Are you having difficulty sleeping? Your heart may suffer as a result.
Poor sleep is now being linked to several health issues, including a higher risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, according to increasing data. A new study of people in their midlife indicates that a combination of sleep issues, such as difficulty falling asleep, waking up in the middle of the night, or sleeping less than six hours each night, can virtually triple a person's risk of heart disease.
"These new findings emphasize the importance of obtaining enough sleep," says Harvard Medical School assistant professor of medicine and sleep specialist Dr Lawrence Epstein. He goes on to say that a lack of sleep can be caused by a variety of factors. Some people just do not schedule enough sleep time. Others have sleep-disrupting or interfering behaviours. Some persons also have a medical ailment or a sleep problem that causes them to lose sleep quality or quantity.
Who was in the study group?
The researchers used information from 7,483 persons who participated in the Midlife in the United States Study and provided information on their sleep habits and history of heart disease. A small group of participants (663 persons) also wore a wrist-worn gadget that tracked their sleep patterns (actigraphy). Women made up slightly more than half of the participants. Three-quarters said they were white, while 16% said they were black. The average age was 53 years old.
The researchers selected to study people in their midlife years since this is when adults typically encounter diverse and difficult life experiences in their work and family life. It's also when clogged heart arteries or atherosclerosis (an early indicator of heart disease) first appear, as well as age-related sleep problems.
What criteria did researchers use to evaluate sleep problems?
A composite of many characteristics of sleep was used to assess sleep health, including
regularity (whether participants slept longer on workdays versus non-work days)
satisfaction (whether they had difficulty getting asleep, woke up in the middle of the night or early the next morning and couldn't get back to sleep, or felt drowsy during the day)
alertness (how often they napped for more than five minutes)
efficiency (how long it took them to fall asleep at bedtime)
length of time (how many hours they typically slept each night).
To examine heart problems, researchers asked participants "Have you ever been suspected or verified by a doctor of having heart trouble?" and "Have you ever had intense discomfort across the front of your chest that lasted for at least a half-hour?"
It would be an understatement to say that the last two years have been difficult for children and teenagers. Major worldwide events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have had an impact on our daily lives and put us to the test in unprecedented ways. Racial and political issues are also constants in the lives of young people of all ages.
Parents have a plethora of concerns and inquiries. What does all of this anxiety, instability, isolation, and change imply for my children? How can I assist them in coping? Will they be alright? The good news is that resilience, or the ability to persevere in the face of adversity and stress, can be learned and strengthened at any age. We can't keep our children from feeling unhappy, stressed, or having setbacks. We can, however, cultivate their ability to cope with and learn from adversity when it is possible.
How can families help their children develop resilience?
The relationship between parent and child, which is a significant contributor to healthy development in children and teenagers, is where resilience begins for every one of us. A safe, stable relationship with at least one caring and responsive adult is a powerful stress buffer, according to research on childhood trauma such as exposure to violence, divorce, mourning, and natural disasters. Recent research suggests that teenagers who feel linked to their parents or other caregivers, as well as their friends, and who have stable daily routines, are better able to cope with COVID-related stress (read more here, here, and here).
Parents may foster their children's resilience in five evidence-based approaches as we navigate the shifting demands of the pandemic (note: automated download) and the difficulties of our times.
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Some of us try to obsessively conceal these flaws by always wearing heavy make-up, dressing in concealing clothing, imposing ourselves in a certain way or editing photos of ourselves. In other cases, we may even hold ourselves back from certain activities such as going to the gym or going swimming because we’re insecure about the way we look.
This behaviour is not good for our mental health (and in some cases our physical health). By learning to be less self-conscious about your appearance, you could live life more freely and be happier. Ironically, you may even find that being less self-conscious about your appearance makes you more attractive! Below are just a few tips on how to be less self-conscious.
Stop taking so many selfies
Constantly looking at yourself in the mirror or taking photographs of yourself can make you more conscious of how you look. Learn to not look at your reflection so often and start focusing on the world externally. Start taking more photos of your surroundings rather than photos of yourself. You could even challenge yourself to go an entire day without looking at yourself. Once you stop caring about how you look in a certain situation, you can start enjoying the moment more.
Taking a break from technology not only saves time but also improves one's mental health. Find out how to accomplish it in the best manner possible.
Being connected has become a way of life for many people. Your smartphone alarm, if you're like most people, wakes you up in the morning. You get ready while watching the news on television and then check your text messages. You check email, communicate with pals, and look through Facebook and Instagram throughout the day. You spend your evenings online buying and checking social media while watching your favourite TV series. You also utilize smartphone apps for meditation or white noise before going to bed.
For many folks, that is just a usual day. In fact, the average American spends four hours watching television and seven and a half hours on digital gadgets. Many of us are stressed out as a result of our excessive screen time, which is unsurprising.
A digital detox may be the answer, as it can relieve the stress of being constantly connected to electronic devices. According to studies, a digital detox can help you sleep better, have better relationships, and feel better. Are you ready to give it a shot? Kia-Rai Prewitt, PhD, a psychologist, explains the benefits and how to go about doing a digital detox.
All parents want their children to be successful in life — and by that, we mean not only having a good job and earning a good living but also being happy. And all parents wonder how they will accomplish this.
According to Harvard's Center on the Developing Child, it's less about academics and extracurricular activities and more about developing a basic set of abilities that enables people to overcome life's inevitable obstacles. All of these abilities fall under the category of executive function skills, which we utilize to regulate our behaviour. The majority of successful and happy people possess good executive function abilities.
What are the five most critical core skills?
ability to create and carry out concrete goals and plans.
Concentration is the capacity to concentrate on what is critical at any particular time.
Self-control entails exerting control over our responses to not only our emotions but also stressful situations.
Not only do we observe the people and things around us, but we also understand our place in them.
Flexibility is defined as the capacity to adjust to changing circumstances.
While these are abilities that children (and adults) can and do acquire throughout their lives, two critical stages are early childhood (ages 3 to 5) and adolescence/early adulthood (ages 13 to 26). During these windows of opportunity, children can benefit from learning and using these abilities. We'll discuss the second stage of adolescence in this post.
The most effective approach to acquiring any ability is to practice it. Here are some ideas for parents who aren't sure how to help and when to step aside.
Planning
When children are small, parents and caregivers naturally make plans for them. However, as children mature into adolescents, they must learn to do it on their own.
Take care not to micromanage your teen's life. Rather than that, establish some ground rules – simple ones like homework must be completed, kids require seven to eight hours of sleep per night, and regular exercise is critical. You may have additional ground rules, such as the requirement to attend family dinners or religious ceremonies. Then delegate the task to your teen. Intervene only if it is evident that ground rules are being persistently broken.
When teenagers have long-term projects, such as research or college applications, sit down with them and discuss how they intend to complete them. Allow them to generate ideas before you do!
Engage your teenagers in the planning of family activities and trips, as well as home renovations and other initiatives. Allow them to make some decisions (even if you may not always agree with them).
Awareness
Teenagers can be extremely self-aware, but primarily of their own world. Assist them in developing the ability to see beyond it.
Discuss current events and news articles. Discuss how things influence people and how different people may perceive them differently.
Take your teen on adventures—even a simple walk in the woods or a visit to a nearby town can provide them with the opportunity to look around and notice things they might otherwise overlook.
As a family, participate in community service events; demonstrate to them how they can make a difference.
Establish family rituals for checking in, such as over dinner. Allow everyone to share their day.
Anger management: Before responding, try these four steps.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, seeing red means being enthusiastic or emotionally fired up with fury.
Some synonyms for seeing red are: seething, boiling, sizzling, burning, fuming, raging, rankling.
Count to ten. Take a stroll. These techniques have long been recommended to help you pause and reconsider your reaction when you're seeing red and an inch from exploding. Under normal conditions—perhaps a little stress at home or at work—those tactics can be beneficial. However, you may discover that they are less effective in the pressure cooker in which we have been living since the pandemic began. What can you do to keep from hitting your breaking point?
I sought advice from psychologist Stuart Ablon, founder and director of Think: Kids in the psychiatric department of Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. Ablon specializes in defusing explosive behavior in children and adolescents who have substantial developmental deficits in problem-solving, adaptability, and frustration tolerance, the abilities that keep us from melting down.
Pandemic stress impairs our ability to cope.
According to Ablon, many adults are currently grappling with a lack of these skills—not because we haven't developed them, but because pandemic stress is impeding their development. When we are continuously stressed, we lose access to the area of our brain that performs skills like flexibility and tolerance, "explains Ablon.
Blocked skills can lower our coping abilities to those of infants who shout when they don't get their way.
Empathy should be practiced.
When you're angry or agitated, Ablon thinks it's critical to stay calm and "regulated" so you can access the abilities needed to maintain control. And, according to Ablon, the best way to stay calm is to practice empathy—trying to sense another person's perspective or point of view.
Empathy is our most potent human regulator. It has been shown to de-escalate people in the most difficult prison environments, and it can also work on an airline or in line at Starbucks.
How does empathy benefit you?
It's fantastic to be able to calm others, but how can being sympathetic keep you from exploding? It has a cascading impact.
Attempting to understand someone else's point of view may cause you to reconsider how you wish to respond. It will also provide you with something important to do, which will keep you focused and relaxed.
Being calm allows you to access coping abilities such as problem-solving, flexibility, and frustration tolerance.
Using your coping skills improves your capacity to remain calm.
Because you're peaceful, you'll prevent someone else from erupting, which will help you stay calm.
Is it possible for social media to cause illness?
A student develops leg pain and paralysis all of a sudden, and soon hundreds of classmates are experiencing the same symptoms. Nuns start biting each other, and it quickly spreads to other convents in the area. Three high school girls start laughing uncontrollably, which can last for days. The school is compelled to close down after approximately 100 pupils acquire the same ailment.
Despite this, no medical explanation was ever identified in any of the cases. These were eventually labelled as examples of mass sociogenic sickness, often known as mass hysteria, epidemic hysteria, or mass psychogenic illness by many. Many potential sources for these ailments have developed over the years, and TikTok and other social media platforms may now be fertile ground.
What is sociogenic sickness?
Multiple persons in a social group acquire comparable, medically unexplainable, and frequently odd symptoms, which is the hallmark of these diseases. In some circumstances, persons who have been affected believe they have been exposed to something deadly, such as a toxin or a contagion, even though a comprehensive inquiry reveals no such thing.
Even in the lack of a clear explanation and normal test findings, the suffering produced by these conditions is real and intense. And, no, a person suffering from sociogenic sickness isn't "simply looking for attention" or "intentionally doing it."
It's not useful to label people as hypochondriacs or "mad," or illnesses as "hysteria." Hysteria and hysterical — both derived from hysteria, the Greek word for womb — are loaded terms that are frequently used to diminish women as psychologically unstable or biologically predisposed to uncontrollable emotional or anxiety outbursts. While some researchers claim that these illnesses are more common in women, the majority of the published research on the subject is decades old and based on a small number of cases.
Characteristics of mass sociogenic illness
People have fainted unexpectedly, acquired nausea, headaches, or shortness of breath, or experienced convulsive movements, involuntary vocalizations, or paralysis in previous outbreaks. These epidemics typically happened in groups of people who were in close contacts, such as at a school or office. Only a few cases appear to have been spread via television shows. Now, social media could be a new source.
Certain characteristics are typical:
suffering symptoms that, despite considerable research, have no clear medical explanation
Temporary, benign, and uncommon symptoms for individuals who have affected the fast onset of symptoms and rapid recovery
Individuals impacted are linked by their membership in and contact with a social group or through physical closeness.
In general, treatment entails the following:
excluding medical causes for symptoms
putting an end to the operation in which it occurred
removing individuals from the alleged exposure site (online or not)
separating affected persons.
Assuring individuals of their safety and proving that the outbreak will end once they are no longer in close touch with one another typically alleviates fear and promotes recovery.
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As you go through life, you’ll encounter situations that test your faith. You can think of these as trials that define the direction of your spiritual path. Do well, and you’ll emerge stronger. Do poorly, and your life will start getting out of control.
In this post, we take a look at some of the signs you’re being tested and what they mean.
You’re Being Asked To Sacrifice Something
While we might like to have it all in life, it’s not possible. Time, money, and resources are all limited. Eventually, we have to make decisions about what can stay, and what must go.
We have examples of sacrifice in the Bible, notably when Abraham offered up his son Isaac on the mountain as a test of faith.
In life, you will face similar tests. You may have to sacrifice a career for a family or time for a project that you want to complete. Whatever it is, giving something up is a test of faith that everything will be okay in the end.
You’re Being Asked To Give Up Control
God is always probing our hearts, trying to figure out what we’re made of. The idea is that we surrender and place our total trust in our faith. Doing this is a kind of proof that we’re giving everything over to a higher power.
Tests of the heart come in all shapes and sizes. Some involve work, while others can affect your health.
Through these processes, we come to be stronger people. If we can show faith in the most challenging of conditions, then it means that the rest of our lives will be a breeze.
In many ways, the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for many people. According to a report published in JAMA Pediatrics, the damage to newborns born during the epidemic could last a lifetime. Challenges that can affect babies during the pandemic.
The brain develops most rapidly throughout the first three years of life. It's not just the health of the babies that matters, but also how they interact with their carers. Babies must be held, stroked, spoken to, smiled at, and played with. Neural connections are formed in the brain as they receive and respond to those interactions in a "serve and return" manner. When babies don't experience enough of these interactions, their brains don't develop as well as they should, and they can even be physically smaller.
It can be difficult to find the time, let alone the energy or interest, to chat to and play with your infant if you are a stressed or depressed parent or caregiver. Multiple studies have shown that maternal depression, poverty, and other family stressors can permanently alter a child's development.
What method was used to do the research?
As part of a long-term study about mothers and babies, Columbia University researchers looked at three groups of 6-month-old babies in this study. They looked at how the babies grew and changed. Two of the groups were born during the COVID-19 pandemic, with one group's mothers having COVID-19 and the other's not. A historical cohort made up the third group (a group of babies who were born before the pandemic).
The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) was used by the mothers in the study to track their babies' growth. The researchers found no differences in development between the two groups of newborns born during the pandemic, implying that prenatal COVID-19 exposure has no effect on development, which is fantastic news. However, newborns born during the epidemic had an inferior gross motor, fine motor, and social-emotional development than those born before it. Rolling from back to tummy (gross motor), reaching for or clutching a toy with both hands (fine motor), and acting differently toward strangers than toward parents or known people are examples of developmental activities for infants this age (social-emotional development).
It's happened to a lot of menstruating women: you're going about your business until you realize you've just gotten your period. You feel scared, vulnerable, and exposed as you race to find a restroom and wish fervently that you packed a menstruation product. This is exacerbated by the fact that our society stigmatizes menstruation — or, for that matter, anything having to do with a uterus — and these discussions are shrouded in secrecy.
If you're one of the almost 22 million women living in poverty in the United States who can't afford menstrual hygiene supplies, you're living in period poverty. According to a study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, 64% of women have ever had trouble purchasing period items like pads, tampons, or reusable goods like menstrual cups. In addition, 21% said they couldn't afford these things on a monthly basis. People who are homeless or incarcerated are more vulnerable to not having enough menstrual hygiene supplies.
Why are period (menstruation) products a luxury?
Menstruation is an unavoidable part of life. Menstrual hygiene items should be considered as essentials rather than luxuries. Unfortunately, menstrual products are not covered by food stamps or the WIC (women, infants, and children) program subsidies for groceries.
Patients have told me that they can't afford menstruation products, so they use toilet paper or paper towels instead of pads or tampons. People who have heavy periods and need to change their pads or tampons frequently experience financial difficulties since they need to buy more pads or tampons than the average menstrual person. They may have vulvar irritation and vaginal discomfort if they try to extend the life of items by using them for many hours at a time. They may also be more susceptible to toxic shock syndrome, a potentially fatal infection.
Why is it vital to talk about period (menstruation) stigma?
To understand and address the issues people confront when it comes to access to menstrual hygiene products, we need to eliminate the stigma around menstruation. Poverty is a reality. Period equity should also be genuine. Embarrassment or taboos may hinder people from speaking up for themselves, but if that stigma is lifted — or even alleviated — we can move forward as a society to fulfil the needs of half of our population. When half of the population suffers financial and physical hardship as a result of the reproductive cycle required to guarantee human survival, there is no equity.
Why does hope matter?
From the delicate relationships that connect us with one another to the ever-present fragility we share as humans in a chaotic environment, our lives are eternally immersed in the prospect of catastrophe.
Bad things – Tragic things that are extremely frequent like accidents, illness, and early death happen to individuals on a daily. We know this, yet we are tasked with finding ways of going forward in a world where nothing is assured.
But how? Mainly, we find ways to confront the fear of life’s hazards with hope: an aspirational feeling that conditions can improve, that we can continue, that there is at least as much good in the world as terrible.
What hope accomplishes for us
The concept of hope is low-hanging fruit for the pop culture and even politics: not long ago, one US president was born in the town of Hope, and another ran on it. But hope is also beginning to demonstrate its significance in scientific investigations. Greater levels of hope are associated with increased coping, well-being, and engagement in healthy activities amongst young adults with chronic illnesses. Additionally, it protects you from getting depressed or committing suicide. Among youth, hope is related to health, quality of life, self-esteem, and a sense of purpose. It is a key aspect for developing both maturity and resilience.
Fortunately, such benefits continue into later life, as the likelihood of calamity increases. Our bodies frequently fail us. We may encounter setbacks in life, such as the loss of employment, relationships, or family members. If our early problems are frequently tied to growing and developing into healthy adults, later life can be viewed as a period of self-consolidation and acceptance, even while the physical body deteriorates and circumstances deteriorate.
Hope is both a shield and a guide.
Hope can be an especially effective shield against the fear associated with a chronic or life-threatening illness. It does not have to be focused on a cure to be beneficial, but those objectives are alluring. Rather than that, a person's hope — even when confronted with a terminal illness — can be directed toward joy or comfort. It can be developed and directed toward specific goals, such as seeing grandchildren or attending a child's wedding. It can be discovered in times of serenity: what is contentment if not an acceptance of the possibility of good in our lives, even in challenging situations?
Finally, hope can provide us with an opportunity to digest seemingly insurmountable occurrences. A major setback in life, a traumatic accident, a vigil held during a relative's final days in the critical care unit, or even our own final months living with a There are numerous instances in which hope for comfort or respite serves as a bridge between stages of a fatal condition. Fortunately, such benefits continue into later life, as the likelihood of calamity increases. Our bodies frequently fail us. We may encounter setbacks in life, such as the loss of employment, relationships, or family members. If our early problems are frequently tied to growing and developing into healthy adults, later life can be viewed as a period of self-consolidation and acceptance, even while the physical body deteriorates and circumstances worsen.
False hope's pitfalls
When grounded in reality, hope performs a variety of beneficial tasks. However, hope beyond the realm of possibility is a surefire formula for disappointment and disillusionment. Unrealistic expectations can prevent people from appreciating moments of comfort and joy in the present moment, as they continue to gaze into the distance in search of a mirage. Concentrating exclusively on false expectations can also inhibit people from making rational decisions on critical issues such as medical decision-making. Weighing the quality of your life and potential paths to a good death can occasionally take a back place to do everything necessary to avoid death.
Are you downplaying your accomplishments and exaggerating your failures? Adjust your skewed thinking
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Some things are unquestionably true. Rain pours down from the sky. Elevators rise and fall. Orange traffic cones are orange traffic cones. However, a lot isn't so clear because we interpret the world through our experiences.
"Good job," the supervisor may say, and we wonder why they didn't say "Great job." We notice someone looking at us and they appear angry, so we assume they're mad at us because no other explanation makes sense.
What's going on is that we're distorting our perceptions, leaping to conclusions, mind reading, and assuming the worst. We reduce our achievements and increase our "failures" when we do this, and because it can be a habitual process, it's difficult to notice when it's happening. Dr. Luana Marques, associate professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, adds, "You don't realize you're wearing magnification glasses."
So, how can you see things more clearly and from a more balanced standpoint? It requires practice and a willingness to suffer discomfort, but it all starts with awareness, as it does with every problem.
What happens when we exaggerate failures and draw unfavorable conclusions?
We prefer to process information rapidly, and filters assist us in doing so. If we believe that "I'm no good," any comments and actions that reinforce that belief simply make things simpler.
"The brain is not interested in expending energy attempting to combat that," Marques explains. And depending on the distortion, the brain reacts differently. The limbic system is engaged when anything creates anxiety, such as a strange look or comment, and we go into fight-or-flight mode, hyper-focused on the threat and not thinking creatively or considering alternate, less threatening possibilities.
However, there are moments when there is no threat in the game. When we doubt our talents and downplay our achievements, we're merely thinking, perhaps too much.
So, what can you do?
Identify the distorted way of thinking.
It aids in the identification of our distortions, the most common of which are:
Catastrophizing is the process of extrapolating the worst-case scenario from a minor occurrence.
Thinking in black-and-white terms means only seeing all-or-nothing options.
Jumping to conclusions: Making assumptions about what will happen rather than waiting to see what happens.
Mind reading entails making educated guesses about what someone is thinking without a lot of proof.
Because "we tend to do one more than the other," Marques argues, labeling it will help you better understand and detect your go-to distortion.
After that, it's a good idea to evaluate your mental state by asking yourself, "Am I stressed?" Is it true that I'm sweating? Do I have a racing heart or shallow breathing? It puts you more into the situation and enables you to reflect on what you were doing at the time, such as "I was attempting to guess the outcome." It's another method of identifying the distortion you want, she explains.
Challenge the distortion
Regardless of the distortion, you should double-check your assumption by looking for additional evidence. If you're not sure how your boss feels about you, consider this: What does my boss actually say? What about other people does this person say? Is it true that I've gotten promotions and raises? Are good projects being assigned to me?
We are all aware that motivation is essential for achieving personal and professional objectives. However, if you wait for motivation to hit like a bolt of lightning, you'll be much less likely to take any action. Even if you've set a lofty goal for yourself, it's all too easy to lose motivation due to feelings of overwhelm, procrastination, or impatience. The strategies outlined below can assist you in increasing your motivation to achieve the goals that are important to you.
The significance of your objective
Before you select a goal, you must first determine its significance – that is, why is achieving this goal so important to you? What does this success mean to you? "I want to drop 10 pounds so I can have more energy to play with my grandchildren," for example, is significantly more meaningful than "I want to reduce weight." Perhaps your goal is to paint a room a different color because you believe it would bring you more happiness. This is not the same as establishing a goal of "paint room."
If you create a goal and find yourself procrastinating or failing to achieve it, reconsider the objective's meaning. Is this a goal that you still care about? If that's the case, think about the meaning behind your procrastination or the challenges you're having.
Make your goal a reality.
Make a detailed plan to reach your goal. This plan should be guided by the term SMART:
(What specifically do you aim to achieve?)
Measurable (How will you know when you've achieved your goal?)
Achievable (Do you think you'll be able to achieve your goal?)
Realistic (Does it make sense for you to set this objective right now?)
Time-bound (Can you give me an estimate of how long it will take you to achieve this goal?)
For instance, a goal of "exercise more" is too broad and will not lead to success. Instead, make a goal for yourself to walk 50 steps in the next hour or a 15-minute stroll on Wednesday morning. This objective is specific, quantifiable, attainable, reasonable, and time-bound.
Make a to-do list – and check it twice.
Make a to-do list to fulfill a certain objective once you've identified it.
What are the materials you'll require?
What steps will you take to achieve your goal? Tasks should be broken down into manageable mini-tasks, and each one should be written down.
Each task should have a deadline. Make a schedule to complete these chores, ensuring that regular breaks and realistic time frames are included.
As you finish each mini-task, cross it off your list. Step by step, you'll see that you're getting closer to your objectives.
Start working toward your objective if you're having trouble breaking it down into smaller activities. For example, if you want to increase the number of steps you take each day but are having trouble determining the perfect number of steps to aim for, simply start walking. You'll be able to determine the appropriate number later.
Others should be included.
Invite a group to assist you in achieving your goal. You may join a running club or ask relatives and friends to keep an eye on you while you work toward your overall objective. Friends may be able to send you email or text message reminders to help you stay on track. Finally, surround yourself with others who are pursuing their own objectives. Their efforts may also motivate you.
According to July 28, 2021, Harvard study published online, in Neurology, flavonoids, the naturally occurring plant chemicals that give many fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors, may help protect memory. The researchers analyzed self-reported food and memory data from over 77,000 middle-aged men and women who were tracked for a period of 20 years. After adjusting for potential confounding variables (such as age, weight, physical activity, alcohol consumption, depression, and intake of nutrients other than flavonoids), researchers discovered that people who consumed the most flavonoids on a daily basis were 19 percent less likely to report difficulties with memory and thinking than those who consumed the least flavonoids on a daily basis. Strawberries, blueberries, peppers, celery, apples, bananas, oranges, and grapefruit were all strongly connected with favorable cognitive impacts.
Want to increase your happiness? Consider the following:
If the last year's events have left you emotionally deflated, you are not alone. Throughout the pandemic, happiness has been in short supply, and you may be in desperate need of a mood boost. While this period of time may have been especially difficult, even in normal circumstances, people frequently struggle to find happiness. This is why, in the 1990s, the field of positive psychology was founded. It attempted to address the following questions: Why is it sometimes difficult to be happy? And is there a way to assist individuals in improving their mood and attitude in life?
As it turns out, the second question is correct. You can make significant improvements to the quality of your daily life and increase your sense of fulfillment.
Experiment with this strategy for increased happiness, which combines three physical and emotional tactics. For a week, experiment with each of these alternatives. Evaluate whether one or more of these good steps contributed to your happiness – and continue to do so!
Get out there and be active!
The combination of fresh air and exercise has been shown to significantly improve mood. If you are COVID-19-vaccinated, take advantage of the opportunity to get outside, remove your mask, and get moving. Exercise on a regular basis can benefit both your health and your happiness. Aerobic activity, such as walking, biking, or running, stimulates the release of mood-enhancing hormones, which can help alleviate stress and promote a sense of well-being.
Additionally, when your muscles contract in a repeating pattern, like they do when you walk, swim, or perform yoga, it increases levels of a brain chemical called serotonin, which many antidepressants target. Serotonin levels are related to improved mood. Indeed, one study discovered that 90 minutes of movement each week produced mood gains comparable to those of an antidepressant. Exercise, when paired with medicine, can even aid in the treatment of mood disorders that have proven resistant to other forms of treatment.
What level of movement should you aim for? According to research, you should aim to get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days a week, or 20 minutes of vigorous exercise three times a week. However, if you are unable to do that much, keep in mind that some are always preferable to none. Even a quick 10- to 15-minute walk will temporarily improve your mood.
When it comes to shoe shopping, some people can complete the transaction in five minutes and be completely satisfied. For others, it will take several days of reading reviews, comparing prices, deliberating, and deliberating some more before making a decision.
Alternatively, not.
People may desire to make a choice, but fear of making the wrong one or missing out on a better deal gets in the way. The impending holiday gift-giving season adds to the pressure.
"Deciding is a difficult task," says Dr. Soo Jeong Youn, a clinical psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
We're constantly making choices about what to wear and what to eat. It can also feel agonizing, if not paralyzing because we do not always have all the information, and the brain fills in the gaps with worst-case scenarios, which does nothing to alleviate the stress.
Can we improve our decision-making abilities? Yes, in a nutshell. It requires organization, but also a shift in mindset in which we acknowledge that there is no perfect choice. But first, it's worthwhile to consider why decision-making can be so difficult.
Being aware of what to anticipate
Not all choices result in the same level of stress. Significant ones, such as changing jobs or purchasing a home, are taken into account, as we would expect. Daily choices, such as our morning coffee order or grocery shopping, are frequently automatic. And, in most cases, the prefrontal cortex is in command. That is the area of the brain behind the brow that is responsible for executive functioning skills — a term coined by Youn to describe the complexity of thought. The prefrontal cortex integrates information from throughout the brain in order to make a choice.
It's the midlevel decisions that become problematic — the new bike, winter jacket, toaster, or shoes. Although these are not large purchases, because they are not made on a regular basis, we can spend more time weighing cost versus benefit.
The limbic system takes over from the prefrontal cortex. It is the brain's fight-or-flight response, and there is no careful weighing of factors. The objective is straightforward: survival, and it can lead us to make a less-than-optimal choice simply to end the decision-making process — or to avoid the situation entirely by doing nothing, she explains.
That is not always our intention. We want to make the best choice possible, but there is frequently something else at play, namely expectations. It has to do with how we are perceived and how much we are worth. If it's a present, we're concerned about whether it adequately expresses our emotions. As Youn puts it, "that choice is not solely about that choice."
And beneath it, all is the fear and regret that you chose the incorrect path.
However, Youn poses the following question: Wrong for what?
Working from home can be both enjoyable and tedious, depending on your routine. When working from home, certain things must be done to maintain comfort, a sense of intelligence, and a sense of vitality. The pandemic forced many companies and businesses to operate from home, which has resulted in many people enjoying or adapting to working from home. However, there are drawbacks and benefits to this, as staying active while working from home can be challenging.
The following tips will assist you in remaining active while working from home.
Refresh:
Take a bath.
When you wake up in the morning, just as you do before going to work, you must take a bath. Numerous studies have demonstrated that showering and bathing can stimulate creativity. Bathing relaxes you, improves your heart health, makes breathing easier, benefits your brain and nervous system, relaxes your joints, boosts your immunity, and balances your hormones.
Clean your teeth before you start work.
Brushing your teeth gives you a sense of well-being and refreshment. You feel more confident, are more presentable, and have a brighter, more attractive smile.
Wear formal and comfortable clothes.
Just because you work from home doesn't mean you have to wear your pajamas all day. Your outfit is part of the boost.
Eat breakfast before you begin work.
Breakfast is essential because it jumpstarts your metabolism. Different studies have linked eating breakfast to improved health. Some of the foods we consume for breakfast help us stay awake and attentive by boosting our brain's sugar levels. Foods such as full-grain cereal, coffee, milk, eggs, toast, and so on are all known to enhance your brain's ability to concentrate. Because of this, eating a nutritious breakfast can help you become smarter in the long run.
What is Neurodiversity?
Neurodiversity is a term that refers to the idea that people experience and interact with the environment in a variety of ways; there is no single "correct" method of thinking, learning, and behaving, and variations are not considered as weaknesses.
Although the term "neurodiversity" refers to the diversity of all people, it is frequently used in conjunction with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurological or developmental problems such as ADHD or learning impairments. It was in the 1990s that the neurodiversity movement was launched with the purpose of enhancing the acceptance and inclusion of all people while also respecting their neurological differences and differences. Online platforms enabled an increasing number of autistic persons to unite and develop a self-advocacy movement. Simultaneously, Australian sociologist Judy Singer created the term neurodiversity to advocate for the equality and inclusion of "neurological minorities." While neurodiversity is largely a social justice movement, it is becoming increasingly influential in how clinicians evaluate and treat specific impairments and neurological diseases.
In neurodiversity, language is critical.
Despite the fact that many disability advocacy organizations favor person-first language ("a person with autism," "a person with Down syndrome"), According to certain research, the vast majority of autistic people choose identity-first language when interacting with a person with Down syndrome or another autistic person. Rather than forming assumptions, it is critical to openly inquire about a person's preferred language and preferred manner of communication before making any assumptions. Clinicians must also be aware of neurodiversity and use polite language in order to treat the mental and physical health of people with neurodevelopmental variations.
How to practice Neurodiversity
Autism spectrum disorder and neurodiversity
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties with communication, learning, and behavior, though it manifests differently in each individual. Individuals with ASD may exhibit a wide variety of strengths, abilities, needs, and difficulties. For instance, some autistic individuals are capable of verbal communication, possess a normal or above-average IQ, and live independently. Others may be unable to articulate their needs or emotions, may battle with impaired and dangerous habits that jeopardize their safety and well-being, or maybe completely reliant on others for support in all parts of their lives. Additionally, for some individuals with autism, deviations may cause no discomfort to the individual. Instead, societal standards may establish restrictions that cause social exclusion and unfairness, resulting in pain.
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