Acetaminophen May Affect Your Emotions

Acetaminophen may do more than treat your headache: it could weaken your emotions, researchers have found. Investigators from The Ohio State University reached that conclusion after conducting two studies. The first involved 82 participants, half of whom took an acute dose of 1000 milligrams of acetaminophen and half who took an identical-looking placebo. They waited… Continue reading Acetaminophen May Affect Your Emotions

7 Ways to Become A Positive Thinker

While it may seem as if good things just seem to happen to ‘good’ people and the good life seems to be easier for some to attain, than others, here’s some good news. These people don’t simply “get lucky”. Instead, they’re proactive in the way they live their lives. They’ve made a choice: to take… Continue reading 7 Ways to Become A Positive Thinker

Myths and Facts About Mental Illness

Although most of us are perfectly fine with discussing physical health, mental health is another matter. The truth about mental health is often lost in a fog of fear, anger and ignorance. Here, the experts at www.mentalhealth.gov , a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, separate mental-health facts from myths: Myth:… Continue reading Myths and Facts About Mental Illness

Study Links Facebook Use to Depressive Symptoms

The social media site Facebook can be an effective tool for connecting with new and old friends. However, some users may find themselves spending quite a bit of time viewing Facebook and may inevitably begin comparing what's happening in their lives to the activities and accomplishments of their friends. According to University of Houston researcher… Continue reading Study Links Facebook Use to Depressive Symptoms

Are You an Automaton?

Many of us seem to be closeted seekers of spiritual enlightenment. But most of us, apparently, aren’t able or willing to admit that we’re inclined toward such seeking, says Jim Starr, a computer programmer, hospice volunteer, and “Jersey Yogi.” While there are a number of anecdotal examples any of us can point to in order… Continue reading Are You an Automaton?

Taking A Pulse Check On Your Attitude

Hard times that sap your energy and leave you frustrated are an inevitable part of life. Maybe you lost a job. Maybe your finances took a turn for the worse. Maybe your personal life is in disarray or a health problem emerged forcing a lifestyle change. Such setbacks can leave people feeling afraid, uncertain, angry… Continue reading Taking A Pulse Check On Your Attitude

Trust Grows as People Get Older

Instead of being grumpy and suspicious, people may actually grow more trusting with age, according to new researchers. That development can be beneficial to well-being. “When we think of old age, we often think of decline and loss,” said study co-author Claudia Haase, an assistant professor of Human Development and Social Policy at Northwestern University’s… Continue reading Trust Grows as People Get Older

5 Ways to Stop Seeking Approval from People Who Don’t Accept You

It is fascinating how often we crave the acceptance and approval of those who won’t accept us. It is an unhealthy pattern to continually pursue people who reject us. We do this because we see our lovability as directly related to their approval so we keep trying to be “better” or “do more.” We do… Continue reading 5 Ways to Stop Seeking Approval from People Who Don’t Accept You

How to Be Emotionally Present to Life’s Challenges

by Jennifer Kunst, Ph.D. There is a wish in all of us to be able to get around troubles in life rather than go through them. If only we could skip from the beginning to the end without having to go through the middle. If only we could skip the pain and just have the… Continue reading How to Be Emotionally Present to Life’s Challenges

Anxious People Apt to Make Bad Decisions

Highly anxious people have more trouble deciding how best to handle life’s uncertainties. They may even catastrophize, interpreting, say, a lovers’ tiff as a doomed relationship or a workplace change as a career threat. That’s the finding of research done at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Oxford and published March 2nd… Continue reading Anxious People Apt to Make Bad Decisions

Sad Movies Can Make You Gain Weight

Want to get (or stay) skinny? Steer clear of sad movies. According to a new study from the Cornell Food and Brand Lab, moviegoers watched tearjerkers ate between 28 percent and 55 percent more popcorn both in the lab and at a mall theater. The higher consumption occurred while watching Love Story. But when watching… Continue reading Sad Movies Can Make You Gain Weight

People Create Differing Stress Responses

People faced with stressful situations display a number of different coping behaviors, and those behaviors can affect them the following day, a study has found. The findings, by researchers from North Carolina State University, are based on a pilot study of older adults. “This finding tells us, for the first time, that these behaviors are… Continue reading People Create Differing Stress Responses

Do You Have a “Subclinical” Eating Disorder?

According Stanford psychologist Dr. Megan Jones, who also serves as Chief Science Officer of Lantern,  the groundbreaking mobile tool that helps prevent the onset of eating disorders, many eating disorders begin with modest attempts to lose weight that can quickly spiral out of control. Herself an eating disorder survivor while a college student, Dr. Jones… Continue reading Do You Have a “Subclinical” Eating Disorder?

Stress Linked to Poor Recovery from Heart Attack in Women

Younger women who have suffered heart attacks go through more stress than their male counterparts, and that could lead to a worse recovery, according to new findings by Yale School of Medicine researchers and their colleagues. “Women tend to report greater stress and more stressful life events than men, potentially because of their different roles… Continue reading Stress Linked to Poor Recovery from Heart Attack in Women

Are You Encouraging Your Grandkids to Have An Eating Disorder?

According to Stanford psychologist Dr. Megan Jones, who also serves as Chief Science Officer of Lantern (www.golantern.com), the groundbreaking mobile tool that helps prevent the onset of eating disorders,  many grandparents(and parents) inadvertently trigger confidence or body image issues in their teenage grandkids based on how they give compliments and praise. So how can you… Continue reading Are You Encouraging Your Grandkids to Have An Eating Disorder?

Stop the Dieting/Binge Cycle and Reclaim Your Body

Despite what all those weight loss ads tell you, being able to fit into a size zero bikini should not be your greatest life accomplishment.  Nor will it help you achieve true happiness, inner peace, self-confidence or self-worth.  Yet our culture puts such an emphasis on appearance and thinness it’s difficult to not be swayed… Continue reading Stop the Dieting/Binge Cycle and Reclaim Your Body

The Benefits of Meditation and Waking Up

Waking Up is a daily morning meditation that helps you tap into your inner source of strength and wisdom. These quiet minutes establish your intention to be present and mindful throughout the day. This morning meditation helps to calm, center, and empower you as you establish a peaceful state of mind. It enables you to… Continue reading The Benefits of Meditation and Waking Up

How to Ward Off Compassion Fatigue

A willingness to see the needs of others and lend a helping hand can boost a person’s everyday happiness and make life more satisfying. But sometimes the world’s problems can seem so overwhelming – and each person’s ability to solve them so limited – that “compassion fatigue” sets in. Compassion fatigue is a phenomenon commonly… Continue reading How to Ward Off Compassion Fatigue