Solitude
Here’s the Atlantic on the impact of our solitary and/or siloed lives–The Anti-Social Century. Gist: We’re increasingly at home and/on screens and it’s not helping anyone’s mental health.
Articles
Social Health
The Guardian on the importance of other people to your health and well-being. Decades of research have proven that connection is as essential as food and water, but this knowledge hasn’t yet made its way into the mainstream understanding of health – and without it, we’re suffering.. Today, many people show signs of social health
Volunteering & Mental Health
Old article, good idea–volunteering in order to feel better. It’s generally understood that helping out others makes a person feel nice, but that experience goes beyond just the feel-good glow of altruism. Studies have found that helping others has tangible benefits, both mental and physical, from lowering your blood pressure to reducing feelings of depression. And research hasn’t
Volunteering & Mental Health Read More »
Phone Withdrawal
On dialing back from five hours of screen time a day (NYT): For two solid days, I basked in 19th-century leisure, feeling my nerves softening and my attention span stretching back out. I read books. I did the crossword puzzle. I lit a fire and looked at the stars. I felt like Thoreau, if Thoreau
How Are Emotions Made?
Psychologist-slash-neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett challenges the idea that emotions are innate and universal. Instead, she has shown that emotion is constructed in the moment, by core systems that interact across the whole brain, aided by a lifetime of learning…This new theory means that you play a much greater role in your emotional life than you
How Are Emotions Made? Read More »
Tried Daydreaming?
Put down the phone for a minute. Daydreaming may make your more socially adept (Scientific American). When our brains are not otherwise occupied, a network of neural regions called the default mode network automatically comes online. It enables us to turn our attention inward and daydream, but it also helps us to project out and
Tried Daydreaming? Read More »
Therapists v. Post-Election Stress
Another day, another stressful election. And they’ll keep on coming. Here’s an NYT roundup of therapist advice about just how exactly to cope. [T]herapists report that many of their patients are even more upset as they struggle to make sense of the direction in which the country is heading. And many can’t tear themselves away
Therapists v. Post-Election Stress Read More »
Breathing v. Stress
The NYT illustrates some approaches to controlled breathing: Controlled breathing…has been shown to reduce stress, increase alertness and boost your immune system. For centuries yogis have used breath control, or pranayama, to promote concentration and improve vitality. Buddha advocated breath-meditation as a way to reach enlightenment. Science is just beginning to provide evidence that the
Breathing v. Stress Read More »
Meaning v. Happiness
NYT relays four “well-being workouts” from Dr. Martin Seligman. “Psychology is generally focused on how to relieve depression, anger and worry,” he said…“What makes life worth living,” he said, “is much more than the absence of the negative.” To Dr. Seligman, the most effective long-term strategy for happiness is to actively cultivate well-being. In his
Meaning v. Happiness Read More »
Therapy’s Digital Disconnect
From The Ringer—Digital Natives Struggle with Traditional Therapy. How to get help with anxiety or depression from a therapist who has never used a dating app?
Therapy’s Digital Disconnect Read More »