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 […]
I have a recurring nightmare in which I end up stuck in some endless conversation at a party or a networking event. I want to make my escape but can’t get out of the head-grip I feel I’m in with the other person. It seems I’m not alone. Scientists have recently investigated both sides of […]
That’s obviously a trick question, since dolphins obviously don’t have hands—but studying whether they have “handedness” has led to identifying a quirk of human perception. Humans do not act symmetrically. Most of us prefer, and are better at, using one hand rather than the other; balancing on one leg rather than the other; and for those […]
From forest bathing to belly laughing, cultures from around the world have cultivated well-being and self-care practices in many fascinating ways—and science agrees that they’re effective! Danish “hygge” I love the cold. I love coming in after a walk feeling like an ice cube and then being welcomed (and defrosted) by my warm kitchen. […]
Do you get excited and energised by the possibility of learning something new and complex? Do you get turned on by new ideas and imaginative scenarios? If so, you may have an influx of dopamine in your synapses, but not where we traditionally think of this neurotransmitter flowing. In general, the potential for growth from […]
For many of us, living in a COVID-19 world feels as if we have been thrown into an alternative reality. We live day and night inside the same walls. If we venture into town we wear masks, and we get anxious if we pass someone who is not. We have trouble discerning faces. It’s like […]
The human brain is hardwired to map our surroundings. This trait is called spatial memory—our ability to remember certain locations and where objects are in relation to one another. New findings published this month in Scientific Reports suggest that one major feature of our spatial recall is efficiently locating high-calorie, energy-rich food. The study’s authors believe human […]
Do you know how powerful kindness and human contact is? As a neuroscientist, I’ve done research into neurobiology behind placebo effect, and in particular the healing power in the human relationship with your doctor or therapist. It’s this human contact that has the potential to trigger pathways in our brain that can naturally unleash an […]
One of my favourite things of saying to clients during sessions is ‘If you are not you, who will be?’ Often we struggle with allowing ourselves to be ourselves. Does that sound silly? It should be the easiest most natural thing to do. Be yourself. But it isn’t :=( There have been studies on the […]