Positive Psychology Archive

Learning a new dance step involves exercise, socialization, and a challenge, all of which can help boost thinking skills.
Image: iStock

Challenging your brain, staying physically active, and being socially engaged may help keep our thinking skills sharp.

Whether this time of year brings gift-giving rituals in your household or not, it’s a good reminder to practice the “skill” of gratitude. Even young children can learn to focus on what they have instead of what they lack. Practicing gratitude is more than a social grace. Research suggests it can help your child build resilience and it is associated with greater happiness in life. Dr. Claire McCarthy shares her tips for helping your child cultivate the skill of gratitude.

Eating without awareness can lead to overeating and take away much of the pleasure that can be found in your meals. During the holidays, it can easily cause you to overindulge. Taking a mindful approach to meals by slowing down and savoring the experience can not only help with weight control, but also enhance health and well-being — as well as your enjoyment of the meal.

Image: Thinkstock

Plan now to help prevent overeating, trips to the hospital, and depression.

The winter holidays are supposed to be a joyous time, filled with celebration. But they come with health risks, such as loneliness and depression, overeating, weight gain, falls in icy weather, foodborne illness, and heart problems. Here are ways to protect yourself while enjoying the season.

Image: Bigstock

Do you worry yourself awake frequently? Cognitive behavioral therapy can help.

If you have trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep, that's insomnia. It happens to everyone from time to time. But it can also become a chronic problem. For some men, fretting about whether they will be able to sleep—and the emotional upset of not being able to when they try—can itself become the root cause of insomnia.

Medical science is making good progress in unraveling the biological underpinnings of depression. Someday, these discoveries may lead to lab tests that can help identify or confirm depression and other mood disorders.

Right now, doctors and therapists rely on the symptoms reported by their patients, along with clinical expertise and experience, to diagnose depression and determine a course of treatment.

Sometimes, though, additional information can help distinguish depression from other problems. That's why your doctor might recommend any of the following tests:

The need to support injured soldiers dates back to our country’s earliest days. That mission remains essential today. Those who may be eligible for VA benefits and services — veterans and their family or survivors — make up a quarter of the United States’ population. Individuals seeking care through the Department of Veterans Affairs deserve a thoughtful and compassionate evaluation to not only compensate them for their service, but connect them with the care they need.

Many public figures have begun speaking up about their experiences with miscarriage. While it’s wonderful that they’re breaking the silence, a recent survey has revealed that the general public still has a lot of misconceptions about this surprisingly common event. Dr. Hope Ricciotti shares her reactions to the survey results, and her advice to women experiencing miscarriage.