Mind & Mood
Your mood and your mental health affect every aspect of your life, from how you feel about yourself to your relationships with others and your physical health. There's a strong link between good mental health and good physical health, and vice versa. In the other direction, depression and other mental health issues can contribute to digestive disorders, trouble sleeping, lack of energy, heart disease, and other health issues.
There are many ways to keep your mind and mood in optimal shape. Exercise, healthy eating, and stress reduction techniques like meditation or mindfulness can keep your brain — and your body — in tip-top shape.
When mood and mental health slip, doing something about it as early as possible can keep the change from getting worse or becoming permanent. Treating conditions like depression and anxiety improve quality of life. Learning to manage stress makes for more satisfying and productive days.
Mind & Mood Articles
A new blood test could help diagnose Alzheimer’s disease before cognitive issues and memory loss appear.
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The holidays might look different this year, and the change may leave people feeling a range of emotions from guilt to loneliness, and sadness. But while life may be different this year, there are things that people can do to make this challenging time a little easier, such as planning ahead to make travel possible, working with family and friends to come up with mutually agreeable plans, and taking pleasure in different aspects of holidays and events.
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Probiotic supplements appear to help relieve depression symptoms, suggests a review of clinical trials published online July 6, 2020, by BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health.
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Flavonoids, a class of micronutrients found in most plant foods, have been shown to possibly reduce the risk of dementia by protecting brain cells, improving blood flow, and reducing inflammation. Following a plant-based diet and aiming for at least five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day can help people get sufficient amounts of flavonoids.
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Older people tend to have more difficulty focusing than young people. This is because age-related brain changes make it harder to filter out stimuli that are not relevant to the task at hand. Tips to try to boost concentration include practicing mindfulness; engaging in cognitive training; and living a healthy lifestyle that includes managing underlying conditions, eating a Mediterranean diet, and getting the recommended amounts of exercise (150 minutes per week) and sleep (seven to eight hours per night).
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People who worried a lot about the future or repetitively thought about unchangeable past events were more likely to experience a significant decline in cognitive function and memory in a 2020 study. People with these negative thinking patterns also had more beta-amyloid and tau protein deposits in the brain, which can be a sign of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. It’s possible, study authors said, that these negative thinking patterns raise stress hormone levels, which may lead to changes in the brain.
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Most adults experience the occasional "senior moment" as they age. While these memory slips may be embarrassing and stressful, they are not always a warning sign of problems like Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Still, for specific types of everyday forgetfulness, adopting certain lifestyle behaviors and strategies can help people retain and recall information and navigate memory lapses when they arise.
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Music has unique effects on the brain, engaging different parts of the brain simultaneously. It has been shown to have the ability to alter mood and even improve memory. Musical memories are stored in same part of the brain as habit-memories, such as riding a bike. This may explain why people with Alzheimer’s disease are sometimes able to remember how to play an instrument, when other memories have faded.
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Recovery from a heart attack, heart failure, angioplasty, or heart surgery often involves cardiac rehabilitation. While it’s normal to have some anxiety and stress after a heart-related issue, dealing with these issues and treating even more significant problems such as depression can affect people’s recovery success and increase their risk of future problems.
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There are several ways to escape a meltdown—an overwhelming feeling of stress or anger. One strategy is to calm the body with slow breathing. Another strategy is to shift one’s thought patterns. This can be done by paying attention to one’s inner dialogue, trying not to believe one’s thoughts automatically, asking if the thoughts are fact or opinion, thinking about the big picture, and realizing that these emotions will fade. Someone who is experiencing frequent meltdowns should consider speaking to a doctor.
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