Bridging the gap between research and real life
Advice on how to cultivate happiness is hard to avoid. Magazines, online news outlets, and television news tout the best ways to improve your mood and boost contentment. Often making the list: exercise, smiling (even when you don’t feel happy), and meditation. [Read more…]
Heat waves have rippled across North America this summer, leading to an increase in heat-related illness and deaths.
Unfortunately, the data gathered on heat illnesses and deaths in the U.S. are incomplete. But we know that last year, extreme heat killed more people in the U.S. than hurricanes, floods, lightning, or tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service. This year, we’re on track to exceed the number of deaths due to heat. [Read more…]
Nearly 70% of Americans identify with a specific religion, and another 25-to-30% consider themselves spiritual.
It turns out, that’s a good thing. A large and growing body of evidence demonstrates that spirituality is good for our mental health. [Read more…]
It’s well-established that youth mental health has suffered in recent years—with wide-ranging factors contributing to the problem including the proliferation of social media among young people and the isolation created by the COVID-19 pandemic. [Read more…]
You likely know from experience that human perceptions of time are not accurate. During a long, boring task, time feels like it plods along slowly; when we are experiencing excitement or joy, time flies by. [Read more…]
A broad new analysis published in the journal Nature Human Behavior demonstrates that social isolation and loneliness can lead to premature death. [Read more…]
Singing is nearly ubiquitous in American society. From church choirs to America’s Got Talent, people love hearing voices singing in unison. Nearly 54 million Americans – including one in six adults – participate in choral groups, according to research funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. [Read more…]
If you’ve been to a doctor’s office or fitness center in recent years, you’ve likely had your Body Mass Index calculated. The BMI formula uses a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters. The resulting number is classified into one of four categories: underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. These labels are prolific in the U.S. medical system. At one point, BMI classification was even used to establish eligibility for COVID vaccines. [Read more…]
Food insecurity—or not having access to enough quality food—is a significant risk factor for binge eating disorder, according to a new systematic review published earlier this year. [Read more…]
A sweeping new advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General outlines the best available evidence on how social media is affecting the mental health of youth in the United States. [Read more…]
Throughout a normal week, you may chat with a delivery driver who stops at your home, strike up a conversation with the person you always see at the gym, or trade recipes with an acquaintance from the dog park. [Read more…]
Daily life is full of low points for everyone. You may get frustrated after you step on the Legos that your kids carelessly left on the floor. You may get nervous about the speech you’re asked to give at your daughter’s wedding, or angry at the friend who ditched you for his new girlfriend. [Read more…]
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