom. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Sigmund Freud, a famous neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, introduced his perception of dreaming in his book The Interpretation of Dreams. According to Freud, when your consciousness is asleep and resting, your subconsciousness wakes up and produces images that give you a little sneak peek into your deepest self.

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Do you have a puppy? If you really adore your puppy but his barking, chewing, and incorrect behaviors are driving you crazy, there’s no need to despair! Not everyone has the resources to get their puppies professionally house-trained, but luckily, there are lots of things you can do at home to get the job done. To ensure you aren’t left at the end of your rope or, um, leash, keep watching to learn the do’s and don’ts of puppy training.

Puppies can present quite a lot of challenges to new pet owners (or even to experienced pet owners!) since every puppy comes with their own set of behaviors and personality traits. Despite a bit of mischief, puppies can be a great addition to your family and will be trained in no time if you follow these recommendations.

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Why should you quit taking long hot showers? Taking your shower ice-cold will give you better hair and skin, improve your mood, boost your immune system and even help you lose weight.

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How do you feel about turmeric? Not a big fan? Well, listen up because you’ll probably change your mind after hearing about these incredible health benefits of this brightly colored spice!

So, what changes can you expect in your body after a month of including turmeric in your diet? A 2013 study by researchers in the Department of Oral Pathology at India’s Punjab University proved that this spice can help whiten your teeth. Known as Curcuma longa in the scientific community, Turmeric has been used in traditional Indian medicine for centuries for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiseptic properties. If you’re struggling with, say, skin issues, hair loss, or even extra weight, then turmeric also can be of help!

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Are you a teen? Your teenage years are tough. There’s so much to manage: school, homework, friends, family, changes in your body, and even more. You might be dealing with social or personal challenges all while learning how to best live your life. There will be pitfalls along the way, but you can avoid the worst of them.

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Are you a night owl or an early bird? Are you constantly pressing the snooze button on your alarm even though you had a full night’s rest? If you’re more of a night owl than a morning person, your late-night activities will naturally make you sleepy in the morning. But if you’re not, it can be hard to figure out why, despite all your efforts, you simply cannot get up when your alarm goes off. Watch the video to learn what could be causing this baffling situation.

An informal poll found that 90% of successful executives are early risers. These early birds include Jack Dorsey, Twitter CEO, who’s up at 5 a.m., Tim Cook, Apple CEO, who’s up at 3:45 a.m., and Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, who’s up at 4 a.m. Rising early allows these and other executives to have time to exercise, catch up on the news, eat a healthy breakfast, and engage in mindfulness practices like meditation. There are a lot of reasons why being a morning person can be beneficial. If you haven’t been rising early but want to, the following information might give you an insight.

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