Small Talk Can Improve Health

Social isolation, not loneliness, is linked with earlier death. Led by Andrew Steptoe of University College London, the study surveyed 6,500 people aged 52 or older about their social contacts and experiences of loneliness. After seven years, the researchers followed up to see who had died. Initially, people rated as highly lonely seemed to die at a higher rate than those with low or average…

Study Techniques that work and don’t

Is cramming before a test better than not studying at all? Is underlining material a good way to retain information? A new school year is a good time to look at the latest research on the best ways to study. What works and doesn’t may surprise you. A 2013 study called “Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques” and published in “Psychological Science in the Public Interest,”…

Deal with Post Vacation Depression

According to psychological studies, the return from vacation is a major stress for the organism. Many people that need to go back to work after holidays can feel fatigue, lack of energy, depression, anger and insomnia. After a month of “fooling around” the body forget the need to get up early, to think quickly and deal with any work. So that is why, right after the…

5 Myths About Introverts and Extroverts

Common Myths About Extroverts and Introverts Originally coined by Carl Jung, the famous Swiss psychiatrist and contemporary of Sigmund Freud, these words have become part of everyday language and, unfortunately, have become quite lost in translation. Most people think that all extroverts are outgoing and all introverts are shy. The truth is more complicated. Myth #1: You are either an extrovert or an introvert. Reality:…

10 Tips For Raising Resilient Kids

Childhood isn’t exactly stress-free. Kids take tests, learn new information, change schools, change neighborhoods, get sick, get braces, encounter bullies, make new friends and occasionally get hurt by those friends. What helps kids in navigating these kinds of challenges is resilience. Resilient kids are problem solvers. They face unfamiliar or tough situations and strive to find good solutions. Resilience isn’t birthright. It can be taught. A parent’s job…

How Many Days Does it Take to Create a Habit?

Ann Graybiel of MIT’s McGovern Institute has shown through research that neurons change their firing patterns when habits are learned, and then change them again when unlearned. However, as soon as something kicks back in the habit, they are fired back up.  That is why it is so easy to pick back up negative addictions like smoking and drinking, but also why if you establish good habits…

Hidden Personality Traits Revealed Through Your Favourite Ice-cream Flavour

Studies conducted by neurologist Dr. Alan Hirsch, founder of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, tell you how personality traits are linked to your favorite ice cream flavor. Hirsch uses various standardized psychiatric test results to make statistical correlations, explaining that the same part of the brain (the limbic lobe) is responsible for both personality traits and food preference. Interestingly, Hirsch says the taste…

Top 10 Most Depressive Professions

You think that you have the hardest job in the world and that other people love their jobs? Relax, it’s not true. The proof of this is the rating of the most depressive professions in which you will hardly find yours, which means that you’re luckier than many others. And well, if you can find there yours there’s nothing you can do about it. Either…