 How has psychology changed your life? If you're a longtime fan of Psych2Go, you know that psychology can improve your relationships, heal mental wounds, and help you cope with difficult circumstances. But did you know that psychology can even save your life? There are lots of things you might not know about how the human mind can put you in danger or help you escape it. Here are some psychology facts that can save your life. Someone else will get it. Picture this. You're walking across a parking lot when you bump into someone. You apologize, but the other person won't have it. Suddenly, they grab you by the shoulder and forcefully shove you to the ground. Talk about an overreaction. Luckily, it's a crowded area, so someone will help before the conflict escalates, right? Unfortunately, there's something called the bystander effect, which explains that the more bystanders are present in a crisis, the less likely they are to intervene. They assume someone else will help, so they don't have to. To prove this, a 2019 study tracked hundreds of bystanders in CCTV footage of violent incidents across Copenhagen. They found that additional bystanders reduced the chances of intervention, especially if they were strangers. They're not heartless. It's just tempting to think, uh, someone else will do it, when in a large crowd. Researchers suggest that in emergencies, you can trigger intervention by pointing at individual bystanders and delegating specific actions, like calling the police to make it their individual responsibility. This fact may help save someone's life, including yours. The calls coming from inside the house. If I asked you to imagine a dangerous person, who would you envision? A shouted person squulking in the shadows at night, or one of your loved ones? You decide who you trust every day, but according to FBI profiler Mary Ellen O'Toole, our intuitions about who's dangerous aren't always necessarily true. She explains that we tend to be wary of strangers, and those who act oddly, while giving a free pass to our acquaintances and those who seem normal. She says it's actually more likely to be harmed by those we know. O'Toole also points out that almost every time the FBI uncovered a violent criminal or serial killer, the dangerous individual was friendly and outgoing, lived a seemingly normal suburban lifestyle, had a family, and had a respectable reputation in their community. Nobody suspected a thing. Look at Jeffrey Dahmer. He's the normal guy who kept to himself, right? To help us identify dangerous individuals, O'Toole lays out some better warning signs to look out for. Impulsive behaviors without regard for consequences, anger that's excessive for the situation, narcissism, lack of empathy, and injustice collecting where they hold grudges for years. A single trait or a single action doesn't automatically mean someone is dangerous, but if they show a pattern of these behaviors, you might want to watch out. Required reset. If you were too drunk to legally drive, would you still get behind the wheel, make a major decision, or send a crucial email? Hopefully you would avoid such high risks, but if you don't have a solid sleep schedule, you're actually doing something just as risky without knowing it. If you don't get enough sleep every night, your body gets overwhelmed by stress hormones and your brain's functionality plummets. A study published in Nature tested the alertness of those who were sleep deprived and compared to those who were intoxicated while performing basic hand-eye coordination tasks. After no sleep for 24 hours, their alertness nosedived to the same level as those who had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10%. 0.08 is the legal limit. In other words, pulling an all-nighter slows your brain as much as being too drunk to drive. According to the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night, and adults need 7 to 9 hours. Sleep has a huge effect on memory, cognition, concentration, mood, and accident rates. The next time you're tempted to stay up, save yourself from calamity the next day by using the military sleep method to get to sleep quickly and refresh your body and mind. Firstly, get into a comfortable position and exhale slowly while releasing the tension in your muscles. Relax your shoulders to loosen your arms and hands. Continue to breathe in and out and flex your toes. Finally, empty your mind and imagine that you are lying on a canoe, on a still lake. If any thoughts come to mind, repeat, don't think, until they go away. With enough practice, you'll be able to sleep like a pro. Keep calm and carry on. If you've had a panic attack, you already know, but if you haven't, let's set the scene. Your heart is pounding, you're sweating everywhere, you can't breathe, but are breathing too fast at the same time and you can't control your thoughts. Panic attacks aren't pretty, and they can often arise during stressful situations when thinking clearly is vital. If a panic attack has already started, you may not be able to contact your therapist or remember a coping technique, so how can you help to end the attack? You might be surprised at the answer. In a study by NYU School of Medicine in Boston University, participants with panic disorder were assigned to either suppress their emotions or accept them. Ironically, using the coping strategies you've been taught while in the panic attack actually made it worse. These techniques draw attention to your inner anxiety, thus making the attack more intense. Using acceptance techniques resulted in significantly less anxiety and avoidance. Instead of treating a panic attack as a problem to control, you can simply recognize that it's happening. Acknowledge it in your mind or allow it. Accept that this is temporary and that these feelings will pass. If this works for you, let us know in the comments below. There you have it, five psychology facts that will save your life. Do you know any other psychological facts that could save your life? Have you ever used some of these facts? Let us know in the comments below and don't forget to like and share this if you think it'll help someone else. Are you looking for a cuddly companion that brings positivity and mental wellness to your daily life? Get your very own sigh. The lovable plushie is here to brighten your days. It embodies the spirit of Psych2Go and it serves as a reminder to prioritize your mental well-being. Its green leaf symbolizes growth, renewal, and the importance of self-care. 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