Mind & Mood Archive

Meditation helps us calm the body and shift perspective, and certain types of it offer an array of health benefits. What's more, imaging research shows that meditation can change the structure and connectivity of brain areas to help us cope with fear and anxiety.

When ADHD persists through early adulthood into middle age, it presents many of the same challenges it does in childhood, but with added pressures from the busier pace of life and expectations from work and family. Fortunately there are strategies that can help you navigate this condition.

It's easy to feel too busy to be mindful, but everyone can find a few minutes during the day to pause and reflect. Even a brief, regular mindfulness practice provides a respite from the pace and stress of life, and can help with memory, concentration, and focus.

A 2024 study suggests that older women with higher scores on tests to assess gratitude may live longer than those with lower scores. Most of this benefit seems to come from preventing deaths from heart disease.

In a 2024 Harvard study involving more than 49,000 women (average age 79), those who reported feeling the most grateful had a 9% lower risk of dying over the following three-year period, compared to those who reported feeling the least grateful.

In addition to hallmark symptoms such as persistent sadness and apathy, depression can also trigger memory problems. People with depression may lack focus, leading to memory lapses. Depression may also alter brain chemicals that help people sustain attention. Memory problems in depression show up differently than in dementia, making people unable to retrieve long-term memories. Positive memories also fade first in depression because brain areas that process positive or rewarding experiences are disrupted.

A 2024 study suggests that older adults who are chronically lonely are significantly more likely to have a stroke.