Category: Uncategorized
-
How to Balance Self-Care and Productivity
Alice Boyes Ph.D. You might’ve heard of the TikTok trend “bed rotting,” meaning to stay in bed all day relaxing. The trend promotes spending the whole day in bed for self-care, and to resist pressures to be productive. To avoid the downsides of bed rotting—like it potentially disrupting your sleep rhythms—consider these alternative ways to…
-
The Psychology of Happiness
Lawrence R. Samuel Ph.D. It is safe to say that the pursuit of happiness—a phrase penned by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence—has served as a primary ambition for many Americans throughout the nation’s history. It was soon after World War I when—as I posit in Happiness in America: A Cultural History—the modern concept of happiness…
-
What We Know About Youth Mental Health Visits to the ER
The Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research It’s well-established that youth mental health has suffered in recent years—with wide-ranging factors contributing to the problem including the proliferation of social media among young people and the isolation created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the U.S. Surgeon General reported that 44 percent of U.S. high-school students feel persistently sad…
-
Recent Drug Addiction Statistics for Boston and Massachusetts
Baystate Recovery Services Massachusetts is ranked #8 in the rate of drug-related deaths that occurred in 2019, reports the CDC. That year, the state had 32.1 drug-related deaths for every 100,000 residents. Heroin is the top illicit drug of use in Boston and the entire state. Plus, it has contributed to thousands of overdose deaths in…
-
To Reach Goals, Make a Plan
Marisa T. Cohen PhD, LMFT Although we may set goals such as learning a new language, finishing work projects on time, and organizing the closets, we don’t always complete them. While the difficulty of the goal and the motivation we have for embarking on our goal-achieving journey may influence our ability to reach what we…
-
“Aha” Moments: Buds of Beauty and Brilliance
Bruce Wilson Ph.D. An epiphany is a moment when you suddenly feel that you understand, or suddenly become conscious of something that is very important to you. Really effective counseling emanates from sessions that nurture and encourage these powerful atypical moments. One of the primary goals of any psychologist is to help people to move away from…
-
How the Seasons Affect Our Psychology
Michael E. W. Varnum Ph.D. Do you find yourself getting the blues in the winter? If you do, you aren’t alone. According to the American Psychiatric Association, about 5 percent of Americans experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression that comes on in the winter and is thought to be related to decreased exposure to sunlight. Symptoms…
-
How to Protect Against Undue Influence Online
Steven A Hassan PhD The potential for undue influence has become increasingly significant in this era of digital interconnectivity. Undue influence can distort our perceptions, manipulate our decisions, and sometimes jeopardize our autonomy and mental health. As an expert in cults and mind control, I’ve studied and fought against the deceptive tactics cults of all…
-
2 Secrets of Career Satisfaction Late in Life
Eric Haseltine Ph.D. The chief of staff, who, like me, reported directly to a retired admiral who reported directly to the president of the United States, popped his head in my office and said, “Sorry you had to hear about it first in an organization-wide email.” My heart fell into my stomach; I asked, “Heard…
-
30 Low-Stress Jobs for People with Anxiety
Summit Malibu For people who are naturally anxious, trying to find the right employment fit can be scary and intimidating. If recruiters advertised “low-stress jobs” in their hiring promotions or even the “best jobs for people with anxiety,” it would make the job hunt much easier for so many people. There’s no shortage of individuals…