Social engagement and relationships Archive

A study conducted by AARP found correlation between a person’s engagement with music and their opinion of their brain health and cognitive ability. While the study did not involve any objective measure of brain health, music has been shown to activate multiple areas of the brain, and keeping brain pathways active helps keep the brain strong in older age.

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the mental health of people who have not been sick, and parents are being hit particularly hard. A survey of US parents found that these worsening circumstances also affect children’s behavior.

The pandemic has caused a surge in depression. If someone you care about is struggling with depression or bipolar disorder, or you have reason to think the person may be suicidal, there are ways you can help — and caring for yourself is important, too.

The trials and challenges of this year are weighing heavily on many people, but attempting to employ positive psychology to put personal struggles in context, and accepting the ups and downs life brings, can ultimately increase positive feelings and provide perspective.

Fear of catching COVID-19 may keep you away from doctors' offices and emergency rooms. Will that hurt or help your health?

For many people, it's a daily debate: Do you risk getting COVID-19 by venturing outside your home and being around others — even if you wear a mask, observe social distancing, and use hand sanitizer? Or do you play it safe and stay inside? The answer is complicated, especially when the reason for leaving home is health-related.

People are understandably concerned about catching COVID while making a medical visit. But avoiding medical treatment because of this kind of thinking can be dangerous, and it appears to be taking a deadly toll.

Put the focus on food quality and healthy lifestyle practices to attain a healthy weight.

Most people have been taught that losing weight is a matter of simple math. Cut calories — specifically 3,500 calories, and you'll lose a pound. But as it turns out, experts are learning that this decades-old strategy is actually pretty misguided.

"This idea of 'a calorie in and a calorie out' when it comes to weight loss is not only antiquated, it's just wrong," says Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity specialist and assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.

Switch the type of walking in your routine to stay motivated and active.

Putting one foot in front of the other is a simple way to trigger a cascade of health benefits. Regular brisk walks help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol; control blood sugar; and reduce the risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Brisk walks also strengthen muscles, burn calories, and lift mood.

Just one problem: some people find walking boring. Boredom may diminish your motivation and interest in exercising. Before that happens, mix up your regimen with different types of walking that maximize physical, mental, and emotional health benefits.

We don't yet have a vaccine to prevent COVID-19, but it's still important to get your regularly scheduled shots.

You're not alone if you're avoiding doctor visits because of concerns about COVID-19. But forgoing medical care means you may be skipping needed vaccinations. "That's a huge problem already. Possibly over a hundred million people the world over have missed their vaccinations because of the pandemic," says Dr. Shiv Pillai, an immunologist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Going without vaccinations may increase your risk for illness, such as influenza. "We still are just as vulnerable to infection, and we need vaccines to be protected; COVID-19 doesn't change that," says Harvard Health Letter editor in chief Dr. Anthony Komaroff.

How can you protect yourself from both viruses?

With flu season here and the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, what can people expect when these two illnesses meet?

It's anyone's guess.

"While we're in the midst of the COVID pandemic, there's a lot of uncertainty about what will happen when this collides with our yearly flu epidemic," says Dr. Mary Watson Montgomery, an infectious disease expert at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.