Mind & Mood Archive

If you find yourself in a slump, Dr. Beth Frates shares what may be draining you and offers tips for getting more energy.

Exercise helps keep the brain healthy by improving memory and problem solving, and may even reduce the risk of dementia. Dr. Alvaro Pascual-Leone advocates regular exercise as a treatment for all people and explains more about the benefits for the brain.

Taking a class to explore a subject or learn a new skill may increase cognitive ability and slow mental aging.

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Active aging involves more than moving your body. You also need to move your brain. "When you exercise, you engage your muscles to help improve overall health," says Dr. Ipsit Vahia, director of geriatric outpatient services for Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital. "The same concept applies to the brain. You need to exercise it with new challenges to keep it healthy."

A fun way to do this is to sharpen your No. 2 pencils and go back to school. "New brain cell growth can happen even late into adulthood," says Dr. Vahia. "The process of learning and acquiring new information and experiences, like through structured classes, can stimulate that process."

Research We’re Watching

Cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be effective in treating chronic back pain, but it requires regular visits with a psychotherapist and can be expensive. A team from the University of Washington designed a study to determine whether mindfulness stress reduction—a technique that can be learned and practiced on one's own—is as effective in relieving pain and restoring function as cognitive behavioral therapy or conventional treatment with drugs and physical therapy.

The researchers enrolled 342 people ages 50 to 70—two-thirds of whom were women—who'd had back pain for an average of more than seven years. They randomly assigned the participants to one of three equal groups: one group was taught to practice mindfulness stress reduction, the second received cognitive behavioral therapy, and the third received conventional treatment as needed.

People who do volunteer work may reap benefits beyond the satisfaction of helping others.

Doing volunteer work may give you a greater sense of purpose in life—a positive emotion that’s been linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
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If you volunteer on a regular basis, perhaps you've experienced the emotional rewards of donating your time. What you might not realize, however, is that volunteering may offer some added advantages for your heart.

People new to yoga will eventually learn the sun salutation, a so-called "yoga flow." You can modify the sun salutation and still learn all the basic moves by using a chair and a floor mat. Learn more at Introduction to Yoga from Harvard Health Publishing.