Check out these recent basic and clinical research articles! Visit this page regularly to find links to new articles that will keep you informed and engaged.
Mindfulness training can help increase optimism, enhance positive mood, and negate some of the effects of stress by improving mental health in school-aged children.
Here in Connecticut, a sweltering summer has given way to a surprisingly brisk fall. With COVID-19 still keeping many indoor recreation spots shuttered, outdoor activities remain the go-to for those of us with cabin fever.
In the last few weeks, with the coronavirus making its rounds around the world, there is more uncertainty as to what we’ll be doing in the next few months, weeks, or even days than many of us can remember experiencing in a very long time.
It's well documented throughout humanity's history that pandemics can and do occur. In fact, experts foretell that we are about 100 years past due from some horrible mass-extinction micro-beastie (eg. virus, bacteria) event.
In recent years, medical and psychological journals have been exploding with studies showing the close relationship between our bodies and our minds. Study after study shows that the way we think and feel each day has a powerful effect on our health. For example, carrying around negative feelings (like sadness, anger, hurt or stress, for example), has been shown to increase the amount of inflammation in your body, which then affects the strength of your immune system which makes you more vulnerable to getting sick. — Jennifer E.Graham-Engelanda, et al.; Brain, Behavior and Immunity, 2018.
Stressful emotions like anxiety or worry, anger and fear, tend to cause a desynchronization in the activity in the brain and nervous system, which directly impairs cognitive functions. Heart-Mind coherence is when the heart and mind are synchronized and functioning in balance harmoniously. The aim of this article is to explore how this connection can determine a great deal of the way we experience life. Heart-mind coherence is used to describe the relationship of ‘consciousness’ in-between the heart and mind and by extension, the coherence of all systems within the living human body.
Scientists have discovered that feelings of gratitude can actually change your brain. Feeling gratitude can also be a great tool for overcoming depression and anxiety. Furthermore, scientists have discovered that the heart sends signals to the brain.
Every time we struggle with depression, why are we constantly encouraged to take prescription medication when mindfulness techniques actually show more promise?
A rocky childhood. A violent assault. A car accident. If these are in your past, they could be affecting your present health.
These are all examples of traumatic events — which, in psychological terms, are incidents that make you believe you are in danger of being seriously injured or losing your life, says Andrea Roberts, a research scientist with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Research shows that these events can trigger emotional and even physical reactions that can make you more prone to a number of different health conditions, including heart attack, stroke, obesity, diabetes, and cancer.
Scientific research is helping to unlock the secrets behind why some people live to become super-agers. Researchers propose ways in which we can slow the aging process and extend our life spans.
They clean their hands, many times in a row. They flip switches on and off, over and over. They check — and re-check, then check again — that they’ve turned the stove off.
No one knows exactly what drives people with obsessive-compulsive disorder to do what they do, even when they’re fully aware that they shouldn’t do it, and when it interferes with their ability to live a normal life...
Summary: A new study reveals a correlation between the passive use of social media and depression symptoms such as loneliness and fatigue. Over the past decade, social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have become a central part of everyday life. Despite their massive popularity, however, controversy abounds regarding their impact on mental health and wellbeing...