The loss of a job . . . a bad break-up . . . a nasty accident . . . a new, obsessive habit . . . a big move to a new town . . . health problems experienced by you or a loved one – these are some of the many events that… Continue reading How Do You Handle Life’s Detours?
Category: Mental & Emotional Health
Your mental health, including your psychological & emotional health, impacts our daily life. Learn more about the most common mental disorders.
Stay Calm and Be Healthy
Keeping calm can play a key role in your long-term health, researchers say. In a study measuring adults’ reactions to stress, investigators from Penn State found that adults who fail to maintain positive moods such as cheerfulness or calm when faced with the minor stressors of everyday life appear to have elevated levels of inflammation.… Continue reading Stay Calm and Be Healthy
My Best Ways to Stay Positive
From the evening news to Monday morning blues, there are things that happen in life that are sure to take your happy mood down a notch. For me, worrying about my job, my (lack of) relationships and any caloric intake over my ideal number per day thanks to one-too-many glasses of wine can throw me… Continue reading My Best Ways to Stay Positive
Quick to Laugh or Smile? The Reason May Be in Your Genes
Why do some people immediately burst into laughter after a humorous moment, while others can barely crack a smile? New research examined emotional reactivity and suggested that one of the answers may lie in a person’s DNA. Claudia M. Haase of Northwestern University and Ursula Beermann of the University of Geneva co-authored the study, which… Continue reading Quick to Laugh or Smile? The Reason May Be in Your Genes
How the Brain Stimulates or Stifles Creativity
Investigators at Stanford University Medical Center and Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, commonly known as the d.school, have found a surprising link between creative problem-solving and heightened activity in the cerebellum, a structure located in the back of the brain and more typically thought of as the body’s movement-coordination center. The study was published… Continue reading How the Brain Stimulates or Stifles Creativity
Brain Circuits and Decision-Making
A discovery by scientists at MIT could point the way toward possible therapies for mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and depression, that are characterized by difficulty in decision-making. “In order to create a treatment for these types of disorders, we need to understand how the decision-making process is working,” said Alexander Friedman, a research scientist… Continue reading Brain Circuits and Decision-Making
Hospice Use May Ease Depression in Surviving Spouses
An Institute of Medicine's report on improving the quality of care near the end of life highlights the need for supporting family caregivers. Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York found a modest reduction in depressive symptoms among some surviving spouses of hospice users compared with nonhospice users. The article,… Continue reading Hospice Use May Ease Depression in Surviving Spouses
The Six Benefits of Reading
The options for latching onto a great book – whether a classic by Victor Hugo or the latest bestseller by John Grisham – appear limitless these days. Printed books remain popular, but e-readers provide additional choices. We can still visit bookstores and libraries, but a seemingly infinite selection of titles is available for ordering… Continue reading The Six Benefits of Reading
“Fuzzy Thinking” in Depression & Bipolar Disorder Is Real
People with depression or bipolar disorder often feel their thinking ability has gotten “fuzzy”, or less sharp than before their symptoms began. rResearchers at the University of Michigan have shown in a very large study that effect is indeed real – and rooted in brain activity differences that show up on advanced brain scans. The… Continue reading “Fuzzy Thinking” in Depression & Bipolar Disorder Is Real
How to Live Your Life with Confidence
Fear, insecurity, self-doubt and the like can be the biggest obstacles many of us face. In order to overcome that negativity, many people turn to unhealthy behaviors, such as overeating or alcohol abuse. “Compulsive or addictive behavior may temporarily numb that negativity, but it won’t put you on a healthy and wholesome path,” says Darlene… Continue reading How to Live Your Life with Confidence
PTSD Linked To Accelerated Aging
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is already linked with a number of conditions, including depression, anger and substance abuse. And now, researchers say, it appears to be linked to accelerated aging as well. Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, published the finding in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. “This is the first study… Continue reading PTSD Linked To Accelerated Aging
Short-Term Debt and Depressive Symptoms
Results of a study led by Lawrence Berger of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and published April 30th 2015 in the Journal of Family and Economic Issues suggest that having short-term household debt — credit cards and overdue bills — increases depressive symptoms. The association is particularly strong among unmarried people, people reaching retirement age, and… Continue reading Short-Term Debt and Depressive Symptoms
8 Ways to Get Your Mojo Back Before Summer
New beginnings are the most exciting and energizing times in life. Summer is always a new beginning, because it’s a new season. Now is a great time to get fired up, motivated, and start making changes to get to your next level of you. Most of you are great starters, but not all are great… Continue reading 8 Ways to Get Your Mojo Back Before Summer
4 Ways To Reinforce Your Life Positively
Fear, insecurity, self-doubt and the like can be the biggest obstacles many of us face in life. In order to overcome that negativity, many people turn to unhealthy behaviors, such as overeating or alcohol abuse. “Compulsive or addictive behavior may temporarily numb that negativity, but it won’t put you on a healthy and wholesome path,”… Continue reading 4 Ways To Reinforce Your Life Positively
Natural Anti-Anxiety Food Solutions
Anxiety disorders are one of the top mental health issues in the United States, affecting about 18 percent of the population, and not surprisingly – given our always on, wired and stressed out lives – anxiety-related health issues continue to be on the increase. Stress, lifestyle (including diet), hormone changes (perimenopause and menopause; aging) and… Continue reading Natural Anti-Anxiety Food Solutions
Creating a Life of Optimism
By Dadi Janki, Peter Vegso, and Kelly Johnson Sweetness is a virtue that searches for the good in every person and situation. At its heart is the conviction that there is always something positive to be found. You simply need the patience to discover it. –Eternal Blessings Optimism opens a door in difficult or hopeless… Continue reading Creating a Life of Optimism
Housework Has Both Physical and Mental Benefits
Housework has both emotional and physical benefits for older adults, according to new findings by a Case Western Reserve University school of nursing researcher. “House cleaning kept them up and moving,” said Kathy D. Wright, PhD, RN, CNS, a postdoctoral KL2 Scholar at the university’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing. “A clean environment is… Continue reading Housework Has Both Physical and Mental Benefits
Don’t Blow Up! 4 Ways to Keep Your Temper
In the age of the cell-phone video, it’s all too easy to permanently record bad behavior. We’ve all seen the viral video of the reporter berating a towing-company employee. Or, thanks to social media, we’ve heard about bad behavior, like the passenger who got kicked off a flight for repeatedly jabbing a snoring seatmate with… Continue reading Don’t Blow Up! 4 Ways to Keep Your Temper