Category: Mental health

The key to happiness: positive psychology

Have you ever heard of positive psychology?

Positive psychology is a recent branch (not even 20 years old) of psychology that focuses on personal satisfaction and growth rather than focusing on pathology (or mental illness itself), as conventional branches of psychology does.

Positive psychology research has found that being able to improve happiness is complex and can be accomplished in a variety of ways. There is no one size fits all formula for attaining happiness.

One area of research is what is called the good life, which focuses on engagement and immersion in activities as the way to finding fulfillment. This engagement is referred to as flow.

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5 natural ways to sleep better

Researchers recently published an article in International Journal of Science and Research that recommended these 5 natural ways for dealing with sleep disorders.

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Talking to someone can help with your depression

When we feel down, we often keep it to ourselves, maybe because we try to be strong and take care of things on our own or maybe because of the stigma associated with dealing with mental health challenges.

Unfortunately, keeping it inside and coping alone is ineffective. Plus, it may end up creating an endless cycle of our depression or anxiety feeding on itself.

Dr. Richard Raskin, a private-practice psychologist in the United States specializing in stress management, thinks that talking through what you’re dealing with can be key to managing it effectively:

It’s important that you don’t let yourself become isolated.

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The role of nutrition in sleep and mental health

Mental health researchers Dr. Bonnie Kaplan and Dr. Julia Rucklidge highlighted in their most recent Mad in America article a recent study linking nutrition with sleep and mental health.

The study — performed at the University of Canterbury — followed 14 adults suffering from sleep problems to see what effect a broad spectrum formula of vitamins and minerals would have on their sleep. The researchers randomized participants into three groups: the first group started intervention a week later, the second 2 weeks later,

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Don’t self-medicate with drugs and alcohol

It’s normal to use substances to get pleasure. Whether it’s our favourite chocolate, a glass of wine with dinner, or prescription medication to treat an injury, substance use is normal.

There isn’t anything wrong with consuming such substances in moderation; problems arise when we consume them in excess: binge drinking on the weekend, using medication long after the injury has healed, and even consuming illicit drugs at parties.

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Depressed? Keep working, but don’t do too much

An easy trap to find ourselves in when we are dealing with mental health challenges — particularly depression — is feeling overwhelmed.

Dr. Richard Raskin, a private-practice psychologist in the United States who specializes in stress management, thinks that depression can affect how we perceive the work we’re doing, and may even exacerbate those overwhelming feelings:

Depression impacts your judgment about what you ought to be doing, at work and socially: How much is enough? What is OK and not OK?

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The gut–brain connection in mental health

The following guest post was written Dr. Carol Banyas, MD PhD, a physician based in Danville, California, USA.

It has long been believed that depression is due to a decrease in serotonin or a“chemical imbalance” and treated with antidepressants such as Prozac. However, it has been found that often times antidepressant medication responses are due to a placebo effect, simply do not work, or can make the existing condition worse due to side effects and difficulties with harsh physical withdrawal symptoms.

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Singing could make you happier

Researchers at the University of Manchester studied a group of 10 participants to find a connection between loud music and pleasure.

They discovered that music above 90 dB (typical for a concert or night club) can affect the sacculus, an inner-ear organ designed to help us stay balanced but that happens to also be tuned to sound frequencies found in music. The sacculus is part of the vestibular system. This system is responsible for self motion and balance and is connected to the brain’s hypothalamus,

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Stressed out? Maybe you need a hug.

Did you know that frequent hugs can help us beat stress?

University of Carolina researchers studied 59 women to see how their bodies would respond to hugs from their partners.

Participants reported how frequently they received hugs from their partners. Then, researchers measured oxytocin and blood pressure levels. The participants received a hug from their partner, and researchers measured oxytocin and blood pressure levels again.

What the researchers discovered was that the single hug didn’t seem to affect oxytocin or blood pressure levels.

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ADHD isn’t just being distracted

While many of us find ourselves easily distracted—especially in the modern world of instant information and constant notifications—distraction is only one symptom of ADHD and being distracted doesn’t mean you have ADHD.

What is ADHD?

Typically, symptoms of ADHD include difficulty paying attention, excessive activity, and uncontrollable behaviour. The symptoms present between the ages of 6 and 12, last for over 6 months, and disrupt life in at least two settings (school, home, work, recreation, etc).

Although we might consider ADHD to be a childhood disorder,

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Paint your room and boost your mood

Did you know that colour can influence our mood?

Dutch researchers divided 72 participants in 3 age groups: 6.7–78 years old, 10.5–12 years old, and 20–56 years old. Each participant performed 14 randomly paired comparisons of colours, then 15 comparisons of emotions, also randomly ordered. With each pair, researchers asked them which of the paired colour was more beautiful or which of the paired emotions did they like more.

Following this exercise (and immediately following a buffer test), researchers read aloud an emotion and asked participants to pick one colour of six before them that best matched that emotion.

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