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One of the hot topics in psychology right now is the relationship between nutrition and mental health with a flurry of research suggesting that nutrition could be an effective first-line intervention. Several large-scale studies show a clear link between mental health and the Mediterranean Diet, for example.
U of C professor on the critical role nutrition plays in improving mental health – The Gauntlet
By Lauren Brough, January 18 2022- A research psychologist at the University of Calgary proves physical health isn’t the only reason to start paying more attention to diet. Dr. Bonnie Kaplan, a professor emerita in the Cumming School of Medicine spent the bulk of her career researching the role nutrition has on brain development and […]
Do you have a particular TV show or shows you keep rewatching? If so, 1) you are not a lone and 2) there is some science that may explain why.
3 Science-Backed Reasons You Like Rewatching TV Shows
Blair Perkins, a 23-year-old based in Fostoria, Ohio, who works as a housekeeper, loves rewatching Friends. Sometimes they binge watch the show during a stressful period of time, or play a few episodes after work – and sometimes they rewatch it just because. Why?
I remember encountering a psychologist while hiking in Iceland and we talked about some of the differences in our conceptions of what leads to people’s suffering. And she said that one of her primary approaches is to send people with mental health challenges into nature. This hot-off-the-press research supports that she was right, especially in terms of decreasing low mood by taking nature walks.
Walking in nature decreases negative feelings among those diagnosed with major depressive disorder
A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders investigated the relationship between walking in nature and emotional affect in those with major depressive disorder (MDD). Compared to urban settings, walking in nature successfully lowered levels of negative affect in those diagnosed with MDD.
The holidays can been notoriously stressful for people. Here’s a video of a clinical psychologist giving tips for the holidays.
Ask an Expert: Dealing with holiday stress | Watch News Videos Online
The holidays are a joyous time of the year, but it can also bring anxiety in people’s lives. Dr. Jaleh Shahin, a clinical psychologist, joined Jennifer Palma on Global News Morning with some ways on how you can best deal with the stress of this time of the year.
So many people struggle with sleep. Here is an interesting article that answers some interesting questions.
Your questions about how to sleep well, answered
Recently, we asked our readers what was keeping them up. Turns out, it is a whole bunch of things, from insomnia, to late-night bathroom visits, to racing minds that won’t shut off. We collected your most pressing questions and put them to sleep experts, who recommend we all start making sleep a bigger priority in our busy lives.
Most of us have uncomfortable or unwanted thoughts sometimes. We know from research that trying to control or suppress them typically makes them worse. Think of the “don’t think of the pink elephant” phenomenon. Here’s an interesting article of a recent study that sheds more light on this and what to do.
Can we control unwanted thoughts? New research says, yes
Most people experience unwanted thoughts from time to time. Some, known as intrusive thoughts, can be linked to psychiatric disorders. A new study has found that most people use reactive thought control to deal with unwanted thoughts once they have occurred.
The issue about who reaches out to who among one’s friends and relatives is of course a bit of a “thing.” Here is an interesting article about the importance of reaching out to others and how we tend to underestimate the positive impact this can have on others.
Friends enjoy being reached out to more than we think
Washington – People consistently underestimate how much others in their social circle might appreciate an unexpected phone call, text or email just to say hello, and the more surprising the connection, the greater the appreciation, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
We know that making gratitude and appreciation explicit in long-term relationships has significant positive effects on the partners, but here is an article about research that suggests that same is true in work relationships.
Here’s an easy way to improve workplace stress – and anyone can do it.
A study from the University of California San Diego’s Rady School of Management finds teammates who thanked each other before performing a high-stress task had a better cardiovascular response compared to teams who did not express gratitude. The enhanced cardiovascular response leads to increased concentration, more confidence, allowing individuals to give their peak performance.
A recent study suggests that staying off social media, even for a week, can boost mental health. Here is an article summarizing the findings.
Time off social media boosts mental health, study suggests
It’s no secret that too much social media can be bad for one’s mental health. Now, research suggests that taking even a brief break from TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter can ease symptoms of depression and anxiety. Staying off social media for a week meant, for some study participants, gaining about nine hours of free time, which improved their well-being, British researchers report.
So many people struggle with feelings of self-doubt or thoughts like “I don’t really know what I am doing” or “People will find out that I am not that great at…” Here is a great article about these kinds of ideas and feelings, which may be part of Impostor Syndrome.
Do you have ‘impostor syndrome’? Look for these signs
The past two years thrust many of us into new roles. Some of us were, or still are, full-time remote workers, some of us became stewards of virtual education, some of us are unemployed, some of us are Zoom aficionados (some of us are not) – and a lot of us are questioning whether we’re doing a good enough job “keeping up” with the new normal.