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Billie Eilish says Instagram comments were ruining her life. So she quit reading them. Smart.

Billie Eilish says Instagram comments were ruining her life. So she quit reading them. Smart.

via crommelincklars / Flickr

Billie Eilish has gone from being a pop star to a superstar over the course of about a year. Her meteoric rise to fame has forced her to reevaluate how she deals with her fans online.

She used to be happy to read the comments on her Instagram feed, but the tone of the posts has become exceedingly negative. So she's decided to stop reading them altogether.

According to psychologists, that's a very good idea.

Eilish admitted she quit reading the comments during an interview with Louise Minchin from the BBC where she was joined by her brother, writer and producer, Finneas.

"Do you still read everything that's on Instagram?" Minchin asked.

"No, no. I stopped like two days ago," Billie responded. "Literally two days ago. I've stopped reading comments fully. Because it was ruining my life. It's weird. The cooler the things you get to do are, the more people hate you. It's crazy."

"How do you make it better?" the interviewer asked.

"The internet is a bunch of trolls. And the problem is that a lot of it is really funny," Billie said.

"Everyone is much braver behind a cell phone screen than they would be if they walked down the street," Finneas added.

"It's way worse than it's ever been right now," Billie admitted.

"It's insane that I even have been reading comments up until this point. I should've stopped long ago, it's just the problem is I've always wanted to stay in touch with the fans and keep talking to them, and people have ruined that for me, and for them. That sucks," she added.

However, the negativity Billie has faced online hasn't affected how she treats her fans in public.

"If I see fans anywhere, I just want to talk to them and be around them, because they're people. They're me! They're like other me's," the "Bad Guy" singer said. "They're like friends of mine, but the internet is ruining my life, so I turned it off."

Reading the comments on social media shouldn't be a huge problem for those of us who post things that are only seen by people we know. But for anyone in the public spotlight, being bombarded by negative comments day in and day out can be damaging.

That's because of a psychological trait called negativity bias.

According to Psycom's Margaret Jaworski, "We're more likely to register an insult or negative event than we are to take in a compliment or recall details of a happy event. The negativity bias can even cause you to dwell on something negative even if something positive is equally or more present."

Research suggests that it takes three positive comments to cancel out the effects of one negative remark.

Billie Eilish is smart to protect her own sanity by staying out of the comment section and not allowing it to affect her art or life. It's fine for the public to have access to her art but there's no reason she should be handing over her sanity as well.

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5 ways people are going all in this week

From the silly to the sentimental, here are five examples of people giving life their all.

5 ways people are going all in this week

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When you hear the phrase “all in,” what comes to mind? If you caught our article last week, you already know it means elaborate couple’s costumes, pumpkin carvings that are shockingly lifelike, and Halloween decorations that belong in a museum. But even when it’s not Halloween, the internet is still chock full of examples of people going “all in”—in other words, being their most creative, joyful, and passionate selves, unapologetically and out loud.

We’ve written a lot about what it means to live this way—and this Friday, we’re continuing the tradition. From senior photos to dog costumes, here are the best examples we’ve found on the Internet this week of people going “all in.”

This pacifier funeral

@lookitskateeee Bye bye paci😔🕊️! #churchtiktok #fyp #pacifierweaning #explore #momlife ♬ original sound - lookitskateeee

If you’re a parent, you’ve probably been here: Your kiddo has relied on a pacifier to calm them down all throughout infancy and toddlerhood—but now it’s time to leave the pacifier behind, and they’re not quite ready. What do you do? If you’re this hilarious family, you throw an entire funeral so everyone can lay the pacifier to rest once and for all. We can’t get over how elaborate this staged funeral is, from the “mourners” to the piano playing softly in the background as the eulogy is delivered to the BALLOON RELEASE at the end. It's absolute perfection from start to finish. No word yet on how Savannah (the pacifier owner) reacted to the loss of her beloved paci, but if this production doesn’t help her give it up, then probably nothing will.

This dog photoshoot

@franklinbarkzoo Replying to @kate ♬ original sound - franklinbarkzoo

We’ve written about couple’s costumes, and we’ve written about group costumes. Now, we’re showing you the best example of being “all in” when it comes to animal costumes. In this video, TikTok creator Lisa Hefferman (who runs a dog walking and boarding service in South Boston called @ultimuttpaws) lines up her extremely well-behaved dogs for a Halloween photoshoot. Lisa’s dedication to getting the perfect shot is definitely something to be admired (“Rufus, you’re, like, too present.”), but we have to give the dogs credit, too. They’re truly going “all in” by being the calmest, most patient, and most cooperative group of pups we’ve ever seen. (Especially the one dressed up as a ghost.) The result is a photo so adorable it’s hard to even believe it’s real. Bravo.

Our "Nobody Wants This" watch party

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A post shared by SaigeyPie (@saigefelds)

If you haven't caught the hit show "Nobody Wants This" on Netflix, you're seriously missing out. It seems like everybody loves this show—but clearly, nobody loves it more than our friends at All In, who threw an elaborate watch party for the season 2 premiere. The party featured life-size cutouts of the main characters, games (pin the bar on Kristen Bell? Genius), face masks, and of course, delicious snacks. They truly went "all in."

Speaking of our friends at All In—did we mention their snack bars (featured here in the video) are the perfect example of going "all in," too? Packed with fiber, nuts, and seeds, these bars are the perfect snack who wants something delicious AND chock-full of healthy stuff.

If that sounds scrumptious (and how could it not?!), you'll be happy to know that you can actually try one for free if you order through Sprouts Farmers Market, here. Simply snap a picture of your receipt and you'll be reimbursed through the Aisle app. Easy peasy!

A neighborhood food pantry donation

@ajpgh412 We’re going to help so many people 😭 #snap #foodpantry #foodbank #trump #pittsburgh ♬ original sound - ajpgh412

Times are tough right now for a lot of Americans who rely on nutrition assistance. A small silver lining, however, is seeing how people in different communities have been stepping up to provide food for their neighbors. In this video, creator @ajpgh412 explains how he started a food pantry in the front yard of his house recently, with help from his sons. When he goes to update TikTok on the pantry’s progress, he’s overcome with emotion: An anonymous donor has left what appears to be hundreds (thousands?) of dollars in his mailbox, along with a note saying, “May God prosper and bless your food pantry.” Talk about going “all in” for your fellow man. We love to see it.

This kid's joyful senior photos

@wambamthanksam Editing these today and I’m HYPE. #Seniorphotos #fyp #foryou #colorado #coloradosprings ♬ original sound - Sam

There’s senior photos, and then there’s this kid’s senior photos. While some seniors might opt to just dress up in their football jerseys, this kid decided he wanted to “frolick”—and he absolutely delivered. Hats off to this kid and his completely unbridled joy. As the photographer wrote in her caption, “10/10. No notes.” We agree—he nailed it.

Snag your free (!!) snack bar here while this deal lasts. Just pick up a bar at Sprouts and text a pic of your receipt to get it for free. Enoy!

17 Great Depression recipes people still cook today during hard times

These recipes are resourceful and delicious.

great depression, the great depression, great depression recipes, great depression food, great depression recipe

Lewis Wickes Hine/Library of Congress, Dorothea Lange/Wikipedia

Recipes from the Great Depression to make today.

The Great Depression, which lasted from 1929-1939, caused economic turmoil worldwide. Families struggled to feed themselves, and went to extreme lengths to stretch food and utilize all available ingredients.

Known as the Greatest Generation (those born between 1901 and 1927), their resourcefulness resulted in a number of creative (and delicious) recipes that remain relevant today. Home chefs and bakers shared their Great Depression recipes on Reddit that have been passed down and are still enjoyed today to help others get inventive and save money.

From soups and stews to cakes, these are 17 Great Depression recipes to try.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Soups, Stews and More

Beef and Noodles

"My grandmas go to: Bag of egg noodles 1 can of creamed corn 1 can Campbells chicken noodle soup 1 lb ground beef. Salt and pepper to taste. Brown ground beef, add all other ingredients, add enough water or light chicken stock to cover noodles if needed. Bring to boil, and reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes, take off the heat and let it rest 10 minutes before serving with buttered white bread. I still make this to this day. My kids loved it too. Basically homemade Hamburger Helper." - -__Doc__-

Hoover Stew

Ingredients

1 box noodles
A can of tomatoes
1 package of hot dogs, or 1 can of sausage or meat
A can of corn, peas or beans
2-4 cups water

Instructions

"Mix all ingredients together in a pot until boiling. Then simmer for 15-20 minutes until the noodles are tender. If you have aromatics, onion and garlic would be a great addition. If not, the recipe is great as is." - Josuaross54

Zaprezna soup

"Depression soup... make a roux, add salt pepper and caraway seeds. Add water to make a thick soup texture. Use an egg or two mixed with flour and salt pepper and mix together to make dumplings.. drop into the soup to cook.. This was called zaprezna soup or depression soup. We ate it often in the 60's after my dad abandoned us. Money was short but this soup was good." - User Unknown

Chipped Beef On Toast

Ingredients

8 oz. dried beef jerky
2 tbsp butter or oil
4 tbsp flour
4 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Sliced homemade bread, for serving

Instructions

"Add jerky and oil to a pan over medium heat. Cook until the meat softens, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in your flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add milk and bring to a low boil. Allow sauce to thicken for up to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if you have it. Serve over homemade bread, toasted if desired." - Josuaross54

Rivel Soup

"In Ohio…My mom would cook Rivel Soup when I was a kid in 80s and 90s. She still makes it. It’s milk based with flour dough balls in it. I hate it. Sometimes they would fry potatoes and put them in the soup." - Vegetable_Record_855

Potato Soup

Ingredients

4 large potatoes, peeled and sliced (or 2 cans of potatoes)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
One carrot, sliced
A can of meat, sausage, or hot dogs (optional)
3 cups water or stock
3 cups milk
Any herbs you have on-hand
Salt to taste

Instructions

"Slice all your potatoes, garlic, and carrots. Add to a soup pot with the meat, water, and milk. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat, keeping the mix at a low simmer. Then, cook for 30 minutes until all veggies are tender. Add herbs and salt, if using. Serve hot." - Josuaross54

Tuna Fish Stew

"My mother's family always made tuna fish stew. It is celery, potatoes, canned tuna fish, milk, and hard boiled eggs. Sautee the celery until half way cooked, throw in some chopped potatoes and water. Cook until the potatoes are done. Thin the stew with some milk. Throw in chopped hard boil eggs. Salt and pepper to taste Serve over stale bread. It was cheap, quick, and really filling." - RoseNoire4

@foodwanderer
Great Depression Cooking Recipe #greatdepression #recipe #cooking #frugalmeals #cookingonabudget #nostalgia #friedpotatoes #hotdogs #foodwanderer #tastetest #SplashSummerVibe

Sides

Baked Beans

Ingredients

1 package soaked dried beans, or 2 cans of beans
One tomato, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp lard
Two tbsp molasses
One cup water

Instructions
"Soak your beans, if using dried, overnight and drain the liquid. Prepare your veggies by chopping. Omit any vegetable that you do not have on-hand. Add lard to a stock pot and cook your vegetables until tender. Add the beans, molasses, and water. Cook all together with a lid on for 2-3 hours or until the beans have your desired consistency. Add more water if needed.

Milk Potatoes

"Milk potatoes. Fry sliced potatoes with salt, pepper and a bit of onion until almost done. Pour milk over potatoes and simmer until potatoes are cooked through." - kms811•6y ago

Ash Cakes

"Ash cakes got their name because different renditions are cooked in the hot white ash of your campfire. These are only 3 ingredients but are filling and have a great texture.

Ingredients

½ cup cornmeal
1 cup meat stock or water
2 tbsp lard or grease

Instructions
Mix both ingredients together in a bowl and allow to sit overnight to hydrate the cornmeal. Pat into a bread pan and refrigerate or add to your cool storage before allowing to set up. The next day, slice into 1-inch slices and fry in melted lard. Serve hot and crispy." - Josuaross54

Sweets

Potato Donuts

"Potato donuts 🍩 from depression era cooking with Dylan Hollis." - BainbridgeBorn

Wacky Cake

"If you have interest in baking, make a wacky cake. It’s a chocolate cake that has no milk, butter, or eggs, because those items were scarce during the Depression, but it is so good! The recipe I linked has more steps, but I’ve known a lot of people to literally just dump and mix everything in the baking dish." - gwhite81218

@bdylanhollis
The cake without butter, eggs or milk #baking #vintage #cooking #cake

Rice Pudding

Ingredients

1 cup rice
2 cups milk
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp honey, maple syrup, or molasses
Pinch of cinnamon

"Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over low heat, about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste for doneness and cook an additional 5 minutes, tasting until desired consistency. Serve warm." - Josuaross54

Tomato Soup Cake

"Tomato soup cake." - AxelCanin

Water Pie

"Water pie 😋😍." - AxelCanin

Mock Apple Pie

"There was a thing for 'apple' pie made with Ritz crackers my grandmother made some time ago (she was born 1901 so def Depression life).https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/9545/mock-apple-pie/ That recipe looks more complicated than the one grandma made, but there are a number of recipes online for it, including one made by Ritz, on the box." - User Unknown

Hard Time Pudding

"Batter: 1 cup flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup raisins (Optional, I hate them)
3 tsp Baking powder
1/2 cup water
Syrup: 1 1/2 cup Brown sugar
1 TBSP. butter/marg.
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 - 2 cup water

Mix together flour, sugar, raisins, Baking powder, and water. Pour into a baking dish. In a sauce pan combine brown sugar, butter, water bring to boil then add vanilla and pour over the batter. Bake at 300 º for 1/2 hour." - MsBean18

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great depression recipes

Animals & Wildlife

A NASA engineer let bed bugs bite him in the name of science. Now we can all sleep better.

Most of what we've been told about bed bugs is wrong.

bed bugs, bed bug, infestation, how to get rid of bed bugs, tips

Mark Rober/YouTube

Mark Rober subjected himself to bed bug bites in the name of science.

Every parent has said the line: "Good night! Sleep tight! Don't let the bed bugs bite!" This sing-song rhyme that has been around for centuries alludes to the fact that bed bugs were prevalent in the past. After a significant decrease post-WWII, however, the sneaky pests have been making a comeback. Since the 1990s, bed bug infestations have risen dramatically, leading people to look for ways to avoid and get rid of the blood-sucking little buggers.

Unfortunately, a lot of the information about how to do that is flat-out wrong. Popular YouTube science communicator, and former NASA engineer, Mark Rober invites viewers to forget what we think we know and go on an educational journey with the leading bed bug researchers at Rutgers University's urban entomology lab. Not only did Rober subject himself to bed bug bites on purpose to see what happens when they feed, but he also conducted a series of experiments in the lab to find out what is actually effective at killing them and what is not.

bed bugs, bed bug, insects, gif, infestation Bed Bugs Belarus GIF Giphy

Bed bugs have a reputation for being nearly impossible to get rid of, which isn't really the case, according to Rober. When you know what works, it's actually a fairly simple process to kill an infestation. And the good news is that it doesn't entail any toxic chemicals—in fact the pest control chemicals sold for bed bugs don't work at all, according to Rober's tests.

In the process of learning about bed bugs, Rober shared a few "super wild" facts about the infamous creatures.

Fact #1: Bed bugs can live 3 to 10 months without feeding.

Eek. No wonder it seems like it's impossible to get rid of them. Starving them doesn't work. They can live in the resting stage for three to six months, and if the environment is cold enough, they can survive around 300 days, or 10 months, without eating.

- YouTube youtu.be

Fact #2: Bed bugs don't transmit disease

Some good news here: Unlike blood-sucking mosquitoes, bed bugs don't carry or transmit disease. The bad news on the front is that because they don't pose a disease threat, only an annoyance, there's not a big incentive to fund research to eradicate them.

Fact #3: Bed bugs are attracted to vertical objects

In one of Rober's experiments, he placed a dish with a cylindrical vertical column inside it and a dish without a column, and nearly all of the bed bugs in the enclosure ended up in the dish with the column. "If you think about it, humans sleep at the highest elevation any given room. So their logic is just crawl up any vertical surface you see until you eventually find a warm-blooded meal at the top."

Part of how they find humans is by smell, which is why certain strong-smelling items can act as a deterrent for bed bugs. In Rober's experiment, Bounce dryer sheets, moth balls, baking soda, and essential oils all seemed to repel bed bugs (as opposed to ultrasonic pest repellants, which appeared to have no effect). However, none of those things did anything to kill them.

bed bugs, bed bug, infestation, how to spot bed bugs, tips Bed bugs are about the size of an apple seed. Photo credit: Canva

Fact #4: Before 1950, one in three homes had bed bugs

Yikes. Even with the resurgence, we're still nowhere near those numbers, thank goodness.

Fact #5: The way bed bugs mate is weird

The term used to describe it is called "traumatic insemination," and really, you should just let Mark Rober explain it with his visual metaphor. Start at minute 11:30.

bed bugs, mating, bed bug, infestation, tips bed bugs Giphy

Two things work well to kill bed bugs—diatomaceous earth and heat

In testing chemical sprays, foggers, and other items marketed for killing bed bugs, Rober found a "superstar" in a natural, non-toxic substance. Diatomaceous earth—pulverized fossilized remains of tiny aquatic organisms called diatoms—was the most effective at killing the buggers with a 90% mortality rate after 10 days as opposed to 12% with the Hot Shot bed bug spray. Diatomaceous earth is mostly silica, which absorbs moisture, and when the silica dust sticks to the bed bugs as the walk through it, it dehydrates them. A light dusting of diatomaceous earth around all the cracks and crevices of a room is one way to kill off an infestation, though that process can take days.

The other way to kill bed bugs is heat. Steam kills bed bugs, as does heating up a room to over 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Temps over 122 degrees kills bed bugs instantly, and as Rober points out, there's no way for them to build immunity to this kind of treatment. So steamers and clothes dryers set to high are the average person's best bet for killing off bed bugs if they have them. The "nuclear option" is to have a pro come in with big heaters and cook your home for a day.

checking for bed bugs, bed bug poop, bed bugs in mattress, safety, tips Checking mattresses for signs of bed bugs at a hotel can help you avoid bringing them home. Photo credit: Canva

How do you avoid getting bed bugs in the first place?

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that's true for bed bugs especially. Avoiding an infestation if there's already one in your apartment building is trickier, but a lot of people inadvertently bring bed bugs home from hotel stays. Checking the underside of a hotel mattress as soon as you enter the room is a good habit to practice. Bed bugs poop a lot, and there will be spots along the edges of the mattress if bed bugs are present.

The other tip is to use the luggage rack to store your suitcase instead of leaving it on the floor or furniture, and to hang clothes on the closet hangers instead of putting them into the hotel room's dresser drawers. Some people may even put their suitcase in the bathtub, at least until they've checked the bed for signs of poop.

Nobody wants to deal with bed bugs, but at least now we have clear evidence of what actually works to get rid of them and what doesn't. Cook them with heat/steam and dehydrate them with diatomaceous earth, and take some simple steps when traveling to lessen your chances of getting them in the first place.

Sleep tight, everyone!

This article originally appeared in March. It has been updated.

From Your Site Articles

Rare clip of the Bee Gees singing 'How Deep Is Your Love' a cappella somehow tops the original

Three brothers, no instruments, and pure magic.

bee gees, how deep is your love, bee gees live

via Edu Seijas/YouTube

The Bee Gees singing "How Deep is Your Love" in 1998.

Not all live performances are created equal, but when the circumstances and the talent are just right, they can far surpass studio recordings. In 1998, the Bee Gees, brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, stopped by ITV’s “Des O'Connor Tonight” with acoustic guitars in hand to promote their recent release, “One Night Only,” an album and live concert DVD featuring many of the band’s biggest hits.

The highlight of the performance was when Barry got ready to strum his guitar for a performance of “How Deep Is Your Love,” the 1977 megahit from the “Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack,” but instead chose to sing the song a cappella.

Barry starts the song solo in his beautiful falsetto, but then, when his brothers join him, they create a wonderful harmony that only brothers can make. The show’s host, Des O’Connor, a notable singer himself, even joins in for a few bars.

- YouTube youtu.be

Earlier in the performance, the brothers played their version of “Islands in the Stream,” a song made famous by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers in 1983 that was written by the Bee Gees. In 1998, the song was enjoying a resurgence as its melody was used in the song “Ghetto Supastar” by Pras of The Fugees.

Robin Gibb later admitted that the song was initially written for Marvin Gaye to sing, but he was tragically murdered in 1984 by his father. The band also had Diana Ross in mind while composing the tune.

During the appearance, the band also sang “Guilty,” a song that the Bee Gees wrote for Barbara Streisand and Barry produced in 1980.

You can watch the entire performance here:

- YouTube youtu.be

The Gibb brothers started making music together when they were children, and after their first public appearance together at a local movie theater in 1956, they were hooked on performing.

“It was the feeling of standing in front of an audience that was so amazing," said Barry. "We’d never seen anything like it. We were very young, but it made an enormous impression. We didn’t want to do anything else but make music.”

After the family moved to Australia in 1958, Barry, Maurice, and Robin were "discovered" at the Redcliffe Speedway, where they had asked to perform between races. Even over the tinny PA system, their harmonies made an impression. Speedway manager Bill Goode introduced the trio to DJ Bill Gates, who set them up with a recording session.

the bee gees, gibb brothers, maurice, barry, robin gibb Stayin Alive GIF by Bee Gees Giphy

If you've ever wondered how the Bee Gees got their name, that was it: Bill Goode, Bill Gates, Barry Gibb, and the brothers' mother Barbara Gibb all had the initials B.G. After a strong reception on the airwaves in Brisbane, Gates forwarded the brothers' recordings to a Sydney radio station. They got a lot of airtime there as well, and the band had a run of success performing in Australia, but it wasn't until their return to England in 1967 that they became the international sensation we all know today.

Manager Robert Stigwood had received tapes from the Gibbs brothers and called them up within weeks of their arrival in the U.K.

“I loved their composing,” Stigwood told Rolling Stone in 1977. “I also loved their harmony singing. It was unique, the sound they made; I suppose it was a sound only brothers could make.”

- YouTube www.youtube.com

And, as they say, the rest is history. The award-winning 2020 HBO documentary, "The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" tells the story of the band with loads of footage from throughout their 40-year career, which includes not only their disco-era fame, but the various phases of their musical journey and the countless songs they wrote for other artists.

As one commenter wrote, "People that call the Bee Gees a 'disco group' don't have a clue. They had 10 albums out before they ventured into 'disco.' Their song catalogue is amazing and some of their very best songs were written long before Saturday Night Fever. Those 'disco' songs are classics as well. It is nice to see they are finally getting the recognition they deserve."

This article originally appeared last year. It has been updated.

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The 3 reasons you freeze in the middle of conversation, and how to fix it

This can be especially helpful in the workplace.

conversation, conversation tips, social skills, vinh giang, explainer, learning, neuroscience, psychology

Photo credit: Canva

Business meeting in progress with focused discussion.

We’ve all been there: sitting in a meeting or group conversation, following along intently…until suddenly someone turns to you with a question. And just like that *poof* your brain pulls the ripcord. The words disappear, our mind goes blank, and whatever comes out of our mouths is a jumble of half-formed sentences held together by pure panic. That’s if anything comes out at all!

It’s embarrassing, yes. But more importantly, it can be discouraging, especially in professional settings where confidence and clarity matter.

Thankfully, communication expert Vinh Giang has an incredibly human (and surprisingly science-backed) explanation for why this happens, along with practical tools we can use to stay calm and speak clearly when it counts.

Cognitive Overload

conversation, conversation tips, social skills, vinh giang, explainer, learning, neuroscience, psychology Team meeting chaos: one employee silently pleads for help.Photo credit: Canva

Your “working memory,” aka the part of your brain that holds onto present moment information, can only maintain about four to seven pieces of different information at a time. In a work meeting, you’re likely already mentally juggling multiple elements—what’s being discussed, filtering what’s relevant, observing and interpreting body language, etc.—and the sudden “extra demand" of now answering a question can push your working memory past its limit, explains Giang.

Fight, Flight, or Freeze

conversation, conversation tips, social skills, vinh giang, explainer, learning, neuroscience, psychology Overcoming fears: Shadow looms large, but courage stands firm.Photo credit: Canva

This nervous system response is the biological next step after cognitive overload. When you are put on the spot, and the adrenaline/heart rate/cortisol starts pumping, no resources go towards the part of your brain that helps you think clearly (prefrontal cortex). Instead, everything in your amygdala (the brains’ “alarm system,” as Giang put it) kicks in and causes you to treat the situation like a life-threatening event. So you freeze up the same way you might if you run into a grizzly bear.

On the other hand, you might go into “fight” mode, which in this case, looks a lot like rambling. Also not good.

No Retrieval Cue

conversation, conversation tips, social skills, vinh giang, explainer, learning, neuroscience, psychology Confused expression against a bright yellow background.Photo credit: Canva

Retrieval cues are external or internal triggers that bring back a long term memory. A special candle that smells just like your grandma's lotion, for example, or feeling sad can trigger memories of other times you were sad.

When a question is thrown at you, you don’t necessarily get one of these cues, and your brain scrambles for where to begin.

“It’s like digging through your backpack stuffed with loose papers. All the information is there, but with everyone watching and the clock ticking, you can't seem to find the right page so you fumble,” says Giang.

The biggest takeaway here isn’t that you don’t have the information you need to clearly express yourself, you just don’t have a system for organizing the plethora of information swirling around inside of you. And for that Giang suggested using the PREP (point, reason example, point) framework, which is as follows:

Point: One main or opinion that kicks things off.
Reason: Just one explanation as to why you hold that point or believe it is true, using justifications and evidence.
Example: Data, a story, or concrete illustration to support your reasoning and make your point more persuasive.
Point: Reiterating your original main point to reinforce your message and provide a strong conclusion.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Not only this, but giving yourself a second to pause, breathe, and take in the question, repeating or reframing the question to yourself, and slowing down your speech as you answer can be incredibly helpful in clear, concise communication.

At the end of the day, blanking out doesn’t mean you’re unprepared or incapable. It's a sign your brain is working overtime. The good news is you only need a few simple adjustments to turn those high-pressure moments into opportunities for clarity.

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Eliana, Aurora, Luca, Malachi: The baby names that ruled 2025 and what to expect in 2026

From TV shows to classic literature, here's what is influencing the names parents are choosing.

newborn baby, baby names, parenting, girl names, boy names

Photo credit: Canva

Naming a baby is a major life decision.

Naming a baby can be a fun endeavor, but it's also a lot of pressure. Names are personal, often meaningful, and unless we decide to change them will be something we hear over and over our whole lives. So when parents are choosing baby names out of the innumerable possibilities, there's a lot to consider.

One consideration is popularity. Some parents don't want a popular name for their child, while others are drawn to the trends of their time. The number of middle-aged Jennifers and Joshes attest to this fact, but every year, the most popular baby names shift a bit. BabyCenter keeps track of naming trends and offers an annual report that ranks names by popularity.

The 2025 report has a few surprises, despite the No. 1 most popular name for both girls and boys remained unchanged. Olivia and Noah once again took the top spots, but there are also some surprise newcomers to the Top 10 of 2025.

baby names, naming children, babycenter, girl names, boy names BabyCenter's Top 10 baby names for 2025.Canva

In first-time appearances in the Top 10 list of names for girls, Eliana (No. 7) and Aurora (No. 9) ousted Ava (No. 11) and Luna (No. 13). Amelia held onto the No. 2 spot for the second year in a row.

Other names making big shifts on the girls chart were Eloise jumping 26 spots to No. 75 and Emersyn leaping a whopping 50 spots to No. 89. Catalina, Oaklynn, Juniper, and Kehlani all got into the Top 100 list for the first time, and Vivian hit the Top 100 for the first time since 1934.

For boys, the top five spots remained unchanged from 2024, but the Top 10 did see one newcomer with Luca coming in at No. 10, knocking down Leo to No. 11. Perhaps some influence from the 2021 Pixar film, Luca?

luca, names, silenzio bruno, pixar, baby names The name Luca has seen a rise in popularity. Giphy

Malachi and Ali made their debuts in the Top 100 names for boys, and Arthur popped back into the Top 100 for the first time since 1970.

What to expect for baby name trends in 2026

Next year's names will be influenced by this year's trends, and here's what appears to be influencing them, according to BabyCenter:

Pop culture continues to play a dominant role in what Americans name their babies, and there are some new influences in that department. Severance fans may not be surprised to learn that the name Helena has jumped up 50 spots on the charts (which does beg the question of whether the nickname Helly will take root). If you like The Pitt, the names Samira and Heather have gone up 276 and 116 spots, respectively. Belinda climbed a head-turning 2,402 spots, which BabyCenter connects with the show White Lotus. The names Chelsea for girls and Valentin and Fabian for boys have also seen a jump (though not nearly as large as Belinda). And fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty may be happy to know that Susannah shot over 3,000 spots up the chart.

susannah, the summer i turned pretty, names, baby names, Susannah has climbed over 3,000 spots on the baby name chart. Giphy

K-Pop bands appear to be having some sway over baby names as well, with BTS's Jin rising 699 spots, and Seventeen's Jun climbing 1,397 spots. Throwback boy band names have also been climbing, including Howie, Nick, Lance, and Joey.

How about sports? The NBA championship-winning Oklahoma City Thunder saw some names of its players make jumps, including Jaylin, Dillon, Jalen, and Isaiah. Same for WNBA players Courtney, Kelsey, Natasha, and Erica.

On the faith front, the passing of Pope Francis may have had people paying more attention to his name. For both boys and girls, Francis and its variants are all on the rise, including Francesco, Frankie, and Franz for boys and Francine, Frances, and Francesca for girls.

pope francis, vatican, catholic, baby names, popular names Pope Francis passed away in April 2025. Giphy

Classic literature seems to be having a moment as well, with names of American authors and characters seeing upward movement. That includes Ernest, Ishmael, Sylvia, Octavia, Sawyer, Finn, Holden, and Buchanan.

What about names that are on their way out? It appears that boys names ending in "y" are plunging. Grady, Grey, Kody, Murphy, and Gray are all down 3-digit numbers on the charts.

Of course, all kinds of things can influence baby name trends, so who knows what surprises 2026 might have in store. Will Noah and Olivia be able to hold onto their crowns for yet another year? Time will tell. Happy naming, prospective parents!

babies, baby names, parenting, popular names, top names of 2025 How do you choose a name for a brand new human? Photo credit: Canva

You can read BabyCenter's 2025 Most Popular Baby Names report here.

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