Most of us have had the experience of struggling mightily to solve a problem only to find, while taking a walk, doing the washing up or (my personal favourite) having a shower, that the answer comes to us seemingly from nowhere. Psychologists call these sudden aha! moments “insight.” They occur not only when we are […]
Bones. They hold us upright, protect our innards, allow us to move our limbs and generally keep us from collapsing into a fleshy puddle on the floor. When we’re young, they grow with us and easily heal from playground fractures. When we’re old, they tend to weaken, and may break after a fall or even […]
It has long been known that there is an association between food and pain, as people with chronic pain often struggle with their weight. Finding pleasure in food comes from how our brain responds to what we are eating. Researchers at the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience may have found an explanation in a new […]
People who like to drink their coffee black also prefer dark chocolate, a new Northwestern Medicine study found. The reason is in their genes. Scientists at Northwestern University have found coffee drinkers who have a genetic variant that reflects a faster metabolism of caffeine prefer bitter, black coffee. And the same genetic variant is found in people who prefer the […]
Why do so many people refuse to change their holiday plans, even when such changes to the traditional holiday celebrations could save lives? Research from Harvard and Berkeley shows that major holidays like these are highly ritualised, and that disrupting rituals evokes moral outrage. Psychologically, it makes sense: rituals, more than any other behaviour, represent a […]
Studies show that people remember names better than faces, yet we’ve all experienced times when that’s simply not the case. Hopefully the tips here will help you better recall names, strengthen relationships, and avoid embarrassing moments. It all starts with channelling your attention when you’re first introduced. I’ve a friend (let’s call her Ellen) who […]
Are you tired? You may be looking around and thinking, “I get 8 hours of sleep every night, what’s wrong with me?” Well, first—I am so happy that you’re getting adequate sleep! 7-9 hours of sleep is recommended for adults; if you’ve struggled with sleep, then you know that you can sleep 8 hours and […]
“Be present.” I’m sure that you’re more than familiar with the expression. This is the mantra of mindfulness meditation and a key to self-awareness and acceptance. In mindfulness exercises, the goal is to perform routine activities with a heightened sense of attention. Take the time to experience your environment with all of your senses—touch, sound, […]
Few hallmarks of old age are clearer than the sight of grey hair. As we grow older, black, brown, blonde or red strands lose their youthful hue. Although this may seem like a permanent change, new research reveals that the greying process can be undone—at least temporarily. Hints that grey hairs could spontaneously regain colour […]
In the early days of the pandemic, economist Jeanet Bentzen of the University of Copenhagen examined Google searches for the word “prayer” in 95 countries. She identified that they hit an all-time global high in March 2020, and increases occurred in lockstep with the number of COVID-19 cases identified in each country. In the USA, according to the […]
As a therapist, I’m especially concerned about one specific type of burnout that I see increasingly happening to those in the caring and healing professions — compassion fatigue. This can happen when you have experienced so much empathy for and absorbed so much of others’ suffering that you yourself begin to have trauma reactions. This […]
It all began with a cough. Three years ago Tracey, a Scottish woman in her mid-30s, caught a bad chest infection that left her with a persistent cough that refused to subside, even after medication. A few months later strange symptoms started to appear. She noticed numbness spreading through her legs and began to feel […]