A Happy Mind for a Better Life
What’s a single practice that’s been credited with reducing anxiety, treating depression, decreasing implicit age and race bias and increasing body satisfaction? Mindfulness.
Mindfulness encourages people to pay attention to the present moment, acknowledging and accepting their thoughts and sensations, without making judgments. It can help to heighten awareness of our emotional, cognitive, and physical experiences.
Music therapy is defined as “the use of music to address the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs” of groups or individuals. It can include playing or listening to music, writing songs, or doing guided imagery. Music therapy degrees are available to grads and undergrads, and all music therapists have to pass a rigorous certification. Practitioners work to address emotional issues, such as depression or grief, to cognitive conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
For most Americans, the month of July is synonymous with Independence Day and related celebrations. However, the month also holds a less widely-known title; National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), this title was created by the House of Representatives in 2008 in honor of Bebe Moore… read more
Workplace fatigue is so common in our society that we seem to have accepted it as the norm. According to the National Safety Council, more than 43 percent of workers are sleep-deprived—that’s nearly half of all employees. Yet we as a culture don’t seem to be making any moves to change that. In fact, working… read more
Depression: A Common Concern Depression currently affects about 17 million adults each year in the US, and is the leading cause of disability nationwide. It even has financial repercussions: depressive disorders are responsible for more the loss of roughly $100 billion each year in work productivity. Another $1 billion is spent annually on treatment of… read more
Have you ever heard someone say that they love running not just because of how it makes their body feel, but also their mind? Over 55 million people in the U.S. run or jog recreationally, and for good reason. Most of us know that running offers a host of physical benefits, including improved cardiovascular health… read more
The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic 20th century novel, tells the story of Mary Lennox, a girl relocated to England following the deaths of her parents. As she copes with her grief, she also faces ill health, loneliness and a slew of additional concerns that we now would recognize as major stressors. As you… read more
Nature’s Health Benefits It is widely accepted that time spent outdoors has both physical and psychological benefits. Yet, the average person spends nearly 87% of their time indoors and 7% of their time in vehicles. Put another way, most of us spend less than 5 hours per week in natural environments. This is a shame;… read more
Discussions of mental health on our televisions represent a radical change; there was a time when mental health was so stigmatized that people avoided discussing it within their families, let alone engage with it on a public platform. In many ways, this shift towards mental health representation is a major win. Shows that “do it right” can normalize conditions that might have otherwise felt isolating or shameful, and can encourage viewers to seek treatment.
For several of us, the holidays summon feelings of stress, irritability, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. A 2014 poll conducted by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America suggests that the majority of people feel more anxious or depressed at the holidays.
