Mental Health Archive

People trapped in catastrophic thought patterns are convinced everything is awful and won't improve, which creates a constant sense of helplessness, anxiety, and stress. One way to stop this doomsday thinking is learning how to mentally pivot. Mental pivoting is the action of consciously deciding to deflect thoughts when they arise, so they don't fester and grow. By doing this, people can feel more in control of invasive thoughts when they arise.

A 2024 study of more than 32,000 depression-free women who were followed for 14 years found that those who ate the most weekly servings of citrus (six or more) had a 22% lower risk for developing depression, compared with those who ate the least citrus.

In a 2025 study of about 2,000 people (average age 80) who were followed for seven years, about a third developed dementia or mild cognitive impairment. Being socially active seemed to delay that diagnosis for about five years.

Older adults might not think too much about how they want to spend their remaining years. However, some self-reflection can help them live their final years to their fullest. Asking themselves what is most important in five areas-relationships, health, education, personal growth, and recreation-can help people recognize where their passions lie. Once they discover which goals are most important, they then can begin developing plans to meet them.

An active social life is good medicine for the body and brain as it lowers the risk for many chronic diseases and protects against dementia and mild cognitive impairment. However, people who are introverts and enjoy their solitude can struggle with engagement. These individuals can benefit from socializing while maintaining their comfort levels by engaging in activities like joining social clubs and other groups, taking classes, and attending public events.

Engaging in prosocial, altruistic behavior that benefits other people-such as doing volunteer work, giving money to charity, or performing small acts of kindness-may be beneficial to cardiovascular health. Possible mechanisms include reductions in stress and blood pressure. Volunteering has also been associated with improvements in heart-related risks, including increased step counts and less depression.

Using tobacco in cigars, pipes, or smokeless products such as snuff is associated with distinct heart-related risks.

Acts of kindness do more than make the giver and recipient feel good-they can also bolster psychological and physical health. Research suggests kindness can improve happiness and increase social connectedness as well as reduce anxiety and lower blood pressure. Evidence also suggests concentrating good deeds into shorter time periods enhances well-being more powerfully than spreading actions out. Kind acts can include complimenting people, running errands for a neighbor, making a donation to charity, and signing up to volunteer.