Mental Health Archive

As people face their mortality, they often focus on how to live their best life in their remaining time. Two Harvard experts-Dr. Howard LeWine and Dr. Anthony Komaroff-share advice on how they are achieving this during their golden years. Some of their suggestions include embracing the natural changes of aging, doing inspiring activities, learning to live in the moment, and finding one's sense of purpose.

A 2024 study suggests that women in perimenopause are significantly more likely to experience depression than either before or after this stage.

A 2024 study suggests that optimism may help women stave off age-related physical decline.

Vacation activities are often healthier than everyday habits. Since heart disease and cancer are linked to lifestyle choices people can change, such as poor diet and inactivity, maintaining habits fostered on vacation can improve overall health. These habits include spending more time outdoors, moving more, spending less time online, eating a more varied diet, dining more with others, getting more sleep, and engaging their brain in novel ways.

Anxiety can produce physical symptoms, such as headaches, stomach upset, and tightness in the chest. Sometimes this sets up a vicious cycle, in which anxiety triggers physical symptoms, and the symptoms magnify anxiety, which makes them even worse. Doing distracting tasks or relaxation exercises can help break this cycle. People should seek professional help if symptoms can't be controlled.

Parenting can be challenging, but childhood and adolescence can be difficult too. How can parents help their kids manage anger, sadness, anxiety, and handle emotionally trying times? Practicing two skills can help both your child and you.

As people age, cognitive skills wane and thinking and memory become more challenging, so they need to build up the brain's reserve. Embracing a new activity that requires thinking, learning, ongoing practice can be one of the best ways to improve cognitive skills like memory recall, problem solving, and processing speed.