Did you know that excessive worry can shorten your lifespan? All of those pent-up emotions and fears that haunt you every day are taking a serious toll on your health. Worry is, in the majority of cases, unfounded fear that something bad will happen to you. Your bottled-up emotions are telling you that if you…
Who doesn’t feel stressed at times in today’s complicated world? When it comes to relieving that stress, aromatherapy followers may have had it right all along. A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry suggests that relieving anxiety and worry may be as simple as taking a whiff of a fragrant scent. Fragrance to…
Recent research in the field of positive psychology provides many useful tools that promote good mental health, but these same tools can be used to improve parenting and provide children with the tools they need to succeed and enjoy a strong sense of well being and contentment throughout life. Personal Strength: In the field of positive…
Lonely people are less healthy, and the quality of friendships is more important than the quantity, according to researchers at the University of Arizona. Having hundreds of friends on Facebook or dozens of followers on Twitter does not prevent the effects of loneliness. The quality and depth of connections with others is as important or…
After listening to a love song, a young woman is almost 30% more likely to say yes when asked out on a date by a new acquaintance. Researchers in France (where else?) investigated the effect of romantic music on a young woman’s receptiveness to a request for a date by having a young man rated…
Larry King’s wife, Shawn Southwick King, apparently attempted suicide last week. According to the police report, Southwick left notes regarding where she wished to be buried and was found with empty pill bottles for multiple prescription medications: Compro, Prometrium, Clonazepam, Ambien, Klonopin, Subutex, Cymbalta and Lyrica. An examination of this list reveals multiple drugs with…
In the newest “Behind the Music” special airing on VH1 Sunday, Christina Aguilera opens up about her secret battle against depression. She says that in her darkest moments she has found creative inspiration but that sad feelings are “always right below the surface”. “I do battle with depression. It’s something that is always right below…
A study published this month in the American Journal of Public Health gives more evidence that depression can lead to more weight gain. There have been several reports showing the connection from a stress hormone called cortisol to both depression and stomach fat. This study aimed to see if the depression was causing the abdominal weight gain…
Psychologists have long known that depressed people often complain of physical pain that seems out of proportion to their actual physical ailments. What was not known was whether the depression led them to exaggerate, whether their unusual pain added to the depression, or whether depression actually increased the pain they felt. A study reported in…
More Americans are finding that technology has reduced their ability to concentrate and increased their levels of stress. Surprisingly, younger people are more likely to have negative feelings about technology, possibly because of their greater exposure. Almost a third of Americans under 45 who responded to the poll said that smart phones, cell phones, and…