28 | April• 201835 EVERYDAY MISTAKES AND HOW TO FIX THEMembody the traits you most admire
about him.8 Saving your favourite dress for
a special occasion.Wearing your
mostbelovedclotheswheneveryou
feel like it could improve your mood,
according to a UK study.9
Leavingfoodonthebench-
top.You a re w h at y ou e at a nd
you eat what you see, according to
astudyinHealth Education & Be-
havior.Peoplewhokeepfoodssuch
ascereal,biscuitsandmuffinsin
plainsighttendtoweighmorethan
those whose treats stay tucked away.
On the other hand, keeping healthy
foods visible correlates to slimness.10
Ignoring the fitness tracker
fad.Trackers do more t ha n
countsteps;theyalsopickupdevi-
ations in heart rate and skin tem-
perature. Using that data, Stanford
University researchers studied
60 volunteers over two years and
foundthatitnessmonitorscouldlag
when you’re catching a cold or even
signaltheonsetofaseriouscondi-
tion, such as metabolic syndrome.THE WORKDAY
11
Going on autopilot during
your commute.AHarvard
University survey of more than 2000
volunteers found that when our minds3
Not singing in the shower.Does
listening to music make you feel
good? hat’s your brain rewarding it-
self with dopamine – the same way it
reacts to eating potato chips or falling
in love. So put on your favourite tune,
sing along (the deep breathing associ-
ated with singing has been shown to
improve heart health), and lather up.4 – 8
Notdressingforsuc-
cess.When it comes to
pickingyouroutit,researchshows
t hat appearance afects perception.
Avoid these fashion blunders:4 Not wearing your eyeglasses.
Beyond the ‘brainy’ association and
beingabletoseeproperly,specsdraw
attention to your eyes – the windows
to empathy.5 Dressing too casually.Suits (and
other professional attire, such as lab
coats) really do make you look more
competent. So do designer labels.6 Looking too mainstream.While
matching your outfit to your job is
important,onestudyfoundthatadd-
inganofbeatelement–suchasred
sneakers–toatraditionalensemble
can make you look more competent
because you seem unique.7 Lockingawaythefamilyjewels.
There’s power in emulation. Wear-
ingyourfather’swatch,forexam-
ple, may help you subconsciously