Partha Nandi MD, FACP
Having a sense of purpose in your life is linked to many positive mental and physical health outcomes, such as a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, better sleep, and decreased stress. Purpose also helps you feel more connected to and invested in the things that you do throughout the day, which can have a positive impact on your mental health. Purpose doesn’t have to be something grandiose; it can be something as simple as making your daily activities more meaningful. Purpose can be something as simple as cooking a meal for someone who can’t do it themselves, or cleaning your house or office with a systematic and methodical approach, making each task a small piece of art. Purpose can also be something that is a bit grander, like engaging in activism to help others, volunteering, or pursuing passions and hobbies.
Arthur Brooks, a Harvard professor, recently wrote an article reflecting on the nature of happiness. It’s hard, he says, for people to stay happy. Biologically, we are programmed to be in competition with each other, since the people who are doing best are (theoretically) the ones to pass on their dreams. Psychologists Phillip Brickman and…
What happens in the brain during a spiritual experience? New research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital shows that humans do indeed have a spiritual region in the brain. The study showed that spirituality resides in the periaqueductal grey (known as PAG). This centralized location is also where the brain conditions fear, altruistic behaviors, and unconditional…
Here in the United States, bed-sharing between parents and infants seems to be on the rise. The National Infant Sleep Position Study reported that the practice of bed-sharing between parents and their offsprings went from 5.5% in 1993 to 12.8% in 2000.
Depression is a serious and often debilitating disorder that is of epidemic proportions in our stressed society today. Research shows that many people suffering from depression started having issues during their childhood.
Self-control is the ability to regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behavior in the face of temptations and impulses, which is an aspect of inhibitory control. It gives us the capacity to override an impulse in order to respond appropriately. (1) Self-control is a cognitive process that is required in order to achieve specific goals. (1)…
A study has made a positive connection between childhood exercise and improved cognitive function in later life. According to the study, adults who were physically active up to 12 years of age as children, showed higher cognitive functions. No such association was made for those who participated in post-childhood physical activity. (1) Exercise And Intelligence…
In recent years, one of the most popular trends in fitness training has been High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, for short. (1) HIIT is a 100% effort training technique through rapid, intensive exercise bursts accompanied by brief, but at times active, periods of recovery. The total training session is usually between 15-30 minutes, keeping the…
High amounts of processed sugar are not good for brain development a new study shows.
You know that feeling where your mind is thinking of 100 things at once? When you can’t stop the thoughts and jump from idea to idea, or worse, from worry to worry? When this happens it can make stress and anxiety worse. However, many people are turning to mindfulness meditation as a popular method to…
