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This self-guided check-in will help you take stock of your emotional wellbeing, and learn how to make changes. 

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While most of us regularly stay on top of our physical health—we get check-ups, exercise, try to eat a healthy diet, and get enough sleep—regularly checking in with our emotional health is less common, though arguably just as important. The series of questions in this excellent piece will help you not only assess your well-being, but also identify the various aspects of your mental health and home in on what’s working and where you might need to make some adjustments.

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This self-guided check-in will help you take stock of your emotional well-being — and learn how to make changes.

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Forget the same old resolutions and aim to live more peacefully instead.

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10 Stress Relieving Techniques for the New Year

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10 Stress Relieving Techniques for the New Year

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Around the first of the year, most of us begin focusing on improving our lives. While resolutions often centre on developing new habits that will get us into better physical shape, just reducing stress and getting into better mental and emotional shape can provide huge rewards. This year, consider incorporating new habits to reduce stress and increase happiness and overall life satisfaction. Here are some important steps you can take to be happier, healthier, and more relaxed in the new year.

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Resolve to Beat Stress With These 10 Steps

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Reducing stress can provide huge rewards. These New Year’s resolution ideas can lower stress and improve your health at the same time.

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Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing Programmes Information for Parents

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Does your child ever feel anxious or overwhelmed? Do they experience emotional difficulties? Do you ever feel overwhelmed or that you could benefit from guidance on how to support your child? This programme will help parents and carers of children aged 5-18, looking to support their children in dealing with worry and anxiety. You will also learn helpful strategies to deal with your own anxiety. Click the image to learn more.

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Aiming for top mental health marks during exams

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Looking After Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing during the (Mock) Exam Period  

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Looking After Young People’s Emotional Wellbeing during the (Mock) Exam Period  

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As students across the country prepare for mock exams, St. Patrick’s Mental Health Services encourages parents to take simple steps to look after young people’s emotional wellbeing during the exam period. While increased pressure and a sense of the unknown can escalate anxiety and stress for young people sitting exams, experiencing these feelings is entirely normal, and using proactive tools to manage them can, in fact, be helpful during these intense situations.

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Supporting emotional wellbeing during exams

As students across the country begin state exams, we encourage parents to take simple steps to look after young people's emotional wellbeing during the exam period.

While increased pressure and a sense of the unknown can escalate anxiety and stress for young people sitting exams, experiencing these feelings is entirely normal, and using proactive tools to manage them can, in fact, be helpful during intense situations like the state exams.

Paul Gilligan, child psychologist and Chief Executive Officer of St Patrick's Mental Health Services (SPMHS), says:

"As parents, a day never passes that we don't worry about or for our children. This can be especially true around exam times, which often represent major stressful life events for our children. Raising young people to be emotionally healthy and resilient is one of the most important tasks we undertake. It is vital that we first and foremost support young people's positive mental health and equip them with the tools to manage their emotional wellbeing, rather than focusing solely on their academic achievement".

Dr Colman Noctor, Adolescent Psychotherapist at SPMHS, advises parents that empowering young people to accept and control their stress levels during exams has a long-lasting impact. He says, "With anxiety levels running high at exam time, we may intuitively think that downplaying stress and eliminating all triggers is the best support for young people. However, acknowledging their anxiety and finding ways to cope with it is a much more effective solution".

Getting through exams

We've shared five tips below which you might find helpful in managing young people's mental wellbeing at exam time.

1) Allow exam stress to be experienced and expressed.

Try to avoid exam stress from becoming distress or panic. You can do this by acknowledging the feeling the young person is having and introducing something helpful to address the feeling, but not dismissing it. Introduce context, reality and perspective into the conversation.

2) Pick your battles.

High stress can trigger irritability. Your teenager may be unreasonably cranky at the moment. Encourage them to take deep breaths and let it pass. There'll be plenty time for apologies and negotiation in a few weeks.

3) Don't downplay distress by saying it's no big deal.

This is a big deal to the young person. These statements don't provide reassurance: they provide feelings of being misunderstood and invalidated.

4) Provide space to talk, be approachable, be available - but don't become a nagging supporter.

Invite your child to speak and seize the moments when they do, but try not to pressure them to talk to you. This can be counter-productive. When they do speak about their worries, be kind, listen intently, acknowledge their stress and sit with them. Avoid fixing, minimizing or talk of repeating.

5) Give them the support they need, rather than what you think they need.

If your child has under-prepared, being reminded of this ahead of the exam will achieve nothing productive. Accept the 'we are where we are' position and try to support them to perform as optimally as they can by encouraging good sleep, exercise, nutrition - and making multiple cups of sugary tea!

Also, always remember that the exams and the anxiety which can come with them will pass: you're nearly there!

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Aiming for top mental health marks during exams

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While increased pressure and a sense of the unknown can escalate anxiety and stress for young people sitting exams, experiencing these feelings is entirely normal, and using proactive tools to manage them can, in fact, be helpful during intense situations like the state exams. Paul Gilligan, child psychologist and Chief Executive Officer of St Patrick's Mental Health Services (SPMHS), says: "As parents, a day never passes that we don't worry about or for our children.

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Walk in My Shoes - 'Mock' Exams - No Laughing Matter

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No matter how much you prepare for exams, the pressure is firmly on and often the anxiety can be overwhelming for both students and their parents. However, according to St. Patrick’s Mental Health Services, anxiety is not always a bad thing. Colman Noctor, Child and Adult Psychotherapist says, “Anxiety can motivate us and spur us on. Therefore it is not a realistic goal to eliminate anxiety; rather the goal is to manage it.” So what can parents do to manage both their own anxieties and those of their children?

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Stay ahead of your child's exam stress!

No matter how much you prepare for exams, the pressure is firmly on and often the anxiety can be overwhelming for both students and their parents.

However, according to St. Patrick's Mental Health Services, anxiety is not always a bad thing. Colman Noctor, Child and Adult Psychotherapist says, "Anxiety can motivate us and spur us on. Therefore it is not a realistic goal to eliminate anxiety; rather the goal is to manage it."

So what can parents do to manage both their own anxieties and that of their children?

The best approach to supporting a young person through the anxious exam period is to follow their lead. All young people are different and experience their environment differently so it is best to ask them what they need in order to support them effectively.

Instead of worrying if your child is working hard enough or working too hard, focus on creating a stress free environment for students that allows their hard work to pay off.

Avoid piling on the pressure at this stage, rather manage expectations of both yourself and your child. Encourage your child to be open and honest about their anxiety levels and facilitate open and honest communication.

Always remember to support the effort. At this stage there is little value in going over what the young person could have done or discussing the option to repeat. Acknowledge and focus on the work that has been done and provide reassurance.

Reassure the young person that the examiner wants to find out what they do know as opposed to what they don't know. Young people can feel overwhelmed and anxiety tends to focus the mind on the gaps as opposed to the work completed. Be the other voice in this regard.

Remind the young person that THIS WILL PASS. There is no person in the world who still suffers from Leaving Cert anxiety 20 years on, although some of us will still dream about it, we have got over it and they will too.

Remember the most important 'A' is an 'A' in emotional health.

Paul Gilligan, CEO at St Patrick's Mental Health Services says, "We know that 1 in 10 children and adolescents suffer from mental health disorders and that by age 13, 1 in 3 have some type of mental health difficulty, by 24, 1 in 2.

It is therefore vital that we pay special attention to the emotional needs of our young people at this time of year. It's our job as parents to protect our young by letting them know that exams are not the 'be all and end all.' Exam time is stressful but with the right attitudes and support, every student can flourish."

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Stay ahead of your child's exam stress! | Walk in My Shoes

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No matter how much you prepare for exams, the pressure is firmly on and often the anxiety can be overwhelming for both students and their parents. However, according to St. Patrick's Mental Health Services, anxiety is not always a bad thing. Colman Noctor, Child and Adult Psychotherapist says, "Anxiety can motivate us and spur us on.

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Research indicates that only 8% of people actually achieve their New Year's resolutions. 

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A Mindful Approach to New Year's Resolutions

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A Mindful Approach to New Year's Resolutions

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As we complete the intense season of merry-making, gift-giving, and gift-returning, one more holiday tradition will remain: pondering those pesky New Year’s Resolutions. It’s probably fitting that after a season of indulgence (financial and/or calorific), we resolve to change our habits in the new year. A more mindful approach can significantly increase the chances of success.

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‎The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos on Apple Podcasts

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Stop Endlessly Chasing the ‘Next Big Thing’ in 2025

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Stop Endlessly Chasing the ‘Next Big Thing’ in 2025

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We're often looking into the future... hunting for the "next big thing". That could be an exciting new job or a new relationship. We can get so fixated with these events and the happiness we hope they'll deliver, that we forget to look for joy right now.
Actor and author Tony Hale (Veep, The Mysterious Benedict Society, Arrested Development) was always chasing new accomplishments, until he realised he was missing the chance to be happy living in the moment. He used his experience to write one of Dr Laurie Santos's favourite children's books Archibald's Next Big Thing.

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We're often looking into the future... hunting for the "next big thing". That could be an exciting new job or a new relationship. We can get so fixated with these events and the happiness we hope they'll deliver, that we forget to look for joy right now.

Actor and author Tony Hale (Veep, The Mysterious Benedict Society, Arrested Development) was always chasing new accomplishments, until he realised he was missing the chance to be happy living in the moment. He used his experience to write one of Dr Laurie Santos's favourite children's books Archibald's Next Big Thing.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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stop endlessly chasing the "next big thing" in 2023

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the happiness lab with dr. laurie santos

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‎The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos: Stop Endlessly Chasing the "Next Big Thing" in 2023 on Apple Podcasts

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We're often looking into the future... hunting for the "next big thing". That could be an exciting new job or a new relationship. We can get so fixated with these events and the happiness we hope they'll deliver, that we forget to look for joy right now.

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It's the 'Monday' of months, but we got this!

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New Year's resolutions - casual promises to oneself that one is under no legal obligation to fulfill.

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'Collective Effervescence'

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Wellbeing Bulletin #1 2024-25 'Collective Effervescence'

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'Put On Your Perspectacles'

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Wellbeing Bulletin No. 2 2024-25 'Put On Your Perspectacles'

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The Let Them Theory is a step-by-step guide on how to stop letting other people's opinions, drama, and judgment impact your life. Two simple words, Let Them, will set you free from the exhausting cycle of trying to manage everything and everyone around you. It’s time to build a life where you come first - your dreams, your goals, your happiness.

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Preorder The Let Them Theory, the highly anticipated new book from bestselling author and personal development expert Mel Robbins. In The Let Them Theory, Robbins provides science-backed, actionable strategies to help you break free from managing others’ expectations and reclaim your time, energy, and happiness. This empowering self-help guide offers simple tools to set boundaries, reduce stress, and transform relationships, all while focusing on your own growth. Whether you’re a people-pleaser, struggling with work stress, or seeking better balance in life, this book will help you create lasting change. Preorder now to start your personal transformation with Mel Robbins’ latest, most powerful work.

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Every year, Amnesty International’s Write for Rights campaign brings together people from around the world to fight injustice and support people whose human rights are under threat. This year’s campaign features people from around the world who are all connected because their human rights have been violated.

By writing letters on International Human Rights Day (December 10th) we become part of a global community working to make the world a more just and compassionate place.

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Amnesty International's Write for Rights campaign transforms the lives of people whose rights have been wronged.

Write for Rights supporters are united by their desire to make a difference. In recent years, we've seen real change to people's lives because of your action. From Zimbabwe to Guatemala, activists have been released and justice delivered.

This year's campaign features people from around the world, all connected because their human rights have been violated. Some by their governments, others by the police, or by big corporations. All because of who they are and what they do.

Together, we can fight for their rights.

Join Write for Rights today.

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Amnesty International's Write for Rights campaign transforms the lives of people whose rights have been wronged. Write for Rights supporters are united by their desire to make a difference. In recent years, we've seen real change to people's lives because of your action. From Zimbabwe to Guatemala, activists have been released and justice delivered.

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Trauma, Illness & Healing in a Toxic Culture - Dr. Gabor Maté

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In this life-affirming book, Gabor Mate connects the dots between our personal suffering and the relentless pressures of modern living - showing that ill health is a natural reflection of our disconnection from our true selves - and offers a hopeful pathway to reconnection and healing.

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Trauma, Illness, & Healing in a Toxic Culture

By the acclaimed author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, a groundbreaking investigation into the causes of illness, a bracing critique of how our society breeds disease, and a pathway to health and healing.

In The Myth of Normal (available for pre-order in U.S., Canadian, and UK editions, on sale 9/13/22), renowned physician Gabor Maté eloquently dissects how Western countries that pride themselves on their healthcare systems are actually seeing an upsurge in chronic illness and general ill health. Prescription drug usage, high blood pressure, mental illness, and so many other troubling issues are on the rise.

Over four decades of clinical experience, Maté has come to recognize the prevailing understanding of "normal" as false, neglecting the roles that trauma and stress, and the pressures of modern-day living, exert on our bodies and our minds at the expense of good health. For all our expertise and technological sophistication, Western medicine often fails to treat the whole person, ignoring how the toxicity of today's culture stresses the body, burdens the immune system, and undermines emotional balance.

Now Maté brings his perspective to the great untangling of common myths about what makes us sick, connects the dots between the maladies of individuals and the declining soundness of society-and offers a compassionate guide for health and healing. Co-written with his son Daniel, The Myth of Normal is Maté's most ambitious and urgent book yet.

Purchase The Book On-line

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By the acclaimed author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, a groundbreaking investigation into the causes of illness, a bracing critique of how our society breeds disease, and a pathway to health and healing.

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Combat festive stress by finding ways to be in the moment and savour any joy and fun. 

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Mindfulness tips for a calmer Christmas.

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Over the Christmas holidays, our usual routines and habits can be disrupted, leaving us feeling unsettled and not particularly jolly! Self-care shouldn't stop just because the festive season is here and it's still important to take the time to look after yourself mindfully – even if it's just in a small way. Here are seven mindful tips to help you stay relaxed over the festive season and into the new year.

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Light up the tree of humanity this Christmas.

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'Connect': This Christmas - Remember Your 'Humanitree'

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'Connect': This Christmas - Remember Your 'Humanitree'

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Has anyone ever actually had figgy pudding?

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Christmas is a special time to share with children. But it also brings lots of challenges. Children can find it hard to cope with all that anticipation and excitement. And big emotions can lead to big meltdowns. Desperate for everything to be nice, parents often feel wary of disciplining children in case it ruins the Christmas spirit (especially in front of others). Add in lack of sleep, too much sugar and disrupted routines and, unsurprisingly, the results can be a bit fractious!

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A Positive Parenting Approach To Christmas | Anita Cleare

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Here are my top five positive parenting tips to help you enjoy Christmas with children and manage any sticky bits.

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From how we look, to what we've got, it's human nature to compare just about everything.

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6 Ways to Help Your Child Deal with Comparison Culture this Christmas

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6 Ways to Help Your Child Deal with Comparison Culture this Christmas

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Christmas isn't just about the gifts you get, and parents need to make sure their children understand this, says Ben-Ari. In emphasising the non-material aspects of the holiday, such as family traditions, the joy of giving, and the value of spending quality time together, parents can offer a more enriching experience.

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From how we look to what we've got, it's human nature to compare just about everything.

And it's never more obvious than at Christmas, when stacks of new stuff means comparison culture is rife - particularly among children and young people, who constantly compare themselves to their peers both face-to-face and on social media, and will inevitably be sizing up everyone else's Christmas gifts, and how they measure up to their own.

"The culture of comparison often takes root in everyday interactions long before the Christmas season," points out family therapist Dr Kalanit Ben-Ari. "It manifests not only through overt comments that compare siblings but also subtly, in how we adults compare ourselves or our partners to others.

"To counteract this, it's essential to consciously avoid both positive and negative comparisons in daily life, as both can foster a similar culture of comparison. This approach is especially crucial when it comes to festive occasions like Christmas, where the tendency to compare gifts and experiences can detract from the holiday's joy."

But what can parents do to stop comparison culture having a negative effect on their children over the festive period? Here's some suggestions from Ben-Ari, author of books including Small Steps to Great Parenting (CreateSpace, £9.99)...

Emphasise the joy of giving, not the cost of a gift, to your children (Alamy/PA)

1. Make sure they have realistic expectations
As much as most parents would love to give their kids everything they want for Christmas, it's not usually possible - especially during the current cost-of-living crisis. So it's crucial for mums and dads to make sure their kids are aware that Santa isn't very likely to be bringing them the expensive gifts on their wish-list this year - but that doesn't mean whatever they do get won't be great.

"As the holiday season approaches, parents can play a pivotal role in setting realistic expectations for gifts and activities," explains Ben-Ari. "This foresight helps manage potential disappointments and lessens the urge to compare. More importantly, it shifts the focus from the materialistic value of gifts to the thought and intention behind them.
2. Discuss the valuable 'free' joys of Christmas
Christmas isn't just about the gifts you get, and parents need to make sure their kids understand this, says Ben-Ari. "In emphasising the non-material aspects of the holiday, such as family traditions, the joy of giving, and the value of spending quality time together, parents can offer a more enriching experience.

"For instance, gifting children an activity to enjoy together, one-on-one, reinforces the idea that time spent together is a precious gift in itself."
3. Think about the language you use
Talk about your family values to your children, and be mindful of the language you use, advises Ben-Ari. "Language plays a vital role in shaping family values," she explains. "By using inclusive language, like 'In our family, we value...', parents can effectively communicate these values to their children.

"The language used at home can significantly influence children's perception of themselves and others."
4. Subtly make them aware how unique they are
Another way of helping reduce how much children compare themselves and their gifts to their friends is to make them aware they are unique, explains Ben-Ari - so what's great for one of their friends might not be great for them.

"By emphasising the uniqueness of each child rather than uniformity, parents can help reduce the tendency to compare during holiday seasons and beyond," she says.

As an example, Ben-Ari says rather than allocating identical time slots for activities with each child, as in saying 'I'll read to your brother for 10 minutes and help you with your school project for 10 minutes,' it's more effective to tailor your approach to each child's individual needs. So a better alternative would be 'I'll finish reading to your brother, then I'll help you.'

"This approach emphasises responding to each child's specific needs, rather than adhering to a rigid sense of 'equal' time," she explains.
5. Encourage kids to make their own gifts
As well as saving money and keeping the kids entertained, Ben-Ari says if children make gifts it will help them appreciate that nice presents don't actually have to cost anything. "Encouraging children to create personal gifts for others - such as drawings, crafts, cards, or poems - and recognising the thought and effort put into these gifts, serves as a powerful example of giving and receiving gifts that hold more sentimental than materialistic value," she stresses. "This nurtures an appreciation for meaningful gestures and creativity."
6. Make sure they feel they can talk to you
Ben-Ari stresses that while children of different ages, abilities, and personalities need diverse forms of attention and support, they all need to feel they can talk to their parents about how they feel.

"Creating an environment where children feel safe and comfortable discussing their feelings is essential," she stresses. "If they express feelings of jealousy or inadequacy, it's important for parents to address these concerns empathetically and without judgment, fostering open communication and emotional resilience."

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Six ways to help your child deal with comparison culture this Christmas | BreakingNews.ie

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A family therapist tells Lisa Salmon the best ways for parents to help stop kids comparing their gifts and Christmas experiences with their friends

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It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see. 

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Managing Stress & Anxiety During the Festive Season

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Managing Stress & Anxiety During the Festive Season

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The festive season can offer many moments of joy and happiness; however, it can also be fraught with tension, stress, and anxiety. Here are six practical and manageable tips to help you have a happier festive season.

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6 Tips On Managing Stress and Anxiety During the Festive Season – Mental Health Ireland

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By Finola Colgan, Development Officer, Mental Health Ireland

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The Climate Action Hub explores the climate crisis and what we can do to take climate action.

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The climate crisis affects us all. As global temperatures continue to rise, the devastating effects of climate change are impacting people and nature across the world. We need to come together and take strong action for people and the planet now more than ever. Spunout’s Climate Action Hub features articles, interviews and opinion pieces exploring the causes and solutions of the climate crisis, policy responses, youth perspectives and climate justice.

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The Climate Action Hub explores the climate crisis and what we can do to take climate action.

Factsheet

Fact checked by experts and reviewed by young people.

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The Climate Action Hub explores the climate crisis and what we can do to take climate action. Read more here.

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There's always something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving, even if it's just not being a turkey..

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Stand Up Awareness Week '24 - Newsletter

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Newsletter - 'Choose Respect & Bi Cinealta'

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Bullying Awareness Week 2024 - Newsletter

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Stand Up Awareness Week will take place from November 4-8, 2024. Belong To’s Stand Up Awareness Week is a time for post-primary schools, youth services and Youthreach centres in Ireland to join us and take a stand against homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.

This week is an opportunity to take steps to make spaces safe and supportive for LGBTQ+ young people. Watch this space for more information on events and activities that week.

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'Take Notice': The Fundamental Truth About Finding Satisfaction in Life

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'Take Notice': The Fundamental Truth About Finding Satisfaction in Life

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Philosopher John Stuart Mill had the ultimate advice for how to approach your “hoped-for heaven” in this earthly life. He suggests that a good society is one where happiness is maximized for all, challenging the notion that the pursuit of joy is a selfish one. Want to unlock the key to greater satisfaction in your own life? Click the image above to find out more.

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The great philosopher of liberty and liberalism had the ultimate advice for how to approach your "hoped-for heaven" in this earthly life.

Produced by ElevenLabs and News Over Audio (NOA) using AI narration.

Want to stay current with Arthur's writing? Sign up to get an email every time a new column comes out.
Are you a liberal? I mean it not in the modern political left-right sense but under the post-Enlightenment philosophical definition of standing for the rights of individuals, consent of the governed, political equality, private-property rights, and equality before the law. If you are this kind of liberal, you have been influenced by the 19th-century English philosopher John Stuart Mill, who was principally responsible for elucidating the ideas of classical liberalism. Arguably, Mill remains the most influential thinker about the relationship between citizens and government in a democratic society.

Mill's philosophical journey did not begin with these questions about politics and citizenship. It started when he was 20 with what he called a "mental crisis" about happiness. As he tells it in his autobiography, he discovered then a fundamental truth about finding satisfaction in life that most people never learn.
From the November 1900 issue: In praise of the eighteenth century
"Suppose that all your objects in life were realized," he asked himself. "Would this be a great joy and happiness to you?" His honest answer was no, leaving him with the apprehension that if he lived the way most people did-chasing worldly ambitions-he would never find satisfaction.

Mill's crisis sent him on a lifelong search for the true sources of happiness. The philosophy he developed over the next 46 years until his death gave him a guide to living. And it might just help you find what you're seeking too.

Mill's philosophy of happiness starts with his formula for a good society: "The general principle to which all rules of practice ought to conform, and the test by which they should be tried, is that of conduciveness to the happiness of mankind." In other words, the good society is one in which all people are as happy as possible. Before you say, "Well, duh," note that this was-and is-quite radical. To some, pursuing happiness has always sounded self-indulgent or even sinful. Further, in today's hyper-partisan political climate especially, a commonly held, usually implicit goal is for unhappiness to be visited on the millions of people considered bad for their wrong opinions.
Brenda Wineapple: The monumental discovery that changed how humans see themselves
Mill proves the validity of his formula in three steps. First, he notes that trying to be happier is a reasonable objective for every person. Second, he argues that if your happiness is good for you and my happiness is good for me, then the general well-being is the sum of all of our "happinesses." Third, he reasons that maximizing this aggregate happiness should determine how we make public decisions and judge our actions.

You are probably thinking exactly what many did in Mill's own time: that this notion doesn't make sense, because my happiness might be at odds with yours. For example, if I grab the reins of government power and tax your earned income to give to my friends, your un happiness results from my happiness, so this summation of bliss does not compute.

Mill would disagree. To begin with, if you have proper morals, your happiness should not depend on harming another person. More generally, if we are talking about the good of society, and not your good alone, we are trying to find the path that permits the highest-possible total happiness. You should want to be happier individually, but you should also care about others' happiness and act in a public-spirited way that, for the good of the whole, minimizes any individual harm.

Of course, Mill had to define happiness and tell us how to realize it. And this made him sound like a proto-hippie. "By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain," he wrote. "By unhappiness, pain, and the privation of pleasure." He gets even groovier: "All desirable things," he says, "are desirable either for the pleasure inherent in themselves, or as means to the promotion of pleasure and the prevention of pain." You do you! No judgment!

On its face, this argument is consistent with the utilitarian philosophy of Mill's friend Jeremy Bentham, who famously wrote: "Quantity of pleasure being equal, push-pin is as good as poetry." (Push-pin was an English child's game in the 19th century.) But in his thinking, Mill can't help but add to Benthamite pragmatism with a loud stage whisper: "Choose poetry!"
From the November 1865 issue: Jeremy Bentham
Mill discriminates among pleasures as being higher or lower in quality (and thus in their effectiveness to deliver happiness). The higher pleasures he classifies as those "of the intellect, of the feelings and imagination, and of the moral sentiments," as opposed to those that give in to animal desires or fritter away our time. Maximum happiness, then, comes not just from finding any sort of pleasure, but from refining what brings you pleasure through study, thought, and contemplation. It is even, he said, "better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied."

Mill's characterization of such higher pleasures leads to his third argument about happiness: that it requires "a decided predominance of the active over the passive." What he means by this is that to refine your pleasure necessitates effort and a serious investment in self-improvement. Push-pin is easy; poetry is hard. But poetry rewards the effort with deeper, longer-lasting satisfaction.

Mill's philosophy of happiness suggests four very sound rules that you can adopt in your own life.

1. Desire to be happy.
To want to be happier is an entirely legitimate, natural, healthy, and worthwhile goal. Don't feel guilty or selfish for seeking higher life satisfaction and greater well-being.

2. Bring happiness to others.
You are not an island, as the English poet John Donne observed, and working for your own happiness should be part of a bigger project to build a better world. That means thinking about the well-being of others. So you should engage in acts of charity and kindness, and fight the zero-sum mentality that regards someone else's happiness as being at the expense of your own. Especially in these times, you should resist the corrosive schadenfreude of taking pleasure in the misery of others.
Franklin Foer: Why liberalism disappoints
3. Elevate your pleasures.
Choose enjoyment over base pleasures by uplifting your interests and improving your character. One way to do this is by identifying how you tend to fritter away time on mind-numbing trivialities and thinking about how this behavior makes you feel about yourself. Before sitting down for an hour of scrolling through social media, consider the feeling of emptiness this will most likely evoke. Keep around the house a stack of books that you want to dip into instead. And in accordance with rule No. 2, don't push trivialities on others.

4. Do the work.
Remember that happiness is an active pursuit, not a passive one. Don't wait around for circumstances to change for your well-being. And don't make yourself dependent on others to pursue a higher pleasure. Make a plan to improve your life-and get started.

Mill's life offers us one more rule. As great a liberal as he was, you might have found his philosophical prescriptions a bit dry: Happiness can seem too impersonal, even theoretical, in his writings. Behind the scenes, though, Mill's experience of happiness and unhappiness was all heart, rich in passionate engagement. He spent a good deal of his adult life in love with a woman, Harriet Taylor, who was already married-an obstacle that was a source of deep and lasting frustration for him. But when at last Harriet was widowed, and she was free to remarry, the couple was wed-and that brought Mill his deepest satisfaction: "My wife and I are one," he wrote, invoking the Bible.

Only seven years later, however, she herself died, possibly of tuberculosis, or "consumption" as it was then known, at the age of 49. On Harriet's grave, Mill had inscribed the ultimate truth he'd learned from his life: "She was the sole earthly delight of those who had the happiness to belong to her," his tribute ran. "Were there but a few hearts and intellects like hers this earth would already become the hoped-for heaven."

This was Mill's one rule to rule them all: Happiness is love.

Arthur Brooks is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and the host of the How to Build a Happy Life podcast.

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What John Stuart Mill Knew About Happiness

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The great philosopher of liberty and liberalism had the ultimate advice for how to approach your "hoped-for heaven" in this earthly life.

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Finding it hard to muster up the motivation to do something, even if you know you'll have fun once you get there, whether it's a birthday party or a lunch with a good friend? The antidote is working on something psychologists call your 'reward sensitivity', which is a drive to seek out happiness. And the good news is that all of us - even those with depression and anxiety - can amp up our reward sensitivity by training ourselves to notice and savour our positive emotions.

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Psychologists call it reward sensitivity. And simple steps can help you boost your drive to seek out positive emotions and enjoy life.

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We all want more time with our friends, but we’re spending more time alone.

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New research sheds light on what our epidemic of loneliness actually looks like: According to a new survey of nearly 6,000 American adults, most of us have an average of about four or five friends yet we don’t feel as emotionally close to them as we’d like and wish we had more time to spend with them. To learn more about this new study and hear from the researchers, click the image above.

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We all want more time with our friends, but we’re spending more time alone.

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'Be Active': 6 Ways to Exercise That are Perfect for Autumn

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'Be Active': 6 Ways to Exercise That are Perfect for Autumn

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If cooler temperatures and less daylight leave you uninspired to keep up with fitness, here are some ideas to keep you moving.

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Even if you're not shuttling kids back to school or in a climate where autumn brings changing leaves and dropping temperatures, there tends to be a shift in our schedules and moods that comes with the start of fall, says Minneapolis-based Lindsay Ogden, a National Academy of Sports Medicine-certified personal trainer and the digital manager for content and coaching at for Life Time, a national fitness company that runs gyms and corporate wellness programs.

Fewer hours of daylight might find you spending less time outdoors, especially in the evenings or early morning hours. You might find yourself less motivated to stick with an outdoor workout, particularly if you had been exercising at one of these times, Ogden says. "Maybe it's now dark when you get up."
RELATED: What Sleep Docs Want You to Know About Turning the Clocks Back and Shorter Winter Days
Some people find themselves more energized to work out at new times throughout the day, she says. Or you might find yourself craving new ways to work out altogether. That "fresh start" feeling that comes with trying new activities can be really motivating, says Ogden.

The novelty can make it playful and fun - and something you look forward to rather than something you feel like you have to slog through.

Here are a few ideas of activities to try that can help you fit in lots of movement and embrace the change of season:

1. Apple Picking

Fall offers lots of outdoor activities to help you get a few extra steps in, from apple picking to navigating a corn maze to hiking or cycling.
RELATED: Mobility Exercises to Boost Your Health and Fitness
Activities like these can up overall activity throughout the day and offer short bursts of intensity, says Ogden. For example, apple picking requires overhead stretching, as well as twists and forward bends (all good for maintaining mobility). A corn maze might inspire you to sprint through in a race with your friends and family.

Getting different types of motion than you'd find in the gym can improve fitness overall, Ogden explains, since you're using multiple muscle groups. Plus, being outdoors can give you an additional mental health boost, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

"Wherever you are, think about ways to enjoy the season and truly embrace it," Ogden suggests. Enjoying movement will make it feel less like work.

2. Fun Runs

Fall is definitely "fun run" season, says Ogden. For instance, many cities have a turkey trot run either on Thanksgiving or the weekend after. Other fun runs have themes - like a color run, where you jog through clouds of nontoxic colored powders, or a leaf run, where you run through a tree-lined course resplendent in autumn colors - and encourage participants to dress up in costumes or festive attire, Ogden says. Many of these races have a less intimidating 5K or other shorter distance option, or allow you to walk the route. Music, post-event celebrations, and the company of others offer a party-like atmosphere.

"It's all about having a good time," Ogden says. They're especially great if you're just getting into running - or you haven't but want to, Ogden says - as they offer a fun and manageable goal to work toward.

3. Dancing

Working out does not need to be a chore, and cooler weather doesn't mean your only option is hitting the treadmill at the gym. Instead, turn on your favorite beats and get moving.

The benefits of dancing can be formidable, whether you're grooving to your favorite song as a solo dancer or taking a class with others. For example, in a small study, researchers asked 36 women (with an average age of 57) to take dance classes together three times per week for 16 weeks. At the end of those four months, participants had better cholesterol numbers, improved balance and strength, and even higher self-esteem.

The benefits likely come partially from the social component and sharing plenty of laughs, suggests Scott Kaiser, MD, geriatrician and director of geriatric cognitive health for Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center in California. Although he wasn't involved in the research, he says that similar studies on physical activity and social connections have highlighted the strong connection between them.

"And with dance, or any class that's unfamiliar to you, you're learning something new," he adds. The novelty can make the pursuit exciting.

If a live, in-person group class isn't an option, try apps like Steezy and iDance that have a range of classes at all levels, and include free tryout periods.

"Even if you just dance around your living room to one song, that tends to give you a boost in terms of health and mood," Dr. Kaiser says. Doing movements you enjoy will make it easier to stick with.

4. Yin Yoga
RELATED: Myths About Yoga That Shouldn't Stop You From Doing It
As the evenings get longer and you head toward winter, it's helpful to acknowledge that downshift and lean into it, says Ogden. That means maybe instead of fighting it with intense HIIT sessions, get quieter and more restful with a practice like yin yoga. Although some yin practices can be similar to a restorative practice, others can truly be a workout, she adds.

This type of yoga involves holding poses longer, usually from three to five minutes, and letting your body "sink" into the position. This provides a feeling of relaxation and relief to some degree, which is a great way to keep your workout stress-relieving (rather than stress-inducing) as you're adjusting to perhaps a ramped-up fall routine. But it's not all chilling out - these longer holds can feel intense, especially after the first minute, and you may find it more of a challenge than you expected, but in a good way.

5. Raking Leaves and Other Yardwork

Not all fitness efforts have to be full-on, structured workouts. Ogden says home gardening tasks like raking leaves or planting tulip bulbs for spring can help your body move in different ways.

These can be part of what's called high-intensity incidental physical activity, according to an article in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The authors define this type of activity as sporadic bursts of exercise that can be done through everyday tasks like raking, house cleaning, carrying heavy groceries, or sprinting up a flight of stairs.

The researchers explain in that report that adding even a few seconds of these activities into daily life can have significant health benefits (like improving cardiovascular function, regulating blood sugar more effectively, and lowering risk of type 2 diabetes), particularly for people who are otherwise very sedentary.

6. Strength Training
RELATED: 5-Minute, Full-Body Strength Workout With Kelsey Wells RELATED: The Best Body-Weight Exercises for Working Out Every Part of Your Body
The cooler months can be a great time to add strength training workouts to your fitness routine. Less daylight and harsher weather may cause you to be looking for more indoor-friendly workouts anyway, says Clearwater, Florida-based Mike Matthews, CSCS, author of The Little Black Book of Workout Motivation.

There's plenty of research that highlights the advantages of lifting weights. For example, one study review suggests it can help regulate blood sugar and improve cardiometabolic health, lowering your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart conditions.

Not so jazzed about dropping down and pumping out a bunch of push-ups? Matthews suggests trying a strength training workout you've never done before. Trying something new can be a major motivation boost, he says.

"When you're short on time - like if your fall schedule gets very busy - strength training can be very efficient, and just a few sessions a week can make a difference for helping you feel stronger," he says.

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How to Change Up Your Workout Routine for Fall

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Fitness pros say: Embrace seasonal activities, and move your workouts to times of the day you're more likely to do them.

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There’s a certain “happification” of our history, according to psychologists, that prompts us to insist life was better back in the day. Yet when we take this approach, we tend to zero in on the good memories and erase the bad ones, which ultimately devalues the positive aspects of our lives right now. If you tend to get stuck in this type of nostalgia, take heart. Self magazine's article is filled with insightful advice to help you take off those rose-colored glasses.

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Was the grass really so much greener back in the day?

Many of us tend to rewrite our history so today can't compete. You might do this with relationships ("I had a blast with [insert terrible ex]"), jobs ("Those monotonous work meetings gave me time to brainstorm killer raps"), or pre-pandemic life ("My jam-packed [exhausting] social calendar made me feel alive!"). We insist the grass was greener back in the day, zeroing in on the good memories, erasing the bad ones, and devaluing the positive aspects of our current lives in the process. Meanwhile, we'll likely long for today in the near future.

Some psychologists refer to this happification of our history as " rosy retrospection." In addiction recovery communities, romanticizing the past is sometimes called "euphoric recall," which the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration describes as "remembering only the pleasures associated with stimulant use and not the adverse consequences." Whatever the term, during my twenties, I was the king of it. At 20, I wished I was chugging from red Solo cups beside a keg with my buds from high school. At 22, I kicked myself for leaving the college I dropped out of at 20 to move back home. At 24, I missed my ex-girlfriend, who I had dated during my early 20s. I yearned for whomever and whatever wasn't in my life anymore.

As distressing as my longing for the past was at the time, I now see that it served a purpose. "We are inundated with millions of bits of information throughout our day, so to make sense of all that data, we rely on shortcuts," Nikki Coleman, PhD, a Houston-based therapist who specializes in interpersonal relationships and identity, tells SELF. And one such shortcut your brain may take, research shows, is zipping right to positive memories while deflating negative ones. "It would require a lot of cognitive energy for us to relive all of the negativity, threat, and fear, and so we just go, 'Oh, it wasn't that bad,'" Dr. Coleman says.

One study from 2019 showed that this "fading affect bias," where bad memories vanish quicker than good ones, was associated with higher grit, defined by the researchers as "psychological well-being and perseverance." "People often romanticize the past because the truth is painful," Britt Frank, LSCSW, a psychotherapist and the author of The Science of Stuck: Breaking Through Inertia to Find Your Path Forward, tells SELF. "It's a form of emotional numbing."

Looking back on your memories fondly can be comforting and fun, but if it makes you feel terrible about your current life, it might be worth adjusting your perspective. Here's some advice from experts on how to avoid getting lost in rose-tinted nostalgia, so you can judge your past-and present-fairly.

Contaminate the fantasy.

When you reminisce about the good times, recognize that you might not be viewing them accurately, says Frank. She recommends asking yourself a series of questions to "contaminate the fantasy," a phrase some therapists and counselors use to describe the practice of thinking through the outcomes of your actions. To help ensure you're not painting a distorted picture of the past, Frank suggests "getting in the habit of asking yourself, 'How true is the story I'm telling myself?'"

A quick way to find out the answer? Give your memories a reality check by balancing the positive with the negative-or maybe the neutral. If you're reminiscing over a "perfect" past relationship, say, Frank recommends identifying (out loud or in a journal) five things about it that weren't exactly the stuff of romance novels. Ditto for past "dream" jobs, or a city you lived in and left for valid reasons. The goal, she says, isn't to dwell on negativity but to balance the good memories with the not-so-good (or the average) so you have a clearer picture of what actually occurred. That way, you're less likely to romanticize the past-and feel like the present doesn't measure up as a result.

Recognize what you're really missing.

Look at your seemingly dreamy memories and ask yourself what, exactly, you miss about those times. "Maybe you felt loved or maybe you felt excited about what you were doing," Nancy Colier, LCSW, author of Can't Stop Thinking: How to Let Go of Anxiety and Free Yourself from Obsessive Rumination, tells SELF. Identifying the roots of your nostalgia may help you to recreate similar situations that can bring you some of the same joyful feelings you're longing for.

For example, if you're craving the sense of community you felt when you and your coworkers used to hit up the local pub every Thursday after work, maybe you can create a similar meetup at your new job. Or if you're reminiscing about the musty smell of newsprint in the neighborhood comic shop you frequented as a preteen, schedule some time to re-read old favorites. Miss having a partner to hang out and travel with? It might be time to pursue a new relationship (or just book a vacation with your best friends if it's the passport stamp you're after).

Of course, you may not be able to recreate the exact same circumstances from your past-due to age, new responsibilities, or the loss of a person or pet, for example. In those cases, Colier recommends giving yourself compassion for the "process of change and loss of identity" that's part of the human experience. "Maybe you can't go to college and run that triathlon anymore," she says. "This human journey is filled with fluidity and loss, and change is the only constant." Simply recognizing that and acknowledging the beauty of the past can help you stay connected to it-and bring you peace. "You might think, 'Wow, what a time,' and just because I can't live it now doesn't mean it doesn't exist within me,'" she says.

Don't force gratitude.

Taking inventory of the things you're grateful for may lead to mental health benefits like reduced stress and better sleep, as SELF previously reported. But it can be difficult to foster gratitude when your situation is, in fact, pretty terrible. Maybe your past really was much better: You lived most of your life in perfect health, say, and are suddenly facing a major illness, or you lost a loved one and your world felt better with them in it. In that case, coming to terms with the fact that the present is uncomfortable is a better strategy than forcing yourself to see some "silver lining," Frank says. This type of denial is a form of toxic positivity that will only invalidate your very real pain and keep you stuck, she adds.

If you're trapped in a more-positive past because your present reality is trash, instead of doing a daily gratitude list, Frank suggests trying to accept that today may be difficult, while also acknowledging it won't last forever. "Joy will come again," she says. "But if you try to make yourself feel joy, you're not going to get there." Conversely, if you go easy on yourself and feel all of your feelings, you're more likely to heal and move forward, she adds.

Bring yourself into the moment.

One way to get unstuck in the past is to firmly plant yourself in the present through mindfulness, says Coleman. Formal meditation is one way to do that, but if meditating just isn't your thing, you can experiment with alternative methods. You might try a guided journal exercise, for example, or just be more mindful while you eat, taking your time and paying attention to sensations and flavors.

Coleman also recommends trying the five-senses grounding technique whenever you find yourself daydreaming about your self-perceived better days. To do this exercise, you take about five minutes to "go through each of the senses, asking yourself 'What do I feel?' 'What do I see?' 'What do I hear? 'What do I smell?' and 'What do I taste?'" By dialing into your environment in this way, you're essentially "training your brain to be in the present moment," Coleman says. "It's kind of like creating a blank slate." Like other mindfulness practices, this technique can help you shift your focus from your past (or future) to what's right in front of you, so you can be fully present-for your friends, your family, your job, your passions.

Personally, my perspective changed when I hit my mid-thirties. I burned out at a social work gig that I stayed at for a decade because I didn't believe I could do anything better. I stopped dwelling on the past and began focusing on how I could change the present. I started taking one class at a time to get a degree that would lead me to my dream job, and year by year I transitioned careers. One day, I looked up and loved what I was doing-the past couldn't compete. I also became a dad, and though my days became somewhat monotonous and filled with endless diaper changes, my son would snooze on my chest and as I took in those moments, I'd feel such love. Time was suddenly zooming by, and I wanted nothing but to be exactly where I was. There was no time like the present.
Related:

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How to Stop Romanticizing the Past So You Can Enjoy Your Life Right Now

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Was the grass really so much greener back in the day? Many of us tend to rewrite our history so today can't compete. You might do this with relationships ("I had a blast with [insert terrible ex]"), jobs ("Those monotonous work meetings gave me time to brainstorm killer raps"), or pre-pandemic life ("My jam-packed [exhausting] social calendar made me feel alive!").

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Autumn is often cast as a time of aging and decay, but if you're willing to brave the chill it holds a special set of rewards.

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Autumn also brings with it bright, brisk days, pumpkin patches and cozy sweaters. Somewhere in the crunching leaves, crackling fires and chilly air, you might locate a feeling of possibility, even electricity. And all of these things, the anxiety, the promise and even the rumination make it the ideal season to build resilience and practice mindfulness.

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Fall Is the Season for Building Mindfulness and Resilience (Published 2022)

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Yes, the easy summer days are behind us. But if you’re willing to brave the chill, autumn holds a special set of rewards.

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The alarm, resistance, and exhaustion stages of the stress response cycle help your body respond to stress.

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No matter the cause, many people who deal with a stressful situation will go through the 'stress response cycle'. While there’s no one way to manage stress, completing this natural sequence of steps can help you cope with your situation healthily. If you don’t complete the cycle, some of the stress and its effects will stay in the body and lead to wear and tear, illness and increased sensitivity to stress. Read the simple ways to help yourself effectively work through your reactions to stress, so your body and mind can recover.

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We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here's our process.

The alarm, resistance, and exhaustion stages of the stress response cycle help your body respond to stress. Learning how to complete the stress cycle may help you cope.

Everyone experiences stress at one time or another. It might be something as simple as a looming deadline or as emotional as the death of a loved one that triggers your stress levels.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, stress is the physical or mental response to an external cause that can be either positive or negative.

No matter the cause, many people who deal with a stressful situation will go through the stress response cycle. While there's no one way to manage stress, completing this natural sequence of steps can help you cope with your situation healthily.

There are simple ways to help yourself effectively work through your reactions to stress, so your body and mind can recover.

To understand the stress response cycle, you first must understand how stress affects the body.

Research from 2021 suggests that when experiencing stress-induced physiological changes, you may experience the following stages:

Alarm

If you encounter an acute stressor or danger, an area of the brain called the amygdala sends signals to another region called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus functions as the brain's command center - transporting information to the rest of the body via the nervous system.

When the hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system, adrenal glands respond by releasing the hormone epinephrine (adrenaline) into the bloodstream.

This can lead to several physiological changes, such as fast breathing, a rapid heartbeat, an energy surge, and increased alertness.

Your body's complex response to stress is known as the fight, flight, or freeze response. It's the same strategy that animals and early human ancestors used when encountering danger.

Resistance

Once the sense of threat or danger has passed, your parasympathetic nervous system puts the "brakes" on and lessens the body's stress response. But you may stay alert to observe if you feel safe and have obtained balance within your body.

If you still sense that you are unsafe, stress hormones will increase, and you might experience symptoms such as:

poor concentration

irritability

frustration

Exhaustion

If you aren't able to complete the stress cycle, your body may repeat its stress response. Prolonged and chronic stress can take its toll, leading to:

heart disease

stomach ulcers

sleep dysregulation

psychiatric disorders

depression

anxiety

fatigue

burnout

There are several research-based ways to help complete the stress cycle and manage your body's response to a tense situation. Consider the tips below to help you cope.

Physical activity

In a fight, flight, or freeze scenario being active may help you survive the threat and keep your body safe. You can imitate this natural response with exercise.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) to 300 minutes (5 hours) of moderate-intensity physical activity each week for substantial health benefits.

Consider engaging in the following activities:

No matter the physical activity you choose, try to experiment with activities you enjoy. Everyone is different.

Creativity

Doing something creative, such as drawing, writing, knitting, gardening, or cooking, can help your body recover from a stressful event and boost energy levels. The key is to try something that you enjoy.

Laughing

Laughter is a useful way to release and express emotions you keep bottled up. Some easy ways to help induce laughter are to recall a funny story, watch a funny movie, or visit some friends who make you laugh.

Crying

Crying is another way that your body releases stress. When you suppress your tears, you're could be stopping yourself from a natural part of your recovery.

Physical affection

Research from 2020 indicates that physical comfort from a loved one can help mimic the safety step of the stress response cycle. If you consent to the touch and feel safe, physical comfort can support your mental and physical health.

Some experts recommend a long, 20-second (minimum) hug, which helps activate the release of oxytocin, sometimes referred to as the "cuddle hormone." Another option is to cuddle with a pet, which may improve your mental health and reduce stress.

You can also provide yourself with physical affection through:

self-massage

moving your hand in small circular motions on your chest

embracing yourself in a hug

Deep breathing

Slow, deep breathing can help your body regulate its stress response. Some examples of deep breathing exercises include:

square breathing: 4-second inhale, 4-second hold, 4-second exhale, 4-second hold

4,7,8 breath: 4 seconds inhale, 7-second hold, 8second exhale

Exercises, such as tai chi, qi gong, and yoga combine deep breathing with fluid movements to help generate calmness.

Rest

Getting enough rest, including a full night's sleep, can ensure that your body will recover from stressful events. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults get between seven to nine hours of sleep each night.

Coping with a stressful event can be tricky. But finding ways to mimic the stress response cycle, which involves physical activity, finding a safe place, and resting can help you cope with your stress.

You might want to try a breathing app, such as Calm, Insight Timer, or KORU to help you regulate your stress levels throughout the day.

If stress interferes with your daily life, becomes severe, or doesn't go away, consider talking with a professional mental health expert who can help you identify other strategies to cope.

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How to Complete The Stress Response Cycle

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We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here's our process. The alarm, resistance, and exhaustion stages of the stress response cycle help your body respond to stress. Learning how to complete the stress cycle may help you cope.

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The hypothesis argues that a certain amount of digital technology use isn’t intrinsically harmful to teens and may even be advantageous. As the name suggests, that amount is not too much, not too little.

While this study didn’t reveal a one-size-fits-all prescription, other research has suggested ways to help families craft their Goldilocks zone around digital technology. Find out more by clicking on the image above.

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Beyond screen time: Rethinking kids’ tech use with the “Goldilocks hypothesis”

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The internet entails risks, but the “Goldilocks hypothesis” helps parents better navigate the challenge of raising teens in a digital world.

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It’s officially time to remember what day of the week it is. 

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The theme of Bullying Awareness Week this year is 'Choose Respect & Bí Cineálta' (Irish for 'Be Kind'). There will be anti-bullying workshops, 'Bí Cineálta Bingo', Bí Cineálta Logo competition, themed activities, Bullying Awareness Week newsletter, whole school assembly with Cineáltas flag raising and more. Get involved and enjoy!

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There are steps society and individuals can take to try to increase the chances of keeping good brain health. 

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Nearly half of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by addressing ‘14 modifiable risk factors’. Things you can do to try to maintain good brain health include exercise and getting your vision and hearing checked. Read more here.

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Nearly half of all dementia cases worldwide could be prevented or delayed by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors, according to the Lancet Commission, which identifies priorities for global health.

Recently, it added vision loss and high LDL cholesterol to the dozen risk factors it had highlighted in a 2020 report that are, theoretically at least, within society's control.

What should we prioritise if trying to increase our odds of maintaining good brain health? Exercising in midlife is hugely important, says geriatrician Dr Seán Kennelly, who is director of the Institute for Memory and Cognition at Tallaght University Hospital in Dublin. Second to that, he recommends social connectivity.

"That's how we take our brain to the gym. Having to remember the last conversation we had with somebody, the connections that we have to the other person, that increases that ability."

Day centres can be a vital source of good cognitive stimulation for older people. "Hearing is a massive risk factor. Small amounts of hearing loss in midlife can translate into a much larger risk of developing dementia in later life. Your brain will always tell you your hearing is fine but you have to go and get it checked."

[ Young-onset dementia: 'Nobody can tell us which day Wayne's going to wake up and not know me' ]

In the same way it will tell you your eyesight is fine, because it is compensating all the time. "We wouldn't leave the house in the morning if our brain allowed us to know all the things that probably weren't working fine."

Keeping up to date with vaccines is one thing that is not talked about in this context, he says, but there is really significant evidence that receiving, for example, an annual flu vaccine, and a vaccination against shingles, which should provide protection for at least seven years, is associated with a lower risk of developing dementia in later life. This is possibly linked to infections causing an increase in the amount of proteins generated.

[ Dementia diary: 'I think I am going mad. I cannot think any thoughts, there is nothing in my head' ]

The Mediterranean diet is highly recommended, but Dr Kennelly acknowledges it is not always easy for people to access or afford its main constituents, such as fish and a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables, and that supporting people to make the right food choices would be a good public health initiative.

The Lancet Commission's list of 14 modifiable risk factors are:
Early life Midlife

2) Hearing loss

3) High LDL cholesterol

4) Depression

5) Traumatic brain injury

6) Physical inactivity

7) Diabetes

8) Smoking

9) Hypertension

10) Obesity

11) Excessive alcohol

Late life

12) Social isolation

13) Air pollution

14) Visual loss

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Nearly half of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by addressing '14 modifiable risk factors'

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Things you can do to try to maintain good brain health include exercise and getting your vision and hearing checked

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Feeling overheated affects our cognitive function and mood, studies show.

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It is critical to understand that climate change impacts not only the environment but also our physical and mental health. Recent studies in Lancet and Nature Climate Change found that an increase in temperature of even 1 degree Celsius can worsen depression, anxiety, and suicide rates. Conversations about improving our population's health cannot be siloed from discussions about climate change mitigation. Being aware means you can be more proactive in preventing heat-related anxiety and stress for yourself and those you care about.

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Key points

Rising temperatures can elevate cortisol levels and trigger stress responses.

A recent study found that emergency room visits for mental health conditions rise on extremely hot days.

Spikes in temperature can affect our cognitive function and productivity at work, school, and home.

As rising temperatures continue to break records this summer, it is important to remember that extreme heat affects not just our physical health but also our mental health.

Elevated cortisol levels, induced by rising temperatures, can trigger stress responses, making individuals feel moody and agitated. The parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for promoting calmness and relaxation, becomes less active at higher temperatures, leaving us vulnerable to stress.

Commonly experienced side effects of heat on mental health include listlessness, changes in sleep patterns such as insomnia, heightened irritability, anger, anxiety, depression, and stress. While these psychological reactions might seem fleeting, they can have serious consequences. A 2022 study published in JAMA Psychiatry of over 2 million people found that hospital ER visits for mental health conditions rise during extremely hot days. Visits for substance abuse, anxiety, mood disorders, and schizophrenia all increased over a nine-year period when temperatures were elevated.

Spikes in temperature can also impair sleep and disrupt brain neurotransmitter function, directly affecting our cognitive function and productivity at work, school, and home. A 2018 study evaluated the differential impact of air conditioning on cognitive function in young adults residing in college dormitories during a heatwave. Some students enjoyed the comfort of central air conditioning, keeping their dorms at a pleasant 71°F. Meanwhile, others occupied rooms without air conditioning, subjecting them to temperatures around 80°F.

Across two weeks, the students participated in a series of tests on their phones each morning. Those who endured the warmer dorm conditions consistently displayed lower performance levels in the tests. The assessments included a basic math test involving simple addition and subtraction and the Stroop test. The Stroop test involves a mixture of colors and words designed to assess cognitive processing.

Another study demonstrated that productivity in the workplace is highest when the air temperature is about 72 degrees, and productivity starts to drop off in the mid-70s. All of the evidence from these studies point to a reduced ability to think clearly, quickly, and efficiently when the body is overheated.

While it may seem obvious, staying well hydrated can help lessen the impact of heat on mental health. Dehydration is common during extreme temperatures and can exacerbate cognitive impairments and mood disturbances. Many people underestimate how much fluid they need to replace when they're sweating a lot or spending time outdoors. Certain medications may also contribute to or increase dehydration.

It is critical to understand that climate change impacts not only the environment but also our physical and mental health. Recent studies in and Nature Climate Change found that an increase in temperature of even 1 degree Celsius can worsen depression, anxiety, and suicide rates. Conversations about improving our population's health cannot be siloed from discussions about climate change mitigation.

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Feeling overheated affects our cognitive function and mood, studies show.

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Overcoming disconnection and finding common humanity.

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Collective effervescence is the feeling of energy and harmony when people are engaged in a shared purpose. It is a joie de vivre that manifests when we share moments with others, such as being in a stadium that erupts in simultaneous applause for an encore performance or the celebration of a goal.

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More grown kids are in near-constant contact with their family. Some call this a failure to launch, but there’s another way to look at it.

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Once upon a time, leaving home meant saying good-bye to your parents and making a perfunctory call to them once a week. These days, young people are in touch with their parents all the time, and many experts are saying it’s not just because our technology has changed, but rather the parent-child relationship. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, more than 70 percent of respondents with kids ages 18 to 34 said they talk with their kids on the phone at least a few times a week, and nearly 60 percent helped their kids financially. So, what’s behind this trend and what does it mean for parents and kids?

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If you were a college student in America a few decades back, chances are you engaged in a semi-regular ritual: You'd trudge to the nearest campus payphone, drop in some coins, and call your parents. That image kept cropping up as I reported this story. Susan Matt, a Weber State University historian, recalled walking to the student-lounge phone once a week; even if she'd had the pocket money, her parents wouldn't have wanted to hear from her any more than that, she told me: "You were supposed to be becoming independent." Laurence Steinberg, a Temple University psychologist and the author of You and Your Adult Child: How to Grow Together in Challenging Times, remembers "a perfunctory 10-minute phone call" every Sunday afternoon. "The idea that I would have been in touch with my parents five times a day," he told me, "would have been bizarre."

Now Steinberg is a professor, and his own students seem to be in touch with their parents ... all the time. They even joke that they have to turn off their phone during finals period, he said, because their folks keep interrupting their studies.

It's not just the technology that's changed-it's the relationship. In a Pew Research Center survey conducted last year, more than 70 percent of respondents with children ages 18 to 34 said they talk with their kids on the phone at least a few times a week, and nearly 60 percent had helped their kids financially in the past year. A majority of adult children polled said they turn to their parents for career, money, and health advice. And a 2023 Harris poll found that about 45 percent of young adults ages 18 to 29 reported living with their parents-making it the most common living arrangement for that age group for the first time since just after the Great Depression.

Some people find those numbers alarming, evidence of a quietly mushrooming overdependence among a generation of hapless grown babies, and of caregivers who can't, for God's sake, stop giving care. But that's not necessarily right. Today's average parent-child bond does seem to involve near-constant communication-yet it also comes with an intensified emotional closeness of the kind once reserved for friends and romantic partners. This doesn't mean that adult kids are failing to launch or that their parents are suffering. Rather, the way our society understands child-rearing is evolving. The assignment, which was once to raise an independent child and set them off into the world, is now to foster a deep, lasting relationship.

The panic about dependent young adults rests on an assumption: that growing up requires you to leave family behind. But that's not always been the norm in the United States. For a long time, young adults typically lived with or near their parents or other relatives. Until the turn of the 20th century, the point of marriage was largely to pool household labor and resources. Family businesses were common. It was only after World War II that federal programs such as the GI Bill gave young people the incentive to buy their own house, which led to couples marrying earlier and striking out on their own. The culture started shifting in turn: "Psychologists, parenting experts, and business leaders roundly condemned people who wanted to stay attached to home, labeling them immature and maladjusted," Matt told me. What we're seeing now, she said, is in some ways a return to form-hardly a "strange new chapter in American history."

Except that in some sense it is strange, or at least unprecedented, a time of unique enmeshment between parents and adult kids, driven by a confluence of societal trends. The transition to adulthood is taking longer, at least by the traditional milestones and markers of maturity; people are marrying and having children at later ages. Yet these young adults still need what Karen Fingerman, a human-development professor at the University of Texas at Austin, calls a "guaranteed relationship"-someone they automatically know will be there for them. Thus, parents, Fingerman told me, are beginning to take on roles a spouse previously might have, cheering on their kids or acting as a confidant.
Read: When are you really an adult?
Multigenerational living has also been growing more common again-partly because of the high cost of housing -which means that many young adults are eating, working, and hanging out with their parents every day. Whereas young adults in the 19th century might've been helping their parents work a farm, the current model is less centered on labor and might look warmer and more casual: chatting over morning coffee, breaking for lunch, watching a favorite show together in the evenings.

The bonds forged from that kind of intimacy can deepen even when adult kids move out or find a partner. Now that people are living longer on average than they did in previous generations, many parents and children have a significant stretch of time to enjoy each other as autonomous individuals, J. Jill Suitor, a Purdue University sociologist, told me. And texting enables an endless "stream of connection," as Fingerman put it; family members can send pictures or stray thoughts from the grocery store, from outings with friends, from a walk around the neighborhood. It's a way to witness the minutiae of each other's lives to a degree that wouldn't have been easy even in earlier multigenerational households: Back then, people lived and worked and relaxed together, but when they were out, they'd really be gone.

Adult kids might have leaned less on their parents in the recent past, but that doesn't mean they were ever standing on their own. "It's not like 19-year-olds didn't get advice," Fingerman told me. "It's just that they got that advice from another 19-year-old who might be hungover." Now, she said, they're "getting that advice from a 48-year-old who's incredibly invested in them and knows their life and cares about their future in a way that nobody else does." Ultimately, the question of whether this new dynamic is healthy for grown kids comes down to whether a parent's help is more stifling than anyone else's.
Read: Americans can't decide what it means to grow up
Steinberg said he was especially concerned about young adults who get financial assistance from their parents, who might feel beholden to their parents' vision of the adults they should become. "The proportion of people in their late 20s who rely on their parents for paying at least half of their income has doubled," he told me. "That makes it a lot harder to roll your eyes when your parents make a suggestion." And even for those not taking a cent, advice can rankle when it comes from your folks. "Young adults need to prove that they're capable of handling adulthood without their parents handling it for them," Steinberg said. "And I think that that is a lot more difficult because of the increased closeness between kids and their parents."

Such a dynamic, it's true, is rarely free of friction. But Jacob Goldsmith, who along with his mother runs a therapy practice focusing on young adults and their families, told me that this is a good thing. Because people are marrying later or not marrying at all, young adults don't always have opportunities to learn the tricky interpersonal skills they might have practiced in a relationship with a spouse-say, how to work through conflict or take responsibility for their actions. People need familiarity and understanding to safely figure those things out. "That happens in marriage," Goldsmith said. "It happens in really deep, meaningful friendships. Mostly it happens in families."

That might sound like a lot of strain on parents, but the support doesn't go only one way. Most often, Fingerman has found, "it's a very interdependent relationship." Of the "boomerang kids" who've moved back home, "a lot of these young adults are involved in caregiving for older relatives. They're contributing to household income and household labor." Having a close and present adult kid might be especially nice for single parents (the U.S. has the world's highest rate of children living with one parent). Overall, Fingerman said, the tight ties seem to be great for both parties. When she started researching these relationships just over a decade ago, "we really thought it would be bad to be that involved with your parents," she said. "And we kept trying to find it in the data ... and we couldn't." Each side was benefiting.

Perhaps this shouldn't be surprising. As Suitor reminded me, one of the best predictors of parents' and adult children's psychological well-being is the quality of their relationship. So many people in American society are stuck on the idea that too much closeness gets in the way of growth-when in fact closeness can help build a future. "If I develop my identity as a person simply by sort of rejecting my affiliation with family and other systems," Goldsmith said, "I'm sort of developing myself in a vacuum. And that's not actually desirable."

If Americans should worry about anyone in this cultural shift, it's not the adults who rely on parents-it's the adults who don't have a parent to rely on at all. "If we're living in a society where the parents are a huge safety net," Fingerman said, "where is that safety net" for people whose parents aren't present, emotionally equipped, or alive? Some people have friendships-chosen family-so unconditional that they really are "guaranteed." Not everyone does.

Parents and kids who can count each other as family and friends are the luckiest of all. For decades, the parent-child relationship has been somewhat transactional: A parent keeps a child alive and healthy until adulthood, and eventually the grown kid comes back to take on the caregiver role. Under that model, the lives people lead in between-their silly exploits and daydreams, their minor grievances and pet peeves-happen largely out of each other's sight. But why should all those everyday fragments be the province of only peers and partners? If people could stop worrying about whether the new parent-child closeness is a "crisis," perhaps they'd come to see how beautiful it is for family members to ask-and receive-more from one another.
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More grown kids are in near-constant contact with their family. Some call this a failure to launch-but there's another way to look at it.

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Unthinkable: Young people now spend less time in one another’s physical company than ever before and the experience of successive lockdowns deprived them of crucial social development.

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When a friend was going through a difficult work situation recently, I was lucky to be a sounding board despite the fact that we live thousands of miles apart and in different time zones. We keep in regular contact via Whatsapp and Instagram, and we chat via video call. The messages came in at all hours - "I'm heading into the meeting now. Wish me luck!" "They just sent this email - how would you interpret the second paragraph?" "Do you have time for a chat today? It's been a rough week."

The technology allows us to maintain a long-standing friendship, despite the physical barriers. When we are occasionally in the same place, we meet up, laugh, eat cake and talk about one another's lives with voracious interest. There's immense meaning in the friendships that allow us to be comfortably ourselves in the company of another person, and that make life more purposeful in the knowledge that we can help friends when they need it. Good friends reinforce the best version of us.

Yet, we live in an unprecedentedly lonely time. Twenty per cent of Irish people have reported feeling lonely most or all of the time, the highest level in the EU, where the average is just 13 per cent. In a 2019 UK YouGov survey, one in 10 people reported that they have no friends at all. While loneliness among older people is a concept we're all familiar with, widespread youth loneliness is newer. In the UK, people between the ages of 16 and 29 are more than two times as likely than people over 70 to report feeling lonely "often or always". Those aged 30 to 49 were not far behind their Gen Z counterparts (the eldest of whom are now around 27 years old).

[ On Solitude by Michel de Montaigne: Get off Netflix and self-isolate with this ]

In 1580, the philosopher Michel de Montaigne wrote about his beloved friend, the magistrate and writer Étienne de la Boétie, in his essay Of Friendship. The piece speaks to the powerful intellectual and emotional bond between the two men and was written 17 years after de la Boétie's death. Montaigne, who had been at his friend's bedside when he died, inherited his library.

"There is no action or imagination of mine wherein I do not miss him," writes the philosopher, "as I know that he would have missed me: for as he surpassed me by infinite degrees in virtue and all other accomplishments, so he also did in the duties of friendship".

In the essay, Montaigne writes powerfully on the privileges and duties that deep friendship entails, and how great friends contribute more enduringly to our lives than any other kind of relationship. He laments false and one-sided friendships and talks about how we are reinforced and made better by the people who really see and love us, and who allow us to see and to love them.

These sorts of friendships are rare for any of us, but the current epidemic of youth loneliness makes sense. Millennials were the last generation born into a world without the internet and also to experience any significant element of agency or unsupervised recreation time in childhood. Young people now spend less time in one another's physical company than ever before and the experience of successive lockdowns deprived them of crucial social development.

Social media is primarily evaluative - about putting ourselves forth for judgment. Since we know this, the self we put forward is never a real one

It's hardly surprising that as the world becomes more atomised and digitised, the nature of friendship changes, and that many people - especially younger people - struggle to connect with others and make friends. In a cost-of-living crisis, an absence of cost-free or low-cost places to socialise and meet new people can make forming in-person connection even more difficult. Sociologist Ray Oldenberg coined the term Third Place in 1989 to describe "homes away from home where unrelated people relate".

[ Coping: If you're in need of a bit of philosophical comfort, best reach for Montaigne ]

While it may be a useful means of connection where we increasingly encounter other people, social media is primarily evaluative - about putting ourselves forth for judgment. Since we know this, the self we put forward is never a real one. Followers become a proxy for connection and being seen. The status they afford becomes a proxy for understanding or love - a way of aping friendship without either the obligation or benefit that true connection entails. Online, we use signalling and status as a salve for real-world loneliness.

For younger people, who have less access than prior generations to the sort of friendship that Montaigne writes about - deep connection based on reciprocity and immersion in the moment - a feeling of disconnection is not surprising. Friendship is harder and more complex for all of us these days, as we try to reach one another across distance, amid loss of Third Places and our universal addiction to our digital lives. We could all use a friend like Montaigne.

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Laura Kennedy: It's no wonder so many of us are lonely. Friendship has become harder and more complex

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Unthinkable: Young people now spend less time in one another's physical company than ever before and the experience of successive lockdowns deprived them of crucial social development

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Do you often tell people how busy you are? Here's why you should stop.

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A new study, recently published in the journal Personnel Psychology, delved deep into the practice of so-called “stress bragging” and discovered the extent of its negative workplace consequences, both for the recipients of the bragging, and for the stress braggarts themselves. It found that stress braggers should do well to be wary; engaging in the practice will cause colleagues to see you as not, in fact, booked and busy, but actually much less likable and less competent.

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I used to work with this person. We'll call them, for the sake of it, Jamie.

Jamie was a nice enough guy, all things considered, but he had one flaw - Jamie loved to boast about how busy he was. He had to be the busiest, most-put-upon person in the office where we worked. He complained from morning to night (and Jamie worked late, so he said) about how much stress and strain he was under. And you couldn't stop him talking. You couldn't avoid him. If you went for a cigarette Jamie would appear, complaining as he ran to lunch (al-desko, obviously) about how he never had time for smoke breaks. If you were making a cuppa Jamie would be there, sighing heavily about how parched he was without the time to boil the kettle. As far as I was aware, Jamie and I had the same job. And I could never understand why he was so pressed for time. I was so bored with this office job that I fell into a compulsive crossword habit and deliberately chose the seat in the corner of the room so I could spend hours on Web WhatsApp until it was time to go home.

But Jamie's boasting got under my skin. Soon I started to feel stressed out about my demonstrably un-stressful job too. I started to feel like I should be panicky and over-worked. If I wasn't, did that mean I was doing a bad job? And if our boss looked at the pair of us and had to sack one, surely he'd pick me to boot out the door over Jamie, who cared so much about doing his apparent mountains of work. I still kept up my crossword and WhatsApping habits, but I did them now under a sheen of constant anxiety. There was one silver lining, at least. I just found out I wasn't alone in my predicament, and neither (sadly) was Jamie.

A new study, recently published in the journal Personnel Psychology, delved deep into the practice of so-called "stress bragging" and discovered the extent of its negative workplace consequences, both for the recipients of the bragging, and for the stress braggarts themselves. The study asked 360 participants to rate an imaginary co-worker who indulged in stress bragging. They found that stress braggers should do well to be wary; engaging in the practice will cause colleagues to see you as not, in fact, booked and busy, but actually much less likable and less competent. They're also less likely to help you out in times of need. Unsurprisingly, colleagues of stress braggers will end up reporting higher levels of workplace stress themselves. Thanks Jamie.

Stress bragging can be seen to be the unfortunate evil twin of actually unionising. And few of us are unionising any more

"It's not the being stressed part that's a problem," the study's lead author, Jessica Rodell, told the Guardian. "We found that if I perceive you as stressed, I actually see you as more competent. If you genuinely feel stressed, it's okay to find the right confidant to share with and talk about it. But be mindful that it is not a badge of honour to be bragged about." Otherwise, she warns, "they wind up feeling more stressed, which leads to higher burnout or withdrawal from their work. Think of it as this spiralling contagious effect from one person to the next."

But if stress bragging is so detrimental, then why do we feel drawn to it in the first place? Is it an impulse, a negative tic, like picking a scab? When I put the question to the seat of my workplace boredom (the groupchat), friends of mine got surprisingly introspective over their own professional behaviour.

"I don't even realise I'm doing it, I suppose," said one, who works long hours in fintech. "But I'm definitely guilty. I think it just feels like venting. If I say out loud how busy I am it feels like I'm a little step further to managing everything, even if I've done nothing." Nothing? I prod. "Well, nothing except complain to other people, I suppose," my friend adds. Others pointed out that although there are negatives to workplace stress bragging - both to the bragger and braggee - there may be some hidden positives too.

"It's kind of like an expression of solidarity in a way," suggested a pal who works in video production. "It's like, we're all overworked, we're all underpaid, here's a way for us to complain together, around the water-cooler or whatever and share the burden."

[ Interruptions undermine workplace focus and productivity ]

TV psychologist Honey Langcaster-James echoes this sentiment. "Generally speaking, when someone engages in stress bragging, it can be motivated by feeling stressed themselves and trying to employ this as a personal coping strategy, by offloading and talking about their feelings of stress," she says. "They may, in a not very adept way, be trying to seek social support from colleagues."

Taken from this angle, stress bragging could be seen to be the unfortunate evil twin of actually unionising. And few of us are unionising any more.

Statistics show union membership has plummeted from a high of more than 60per cent in the early 1980s to about 25 per cent in Ireland today. In Britain, union membership density fell from 12.7 per cent in 2021 to 12.0 per cent in 2022 among private sector employees, and from 50 per cent to 48.6 per cent among public sector employees.

[ Helping stressed-out GPs manage staffing issues in the workplace ]

As cost-of-living crises spiral around us and wages stagnate, we're becoming more and more individualistic in the workplace. Last year, research from Oxfam illustrated that workers in Ireland effectively took an almost 4 per cent pay cut in 2022 with wage growth lagging behind inflation. Is it any wonder we're so stressed out? Is it any wonder we're turning on each other?

"Focusing on the negatives of your job can undermine your coping abilities and affect your behaviour," says Langcaster-James. "It can cement the perception that you are in a stressful set of circumstances."

My video-producer friend may have felt like complaining was an act of collective solidarity but, as Jessica Rodell and her researchers found, it's actually driving us further and further apart. When I think back, through gritted teeth, to my time working with chronically overworked boaster Jamie, I never felt sorry for him, I never wanted to help him out. Admittedly my automatic response was to think of myself and what his behaviour meant for my performance, my job. At times I brooded over how bad he must have been at his own - if I could handle it with time left over, why not him too?

[ 'It's better than a dig in the face': LGBT employees on how the workplace became more accepting ]

Bragging as a way for someone to "convey that they are indispensable to the organisation" can actually backfire, Langcaster-James says. "It may be reflective of a lack of security. They may feel that they need to highlight and amplify their work so they can further solidify their position. But it's been suggested by some studies that stress bragging causes a kind of ripple effect - that when people brag about stress it actually just transfers it to their colleagues and over time your presence can just become unwelcome. It's a maladaptive and unhelpful strategy in that way."

So, is this the situation we're stuck with forever? I don't like to think so. But I have hope, too. Jamie and I - and the rest of my group chat - are all millennials. We love to complain about being busy. We're the generation who work long hours and panic about our non-existent prospects of progression. We're the generation who were taught to believe if we just worked hard, and more importantly, showed the world we were working hard, that we could get whatever we wanted.

Gen Z, the generation behind us, have come of age in a world which has already demonstrated to them that working hard for little to no progression is a sunk-cost fallacy and a trap. And so, rather than bragging about their stress or complaining about their prospects, they adapt. They don't work in the same way - with better work-life balances, Gen Z, we're learning, have a better attitude to the cult of busy-ness. They know that busy-ness doesn't equal productivity. They care about unions, and they leave the office on time, every single day. They prioritise autonomy over suffering for profit (someone else's profits, of course).

[ Greece introduces 'growth-oriented' six-day working week aimed at turbocharging productivity ]

"Of course we know that many people can suffer from stress in the workplace and if that is the case people should talk about it, but the appropriate way to do that is to talk to your manager about your workload and your autonomy," says Langcaster-James. "Studies have long shown that as humans we can tolerate and even thrive in stressful situations, so long as we have autonomy to work in a way that suits us and is flexible around our personal lives."

In other words, maybe we could learn a thing or two from the Zoomers.

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Do you often tell people how busy you are? Here's why you should stop

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Stress bragging: 'I don't even realise I'm doing it, I suppose ... But I'm definitely guilty. I think it just feels like venting'

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Research shows high temperatures can affect your cognitive skills.

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A broad body of evidence shows heat waves affect our ability to think and reason. A large study China found temperatures over 89 F affected cognitive tests scores. Other studies find the cognitive skills of firefighters and military members are impacted by heat exposure. What can we do to deal with the effects of heat exposure?

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Key points

A broad body of evidence shows heat waves affect our ability to think and reason.

A large study China found temperatures over 89 F affected cognitive tests scores.

Other studies find the cognitive skills of firefighters and military members are impacted by heat exposure.

As heat waves roll across the U.S. in the summer, heat-related illnesses are a serious threat to Americans. Although we often hear about the dangers of overheating and dehydration, heat waves lead to even broader consequences for the people coping with them. A "heat dome" covered the East Coast and southern U.S. last month, and has now shifted to California.

A broad body of research shows extreme heat affects our ability to think and reason, and new studies this year have verified that heat affects cognition.

A new, longitudinal study in China used results from a cognitive test of the China Family Panel Study and matched it with weather data at the testing locations. Researchers found a significant decrease in math test scores when temperatures reached over 89 degrees compared to between 70 and 75 degrees. Test-takers living in warmer climates were affected less by the warmer temperatures, suggesting they were able to adapt to the heat.

A second study published this year investigated the cognitive performance of firefighters exposed to extreme heat. The review looked at seven studies of firefighters and found that acute heat stress did not impair simple cognitive tasks, such as memory recall and basic arithmetic. However, the study authors did find that extreme heat affected complex cognitive tasks, such as vigilance and working memory.

These new studies build on previous research that finds high temperatures affect how our brains function. A systematic review published in 2019 looked at how heat stress affected cognition in members of the U.S. military. Similar to the review of studies on firefighters, researchers found that heat stress impacted cognitive performance, especially at higher temperatures, during longer exposures and more complex cognitive tasks. This was especially true when heat stress was combined with another factor, such as physical activity.

An earlier systematic review came to the same conclusion: Heat stress significantly impacts people's ability to complete complex cognitive tasks. This review found when participants felt hotter, less comfortable, and more irritable due to heat exposure, they performed worse on the complex cognitive tasks. This suggests that each person's physical response to heat exposure is an important factor to consider. This review also found that cooling interventions, such as cooling packs placed on the skin and nutritional supplements to boost cognition, helped to alleviate some of the cognitive changes experienced during heat.

There is also evidence that heat affects our mental health. A 2022 study found an 8 percent increase in emergency department visits for mental health problems on the hottest days of the year compared to the coolest days. People are more likely to come to the hospital for self-harm, substance use, anxiety, and mood disorders as temperatures increase, the study found.

Medical experts believe the higher temperatures affect the brain chemicals-specifically serotonin and dopamine levels-that help to regulate mood, cognitive function, and our ability to perform complex tasks. Higher temperatures also lead to irritability and psychological distress, which are contributing factors to substance abuse and suicide. The clear evidence that exposure to high temperatures negatively impacts cognitive function likely explains the increased hospitalizations for dementia.

What's the best way to preserve cognition when temperatures soar? Experts say to follow the same steps you would to prevent heat-related illnesses.

If you don't have air-conditioning in your home, consider going to a cooling center or public place with air-conditioning such as a library or mall.

Take cool showers or baths.

Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.

Use your oven less to help reduce the temperature in your home.

If you are outside, try to stay in the shade and use a hat.

Drink plenty of fluids.

Avoid activities or working outdoors during the warmest parts of the day.

The take-home message: Heat-related illnesses aren't the only dangers during heat waves. Extremely warm temperatures also affect complicated cognitive tasks.

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A broad body of research shows extreme heat affects our ability to think and reason. Here's what you can do to protect yourself this summer.

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'AI - Artificial Intimacy'

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Wellbeing Bulletin No. 5 2023-24 'AI - Artificial Intimacy'

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Maintain a Strong Relationship While Raising Young Kids 

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Balancing work, childcare, and nurturing relationships is essential for couples. Regularly set aside uninterrupted time for each other to strengthen your relationship amidst parenting. Share household and childcare responsibilities equitably to reduce stress and appreciate each other. Open communication and small gestures of affection help maintain emotional intimacy and connection.

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Key points

Regularly set aside uninterrupted time for each other to strengthen your relationship amidst parenting.

Share household and childcare responsibilities equitably to reduce stress and appreciate each other.

Open communication and small gestures of affection help maintain emotional intimacy and connection.

Parenting young children is a joyous yet challenging phase of life. The responsibilities of raising kids and the demands of dual careers can place immense pressure on relationships. For many young couples, this period can lead to feelings of alienation and disconnection, particularly as mothers often bear a disproportionate burden of balancing work and childcare. To prevent this strain from eroding the foundation of their partnership, couples must make a conscious effort to nurture their relationship. Here's why it's important and how to create space for each other amidst the chaos.

The Pressures of Dual Careers and Parenting

In today's world, it is common for both partners in a relationship to have demanding careers. This financial necessity or personal choice can lead to a hectic lifestyle where time is a precious commodity. For mothers, balancing professional obligations and childcare responsibilities can be overwhelming. Studies have shown that working mothers often experience higher levels of stress and fatigue compared to their male counterparts due to the "second shift" of domestic duties.

The impact of this imbalance extends beyond individual stress levels; it affects the couple's dynamic as well. When both partners are constantly juggling responsibilities, it's easy for their relationship to take a backseat. Over time, this neglect can lead to feelings of alienation, where partners no longer feel as connected or supported by one another.

Recognising the Signs of Alienation

Alienation in relationships doesn't happen overnight. It creeps in gradually, often unnoticed, until it becomes a significant issue. Some common signs include:

Decreased Communication: Conversations become transactional, focusing solely on logistics and childcare, rather than emotional connection.

Reduced Intimacy: Physical affection and sexual intimacy may diminish, leading to feelings of rejection or loneliness.

Increased Irritability: Small disagreements can escalate quickly, and patience with each other may wear thin.

Loss of Shared Activities: Activities that were once enjoyed together are abandoned due to lack of time or energy.

Recognising these signs early is crucial in taking steps to reconnect and strengthen the relationship.

Strategies to Nurture Your Relationship
1. Prioritise Quality Time
Finding time for each other amidst busy schedules requires deliberate effort. Set aside regular "date nights" where you can focus solely on each other without distractions. This doesn't necessarily mean going out; it can be as simple as cooking a meal together, watching a movie, or taking a walk. The key is to make this time sacred and uninterrupted.
2. Communicate Openly and Honestly
Effective communication is the cornerstone of a healthy relationship. Make it a habit to check in with each other about your feelings, challenges, and needs. This not only helps in resolving conflicts but also strengthens emotional intimacy. Schedule regular conversations where you can discuss your relationship, parenting, and personal goals without the rush of daily tasks.
3. Share Responsibilities Equally
A fair division of labor can alleviate much of the stress associated with balancing work and parenting. Evaluate your household responsibilities and childcare duties to ensure they are shared equitably. This might involve creating a schedule or a list of tasks to ensure both partners contribute fairly. When responsibilities are balanced, both partners are less likely to feel overwhelmed and more likely to appreciate each other's efforts.
4. Seek Support Networks
Don't hesitate to lean on family, friends, or professional services for support. Whether it's arranging regular babysitting from a trusted relative or hiring help for household chores, having additional support can free up valuable time and energy. Parenting should not be an isolated experience, and building a support network can provide much-needed relief and perspective.
5. Practice Self-Care Individually and Together
Self-care is vital for maintaining personal well-being and relational health. Encourage each other to take time for individual hobbies, exercise, and relaxation. Additionally, find activities that you can enjoy together, such as a fitness class, a hobby, or a shared project. Taking care of yourselves individually ensures that you have the energy and mindset to invest in your relationship.
6. Rekindle Romance
Small gestures can go a long way in keeping the romance alive. Leave each other loving notes, surprise each other with small gifts, or plan special activities that remind you of your early days together. These acts of affection and thoughtfulness can help maintain a sense of connection and appreciation.
7. Seek Professional Guidance
If the pressures of work and parenting are causing significant strain, seeking professional help from a counselor or therapist can be beneficial. Therapy provides a safe space to explore issues, improve communication, and develop strategies to strengthen your relationship. Many couples find that professional guidance helps them navigate complex dynamics and rebuild their connection.

The Long-Term Benefits of Nurturing Your Relationship

Investing time and effort into maintaining a healthy relationship amidst the demands of parenting and careers has long-term benefits for both partners and their children. A strong, supportive partnership provides a stable environment for children, fostering their emotional and psychological well-being. Children who witness healthy, loving relationships learn valuable lessons about communication, empathy, and conflict resolution.

For couples, a nurtured relationship leads to greater satisfaction, intimacy, and resilience. It creates a foundation of trust and support that can weather the inevitable challenges of life. By prioritising each other, couples can ensure that their bond remains strong, even in the busiest and most demanding phases of life.

The Take-Home

The pressures of dual careers and parenting young children can easily lead to feelings of alienation in relationships. However, by recognising the signs and taking proactive steps to nurture their connection, couples can maintain a strong, loving partnership. Prioritising quality time, communicating openly, sharing responsibilities, seeking support, practicing self-care, rekindling romance, and seeking professional guidance when needed are all strategies that can help couples navigate this challenging period. By making their relationship a priority, couples not only enhance their own well-being but also create a positive and supportive environment for their children. In the end, a strong partnership is the bedrock of a happy, healthy family life.

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Maintain a Strong Relationship While Raising Young Kids

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Learn to balance work and parenting while nurturing your relationship. Discover strategies to maintain connection, share responsibilities, and strengthen your bond.

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How Positive Anticipation Boosts Your Happiness

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You could be forgiven these days for avoiding thinking about the future too much, however thinking positively about the future is an underused tool for building emotional health.

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Baumeister, R. F., Vohs, K. D., Aaker, J. L., & Garbinsky, E. N. (2013). Some key differences between a happy life and a meaningful life. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 8(6), 505-516.

Dweck, C. S. (2016). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ballantine Books.

Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377-389.

Fredrickson, B. L. (2013). Positive emotions broaden and build. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 47, 1-53.

Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69-119.

Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (2013). New developments in goal setting and task performance. Routledge.

Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want. Penguin Press.

MacLeod, A. K., & Conway, C. (2007). Well-being and the anticipation of future positive experiences: The role of prospection in happiness. Journal of Research in Personality, 41(2), 167-174.

Oettingen, G. (2012). Future thought and behaviour change. European Review of Social Psychology, 23(1), 1-63.

Seligman, M. E. P., Railton, P., Baumeister, R. F., & Sripada, C. (2013). Navigating into the future or driven by the past. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 8(2), 119-141.

Taylor, S. E., Pham, L. B., Rivkin, I. D., & Armor, D. A. (1998). Harnessing the imagination: Mental simulation, self-regulation, and coping. American Psychologist, 53(4), 429-439.

Wilson, T. D., & Gilbert, D. T. (2005). Affective forecasting: Knowing what to want. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14(3), 131-134.

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Finding Joy: How Positive Anticipation Boosts Your Happiness

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Science shows that thinking about the future in a positive way is an important key to happiness and emotional health.

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A practical guide to building deep, meaningful, harmonious relationships.

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Author Andy Chaleff invites readers on an introspective journey into the psychology underpinning our relationships, starting with the foundational one: the relationship with oneself. From unveiling how our behaviours mirror our innermost feelings, beliefs, and thoughts to delving into respect, trust, codependency, and even the nuances of influence and manipulation, Chaleff leaves no stone unturned.

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In The Connection Playbook: A Practical Guide to Building Deep, Meaningful, Harmonious Relationships, Andy Chaleff presents readers with a profound roadmap to a fulfilling life, drawing from his personal and profound journey. Navigating the challenges of growing up with an abusive and bipolar father, Chaleff discovered an innate ability to empathize and understand human behaviors more deeply than most. His vast experience in mentoring and coaching relationship dynamics shines through every page, offering readers tools to navigate the complex web of interpersonal relationships-be it with partners, parents, friends, or children.

Diving into the book, readers are invited on an introspective journey into the psychology underpinning our relationships, starting with the foundational one: the relationship with oneself. Chaleff thoughtfully divides the book into six distinct sections, each shedding light on a unique facet of relational dynamics. From unveiling how our behaviors mirror our innermost feelings, beliefs, and thoughts to delving into respect, trust, codependency, and even the nuances of influence and manipulation, Chaleff leaves no stone unturned.

A standout feature of this book is Chaleff's approachable style. Far from being a dry tome of theoretical jargon, The Connection Playbook interweaves academic knowledge with compelling real-life narratives, making complex concepts feel immediate and relatable. As a budding psychologist myself, I was particularly taken with the book's emphasis on the pivotal role our self-relationship plays in shaping our interactions with the world. This resonates with the growing societal dialogue on mental well-being, underlining the significance of self-awareness and introspection for holistic health.

Moreover, Chaleff's inclusion of brief lessons and exercises at the close of each chapter is a thoughtful touch. These practical takeaways encourage readers to pause, reflect, and truly integrate the book's insights into their daily lives.

The Connection Playbook is more than just a book-it's an invaluable guide for those yearning for richer, more meaningful relationships. It serves as a beacon for introspective individuals, psychology enthusiasts, and professionals alike. I commend Chaleff on this enlightening work and eagerly await his future contributions to the field.

Pages: 282 | ASIN : B0CHMLS4D5

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In The Connection Playbook: A Practical Guide to Building Deep, Meaningful, Harmonious Relationships, Andy Chaleff presents readers with a profound roadmap to a fulfilling life, drawing from his personal and profound journey. Navigating the challenges of growing up with an abusive and bipolar father, Chaleff discovered an innate ability to empathize and understand human behaviors...

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Conversations on Trauma, Resilience and Healing

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Our earliest experiences shape our lives far down the road, and What Happened to You? provides powerful scientific and emotional insights into the behavioral patterns so many of us struggle to understand. “Through this lens we can build a renewed sense of personal self-worth and ultimately recalibrate our responses to circumstances, situations, and relationships. It is, in other words, the key to reshaping our very lives.”—Oprah Winfrey

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What Happened To You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilien...

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Read 8,593 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Our earliest experiences shape our lives far down the road, and What Happened to You? pr...

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To anyone doing an exam this summer – however well you do, you are not defined by your academic achievements. You are a valuable and complex, multi-faceted human being with unique strengths, talents and intrinsic value that no exam can measure. While doing your best is admirable, don't let exam pressure diminish your spark!

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Well, I don't know how it came around so quickly, but here we are again, that special time of year when Ireland's teenagers turn into zombified versions of their former selves as they cram in as much information as they can in the last few days of school. Leaving and Junior Cert season - the Hunger Games of education.

I speak from personal experience. I have my third child now about to go through the trials of the Leaving Cert. I often think that having older siblings who performed well is a cruel added pressure to have to bear. If having to do the exams isn't bad enough, you often feel this added pressure to live up to what others have achieved. Which is crazy, because you aren't your brother or sister: you are you, with your skills, interests and your own value. I often think that one of the best things that any of us parents can do around this time, is to make sure that our child is not weighed down by family expectations - they have enough pressures that they are already heaping on themselves.

To anyone doing an exam this summer - however well you do, you are not defined by your academic achievements. You are a valuable and complex, multi-faceted human being with unique strengths, talents and intrinsic value that no exam can measure. While doing your best is admirable, don't let exam pressure diminish your spark.

Set realistic goals and be ambitious, but also be compassionate with yourself. Missed a study session? Couldn't concentrate? That's okay - simply refocus and try again. Celebrate small wins along the way. Every bit of effort counts.

Remember that every previous generation went through this too, and they made it out the other side. What kinds of advice would those generations likely give you now, as they look back?

Don't listen to anyone who tells you exams don't matter. They matter not because of results, but because they give you a chance to push yourself and stretch yourself. Everything we do is a chance to grow and become stronger human beings.

Schedule some breaks away from the books. Your brain needs breathing room to let stuff sink in. Get outside, kick a ball, pursue other interests. Recharging is as valuable as studying, because it keeps you fresh and alert.

Be organised, but don't become a prisoner to a rigid revision timetable. Spontaneity and changing things up can be healthy.

Ask for help when you need it. People want you to succeed. Asking for support can lighten the burden. (And parents, remember that supporting doesn't mean adding excessive pressure. Provide a listening ear, advice when requested, and comfort when needed.)

Get enough sleep! Self-care isn't just a buzzword, it's essential for peak performance.

Most importantly, keep some perspective. Of course, your exams are important. But they're not the be-all-and-end-all that they can feel like right now. You've got your whole life ahead to experience in new, exciting ways, regardless of what happens over the next month.

To my own son and to anyone doing exams over the next while, you've got this! One exam at a time. In the grand scheme of your remarkable life journey, this is just a short-term hurdle. Believe in yourself, and you'll make it through stronger and wiser.

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Exam Stress? You Are Not Alone - LIFT Ireland

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David speaks to anyone with exam stress to remember to take it one exam at a time and believe in yourself and you'll make it through stronger and wiser.

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‘We’re lonely but we’re afraid of intimacy. And so from social networks to sociable robots, we’re designing technologies that will give us the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship.’ - Sherry Turkle 

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A memoir of a life interrupted - Suleika Jaouad

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A searing, deeply moving memoir of illness and recovery that traces one young woman’s journey from diagnosis to remission and, ultimately, a road trip of healing and self-discovery.

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Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is absolutely mind blowing, I finished reading it a week ago and my mind is still digesting it. An amazing memoir of severe illness and the trials and tribulations towards a journey of recovery.
Definitely one of the very best books I have read.

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Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book is absolutely mind blowing, I finished reading it a week ago and my mind is still digesting it. An amazing memoir of severe illness and the trials and tribulations towards a journey of recovery.Definitely one of the very best books I have read.

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What Almost Dying Taught Me About Living

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What Almost Dying Taught Me About Living

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"The hardest part of my cancer experience began once the cancer was gone," says author Suleika Jaouad. In this fierce, funny, wisdom-packed talk, she challenges us to think beyond the divide between "sick" and "well," asking: How do you begin again and find meaning after life is interrupted?

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What almost dying taught me about living

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“The hardest part of my cancer experience began once the cancer was gone,” says author Suleika Jaouad. In this fierce, funny, wisdom-packed talk, she challenges us to think beyond the divide between “sick” and “well,” asking: How do you begin again and find meaning after life is interrupted?

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Vacation with kids is a good way to get away from your sanity, and relax not even for a second..

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The Real Reason Why You May Get Overwhelmed

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You know how having too many Chrome tabs bogs your computer down? The same happens to your brain. Unfinished tasks keep “running” in the background, which impairs performance. This is known as the Zeigarnik Effect. We're more likely to remember unfinished tasks than finished ones. The more unfinished tasks we have to keep track of, the more mental bandwidth we use. By learning to offload and simplify our tasks, we can reduce the mental bandwidth and avoid overwhelm.

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Key points

We're more likely to remember unfinished tasks than finished ones.

The more unfinished tasks we have to keep track of, the more mental bandwidth we use.

By learning to offload and simplify our tasks, we can reduce the mental bandwidth and avoid overwhelm.

You know how having too many open Chrome tabs bogs your computer down? The same happens to your brain. Unfinished tasks keep "running" in the background, which impairs performance. This is known as the Zeigarnik Effect.

The Zeigarnik Effect is named after Bluma Zeigarnik. She was inspired to study this memory phenomenon when her professor, psychologist Kurt Lewin, noticed that restaurant servers had better memory recall for unpaid orders. However, once customers paid, the servers struggled to remember the details of the orders.

But why?

Zeigarnik found that our brains are wired to remember unfinished tasks better than completed ones. Like a to-do list, once we finish a task, our brain checks it off to free up mental bandwidth.

But this also means that, the more unfinished tasks we have running in the background, the more resources our brains dedicate to keeping track of them.

Examples of the Zeigarnik Effect

The Zeigarnik Effect is why storytellers use cliffhangers. We keep reading or watching to find out what happens next because our brains are driven to seek closure. Once resolved, we can forget and move on. Until then, we lean in with rapt attention.

The Zeigarnik Effect is why we struggle with "multi-tasking." What most people call "multi-tasking" is actually what psychologists call "task-switching." True multi-tasking is known as parallel processing-where you simultaneously do multiple things at the exact same time. The reason multi-tasking isn't true parallel processing is because we rapidly switch our attention between different tasks. For example, you can't simultaneously check emails and do deep work-you rapidly switch between catching up on a few emails and then switching back to working on your "main" task for the day. But when we're in the middle of doing something and get interrupted, our brain keeps that "tab" open-draining our CPU and impairing performance.

The Zeigarnik Effect is one reason perfectionists struggle with anxiety. They obsess over details and have unrealistic expectations. This causes them to be surrounded by unfinished tasks. The Zeigarnik Effect keeps their brains bogged down, poorly focused, and stressed out. Because they can't let things go.

The Zeigarnik Effect is one reason we struggle to fall asleep. For many of us, bedtime is the one time we're not surrounded with distractions. So our brain goes into overdrive refreshing and resurfacing all the tabs we've kept open throughout the day.

So what can you do about the Zeigarnik Effect to stop feeling overwhelmed?

Strategies to Overcome the Zeigarnik Effect

1. Ditch the To-Do List. To-do lists are never-ending. Like fighting a hydra, for every task you complete, two sprout in its place. Because there's always more you could do.

Instead, try using what I call a "Needle Movers List," which is the one to three highest-priority tasks for the day or week that, if you got nothing else done, would move the needle the furthest toward a life aligned with your values.

By prioritizing the few tasks that truly matter, they'll be easier to remember, track, and complete.

I write mine out on a post-it note on my desk because I can't fit much more than a few things on it. Plus, it's satisfying to crumple it up and throw it away once I finish them.

2. Give Yourself Permission to Forget. Another strategy is to build what author Tiago Forte calls a "Second Brain," which is somewhere you can save information to come back to later. A Second Brain can be a physical notebook, a program like Notion, calendar reminders, or anything else that works for you.

The more tasks and information you can offload, the fewer your brain will have to constantly monitor.

You don't build a Second Brain to remember.

You build it so you can forget.

Final Thoughts

The Zeigarnik Effect unintentionally forces our brains to dedicate more memory and attention to unfinished tasks, which results in us feeling constantly overwhelmed.

So if you want to reduce overwhelm from the Zeigarnik Effect, minimize and offload unfinished tasks.

That way, you can stop bogging your brain down with remembering unfinished tasks and use it for what it's best at:

Being creative, solving problems, and understanding complex ideas.
A version of this post also appears on coreywilkspsyd.com Facebook image: Cineberg/Shutterstock

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The Real Reason Why You May Get Overwhelmed

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The phenomenon is known as the Zeigarnik Effect.

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Data from hotline.ie shows sharp rise in children found to have taken and shared sexually explicit images of themselves. 

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New data shows rise in pre-teens sharing sexually explicit images

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New data shows rise in pre-teens sharing sexually explicit images

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Figures released by Hotline.ie say that 4,322 sites with self-generated child sexual abuse material were reported in 2023, up from 325 in 2020. Hotline describes the images as those "that have been determined to meet the threshold of illegality under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, 1998." The data shows that 53% of the images were shared by 8-12 year olds, with the remainder being 13-17 year olds. Girls made up 97% of the images shared.

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New data shared with Prime Time shows a sharp rise in children found to have taken and shared sexually explicit images of themselves. The majority of children detected doing so were pre-teens.

Figures released by Hotline.ie say that 4,322 sites with self-generated child sexual abuse material were reported in 2023, up from 325 in 2020.

Hotline.ie investigates and reports the sites to the gardaí on behalf of the Department of Justice. "Some of the websites reported to us have had over ten thousand images on them," a statement from the site added.

Hotline describes the images as those "that have been determined to meet the threshold of illegality under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, 1998."

The data shows that 53% of the images were shared by 8-12 year olds, with the remainder being 13-17 year olds.

Girls made up 97% of the images shared.

On Monday, Minister for Education Norma Foley, said the new media and online regulator, Coimisiún na Meán, has informed her about a "sharp rise" in self-generated compromising images, of a sexual nature, among seven-to-10 year olds.

The minister said this was because adults were using social-media apps to groom children, often by pretending to be another child, and then blackmailing them once they provide compromising images.

Victims of such grooming say it has had a major impact on their lives.

Orla Stewart lives in Oldcastle, Co Meath, and is now in her early 20s. She was groomed online at the age of 10.

At the time, she says she was socially isolated as her family had moved to France. She sought out the company of other children online and befriended a boy which she understood was her age.

After they had been interacting on Facebook and Skype, he asked her to send nude images of herself. She initially refused but he threatened to end their friendship.

Thinking she could trust him she then sent three photos. That mistake immediately triggered threatening behaviour and a demand for more images.

"He told me if she didn't keep sending more images, he'd send them to all my family and friends," she recalls. For the next two-and-a-half years on a near daily basis her online abuser made endless demands.

"He would actually video call me and ask me to do a number of things while on the video call," she told Prime Time.

"The content would vary from day to day. It would be nude photos or it could be nude videos, and doing things in those videos. It would really vary from whatever he fancied that day."

As a result, her mental health spiralled.

"I started to self-harm. I had suicidal thoughts and even attempted suicide on multiple occasions. I was admitted to a psychiatric unit on two occasions prior to my parents knowing about this. When my mam did eventually find out, I told her on the way to hospital," she said.

Orla Stewart

With the intervention of her parents, the abuse was put to a stop and the individual was reported to police in three jurisdictions: France where it started, Wales where it continued as she was getting psychiatric treatment, and in Ireland.

Gardaí discovered that the man was in his 20s, and from his profile they could discern that his online "friends" were exclusively young girls.

Dr Maggie Brennan, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Dublin City University, says that the new hotline.ie data chimes with data collected about online abuse of younger children in other jurisdictions.

"This is consistent with massive increases that we've seen with our nearest neighbours across the water, in terms of the representation of children under-10 featured in highly sexualised self-abuse material, and self-generated material. It's also corresponding with international trends," she said.

Dr Brennan says it is a reflection of the fact that ever younger children are getting access to smart phones and other devices.

While the imagery is typically shared on the social media apps where the image disappears from the sender's phone but can be screen-saved by the receiver - the initial contact can begin on "almost any digital platform where a child resides unless it's highly and heavily content moderated."

"For example, it can happen on platforms like Roblox, like gaming platforms, where any one-to-one chat facility is enabled," Dr Brennan said.

She also says server-based gaming communities on platforms like Discord are a common context in which adult strangers befriend kids.

One of the concerning developments is that some social media apps have design features that might suit adult privacy but hide the fact that content is being shared. This makes it much harder for parents and guardians to detect and monitor.

Dr Maggie Brennan

For example, one app designed for secure and private sending of photos and videos has an icon similar to the calculator app which is pre-installed on most phones. The similarity means it would not be easily discovered by parents.

Assistant Professor Maggie Brennan says that she would like to see our online regulator Comisiún na Meán take a tougher stance on enforcing what is known as "Safety by Design" principles.

"For example, the Australian E-Safety Regulator, has rolled out a set of principles that it is asking technologies providers to sign up to, which are 'Safety by Design' principles," she said.

It requires design features of apps to be proofed as appropriate for children and to be child-protection friendly. Dr Brennan says it is something which is on the regulator's "programme of work for roll out over the coming years."

Separately she says there are a number of very important new pieces of legislation due at European level which will guide Ireland's national legislation in the future.

"There are a set of proposals around how platforms might basically take more stringent measures to prevent abuse and exploitation of children on their platforms. Where this falls down is where this privacy versus child protection debate comes into play."

Orla Stewart says she knows what side of the argument she comes down on.

"Personally, for me, it would be a case of no phones up until teens, at least. If you really want to give a child a smartphone, have the most restrictions you can on it."

"Kids are curious. They want to make new friends," Orla says. "All their friends are making friends online. It's such a dangerous world and predators are everywhere. And they're so smart. They know what they're doing. It's generally not the first time they're doing it."
You can watch Prime Time's coverage of this issue on the RTÉ Player here.

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New data shows rise in pre-teens sharing sexually explicit images

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New data shared with Prime Time shows a sharp rise in children found to have taken and shared sexually explicit images of themselves. The majority of children detected doing were pre-teens.

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Four potential pathways from birding to mental health. 

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‘Take Notice’: Birding Your Way to Wellbeing 

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‘Take Notice’: Birding Your Way to Wellbeing 

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Novel, fascinating and pleasant environments can reduce stress and restore our attentional capacity. Experiences of awe and social connection can help us feel more open, collaborative, and interconnected. An experimental study found that looking for birds improves well-being and reduces distress.

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Four potential pathways from birding to mental health.

Key points

Novel fascinating and pleasant environments can reduce stress and restore our attentional capacity.

Experiences of awe and social connection can help us feel more open, collaborative, and interconnected.

An experimental study found that looking for birds improves well-being and reduces distress.

Like many people during the height of the Covid pandemic, I discovered birding and have continued to grow my interest and enjoyment since 2020. Besides noticing mental health and mood benefits myself, others have regularly shared articles with me about the benefits of birding. Most recently, conservation biologist Nils Peterson and colleagues (2024) conducted an experimental study in which college students were randomly assigned to a control condition (receiving no specific instructions), a nature-walk condition (instructed to take a specific walk through nature at least once a week), or a birdwatching condition (take the same walk and notice how many birds you see using a phone app). Students who noticed birds on their walk reported significant increases in positive emotion and significant decreases in distress compared to the other two conditions. These findings indicate that there's something specific about looking for birds (or at least looking for elements in nature) that leads to mental health improvements.

As Peterson and colleagues note, demonstrating that birding enhances mental health does not tell us why birding has this effect-and determining the underlying reasons could help us identify ways to interact with birds (or other aspects of nature) that can heighten this positive impact. The authors refer to environmental psychologist Melissa Marselle and colleagues' (2021) conceptual model of how biodiversity may benefit human health to identify potential explanations for their findings. Several of these potential mechanisms resonate with my own experience and I hope my sharing them may help you to find ways of enhancing your well being.

Reducing stress

Environments that are interesting, pleasant, and calming can reduce our physiological arousal, and also enhance positive emotions. Walking in an area with plants, flowers, trees, and water with a focus on looking for birds is very different from my typical daily environment and activities. Although I can certainly feel sad, angry, or stressed while I'm out birding, I also notice that my breath slows down a bit and that I regularly experience moments of joy or calm as I notice a bird, or a flower, or a beautiful vista. The sounds of birds and smell of flowers also elicit positive emotions that can buffer any painful emotions I might be experiencing. For me, it's important that I not try to get rid of any negative feelings or stress I have; I just allow the additional experiences from birding to add to those feelings, which naturally changes them or makes them less overwhelming.

Restoring attention

Our fast-paced, overstimulated daily lives challenge our attentional capacities. Many of us find ourselves easily distracted by external stimuli or by our own thoughts and feelings. Sustained attention is like strength in a muscle, with the same "use-it-or-lose-it" qualities. When we allow our attention to be continually pulled by internal or external stimuli, our attentional abilities weaken. Marselle and colleagues (2021) note that our attentional abilities can be restored both when we are away from our everyday tasks and demands and also when the environment attracts our attention without effort, which is known as fascination. When I am at a wildlife refuge, or even an urban park, with the goal of viewing and identifying birds, I find that sounds, sights, and movement naturally grab my attention and it is much easier for me to disengage from worries or rumination (and the pull of my phone). As I've stated in earlier posts, being able to bring attention and awareness to our experience is an essential part of recognizing distressing emotions, taking meaningful, rewarding actions, and being compassionate toward others. Restoring our attentional capacities while we look for birds may help us to use our attention more effectively and mindfully in the rest of our lives.

Transcendent experiences

When I spend time watching birds flutter, fly, swoop, hop, eat, dive, and interact, I often experience a sense of awe, and a sense of humility. In his book, Awe: The new science of wonder and how it can transform your life, psychologist Dacher Keltner explains that awe can transform us by "quieting the nagging, self-critical, overbearing, status-conscious voice of our self, or ego, and empowering us to collaborate, to open our minds to wonders, and to see the deep patterns of life." This description resonates with my experience of birding: I feel smaller in some positive way, and less attached to some sense of my own importance, when I am in the midst of different habitats of birds, observing their behaviors. And I also feel more connected, more aware of how I am part of the larger whole of the world. When I'm able to carry that feeling back into my daily life, I am more able to let go of frustrations and irritations when they inevitably arise and notice moments of connectedness and joy.

Social connectedness

Although birding can be a solitary activity, birders (even solo birders) often encounter one another. This has been an unexpected benefit for me and an unexpected joy. When a rare bird has been sighted at a place we often visit, we will typically run into several individuals, pairs, or groups of people in search of the same bird, and we'll often greet and check in with each other about it. And when we run into someone on a path who has seen something interesting, they are always eager to tell us about it and tell us how to find the unusual bird they just saw. Similarly, I also enjoy sharing an exciting sighting with others-such as when I unexpectedly discovered a nearby barred owl on a boardwalk path in Acadia National Park. I was overjoyed to quietly (and awedly) point it out to each person who came along, until there was a line of 12 people gazing through their binoculars, sharing in the experience of awe, without bothering the beautiful owl. The camaraderie of shared experience and genuine sympathetic joy in other people's joy is a partial antidote to the sense of isolation and conflict that we often experience online or in other contexts. Reminders of shared humanity can feel restorative.

So, is there something you can do in the next week to reduce your stress, enhance your attention, elicit a sense of awe, or promote social connection? Perhaps take a walk and look for birds!
With thanks to Josh Bartok for editing help.

References

Peterson,M.N., Larson, L.R., Hipp, A., Beall, J.M., Lerose, C., Desrochers, H., Lauder, S.,Torres, S., Tarr, N.A., Stukes, K., Stevenson, K., & Martin, K. L. (2024). Birdwatching linked to increased psychological well-being on college campuses: A pilot-scale experimental study, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 96, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102306.

Marselle, M.R., Hartig, T., Cox, D.T.C., de Bell, S., Knapp, S., Lindley, S., Triguero-Mas,M., Böhning-Gaese, K., Braubach, M., Cook, P.A., de Vries, S., Heintz-Buschart, A., Hofmann, M., Irvine, K.N., Kabisch, N., Kolek, F., Kraemer, K., Markevych, I., Martens, D., ... Bonn, A. (2021). Pathways linking biodiversity to human health: A conceptual framework. Environment International, 150, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2021.106420.

Keltner, D. (2023). Awe: The new science of everyday wonder and how it can transform your lif e. New York: Penguin Press.

More references

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Understanding how birding improves well-being can help us plan activities that promote wellness and connectedness.

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Can Mindfulness Meditation Effectively Reduce Back Pain?

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Chronic low back pain is the most common pain condition that lacks an effective, fast, and safe treatment. Mindfulness meditation was investigated to reduce acutely induced pain in people with chronic low back pain and mindfulness meditation training was found to be more effective at reducing evoked chronic pain than just slow breathing.

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Key points

Chronic low back pain is the most common pain condition that lacks an effective, fast, and safe treatment.

Mindfulness meditation was investigated to reduce acutely induced pain in people with chronic low back pain.

Mindfulness meditation training was more effective at reducing evoked chronic pain than just slow breathing.

Chronic pain is a leading neurological complaint. Chronic low back pain is the most common pain condition and a leading cause of disability and the impairment of many activities of daily living. Low back pain is often made worse by common movements such as bending over or doing even gentle exercises. Currently, there are no known treatments that can be administered to immediately alleviate movement-evoked chronic back pain. A recent study investigated the potential effectiveness of mindfulness meditation on chronic low back pain.

What is mindfulness meditation?

Mindfulness meditation is a self-help technique that involves maintaining non-reactive attention to sensory stimulation or internal thoughts. Participants are encouraged to gently push away distracting thoughts and external stimuli. Although there is some preliminary evidence that mindfulness meditation is useful for lower back pain, there are few placebo-controlled clinical trials. In addition, it is not easy to train participants in the method and the training is a lengthy process. This has hindered the clinical translation of this technique for the treatment of chronic pain.

A recent study addressed these concerns using a "sham mindfulness meditation" technique. The sham method was designed to isolate the various factors involved, such as the subjects' beliefs and expectations about the benefits of mindfulness meditation, changes in respiration, the variable degree of conditioning of each subject, and hopefully any other placebo-related effects. The sham conditioning method simply asked subjects to "take slow, deep breaths" in a resting posture but omitted any standard mindfulness-specific instructions. Studies have shown that these sham conditions can reduce heat-induced pain.

Can mindfulness meditation work quickly to reduce pain?

The study examined the effects of mindfulness meditation on acutely induced pain in individuals who suffer from chronic low back pain. Their responses were compared to the mindfulness-specific placebo. The study also considered the potential role of the body's endogenous opioid system. The opioid system modulates the experience of incoming pain signals and is responsible for the pain relief induced by placebos.

The present clinical trial employed a randomized, double-blind, crossover design to determine the benefits of mindfulness meditation, as compared to sham mindfulness meditation. Subjects with chronic low back pain were asked to perform the straight leg raise test to quickly induce low back pain.

Mindfulness meditation training was more effective at reducing movement-evoked chronic pain as compared to a placebo-mindfulness technique. In addition, the analgesia achieved by mindfulness was not reversed by blocking the endogenous opioid system. Apparently, the endogenous opioid system is not responsible for the pain relief elicited by mindfulness-based meditation.

The mindfulness meditation group reported lower pain before and after the straight leg-raise test when resting and during meditation when compared to the sham mindfulness meditation group. Thus, mindfulness-specific teachings could improve chronic pain outcomes relative to slow breathing interventions.

Subjects in both groups reported that "attending" to their breath sensations was an important feature of their meditation. Most of the mindfulness meditation group, but none in the sham mindfulness meditation group, reported that they successfully employed non-reactive awareness during their practice and experienced lower pain.

The findings demonstrate that mindfulness meditation can be used to quickly reduce movement-evoked pain through non-opioid treatments. Overall, mindfulness-based training was more effective at reducing evoked back pain than slow-breathing meditation and may offer relief to the millions of individuals living with chronic pain seeking fast-acting, user-friendly, and non-opioid pain treatment.

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Can Mindfulness Meditation Effectively Reduce Back Pain?

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A fast-acting, user-friendly, and non-opioid pain treatment for chronic pain sufferers.

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Future cancers may emerge from long-term vaping - expert

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The emergence of future cancers and cardiovascular problems is "almost a certainty" from long-term exposure to vapes, according to a Professor of Chemistry at Royal College of Surgeons Ireland. Prof O’Shea warned that a new "scourge" was being passed on to young people who have never smoked tobacco, but have taken up vaping which will "inevitably" cause new illnesses.

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The emergence of future cancers and cardiovascular problems is "almost a certainty" from long-term exposure to vapes, according to a Professor of Chemistry at Royal College of Surgeons Ireland.

Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Colm Ó Mongáin, Professor Dónal O'Shea said that new research from RCSI on flavoured vapes, using artificial intelligence, found that very toxic compounds were detected once the chemicals were heated.

Prof O'Shea warned that a new "scourge" was being passed on to young people who have never smoked tobacco, but have taken up vaping which will "inevitably" cause new illnesses.

"We find there are very toxic compounds being predicted, being formed, some of them have been experimentally detected before.

"So really, in essence, if you think out into the future for prolonged, long-term exposure of lungs to this we are going to see new diseases emerge in the futures.

"Cancer, cardiovascular diseases and injuries to lungs. It's almost a certainty," he said.

Prof O'Shea called for several flavours currently on the market to be limited in order to restrict the number of chemicals available in vapes.

Some flavours - particularly fruit and candy - are more dangerous than others and need "urgent attention", he said.

Prof O'Shea added that this move is essential for the younger, non-smoking generation who are now the dominant vaping market.

He explained that heating the different flavours to a high temperature can result in a single chemical breaking into 10-20 different compounds.

"You don't need to be a medical doctor to see the dangers that are here," Prof O'Shea said.

He added: "In any flavoured vape there could be anywhere from half a dozen to 20 different chemicals to make up that commercial flavour.

"Then you have all the hidden breakdown products that are being formed as well. So, this is a huge cocktail of unknown chemicals."

Some flavours - particularly fruit and candy - are more dangerous than others, Prof O'Shea said

While it is difficult to make a direct comparison between tobacco smokers and vapers, Prof O'Shea outlined that people who do vape, compared to those who do not, will have a higher risk of developing diseases.

"I think your risk of disease will be significantly higher and we will see this developing in ten to 15 years' time," he said.

Prof O'Shea said every different vape device has different heating and temperature components in them which makes it difficult to quantify which are the most dangerous.

He added that there is no evidence to say vaping is an adequate substitute for nicotine addiction and it is not recommended by the HSE.

A research team at RCSI examined 180 different chemical flavours with artificial intelligence to see what would happen when the flavours were heated.

"We are confident in the results of the study and they mirror experimental work carried out by others," Prof O'Shea said.

"Using artificial intelligence, we can look at the entirety of all the different flavours that are being used and predict what's going to happen.

"We can then follow up with experimental evidence at a later stage, but we can get a good insight into what is occurring in these devices and be able to understand what medical impacts will come down the line," he added.

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Future cancers may emerge from long-term vaping - expert

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The emergence of future cancers and cardiovascular problems is "almost a certainty" from long-term exposure to vapes, according to a Professor of Chemistry at Royal College of Surgeons Ireland.

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Suicide Help - Suicide Prevention - Suicide Bereavement - Suicide Support Groups - HUGG Charity

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Suicide is preventable. Learn more on how to protect those you love by taking the SafeTALK training workshop to acquire and practice life changing skills in just four hours.

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Each year in Ireland around 500 people (C.S.O. 2020) take their own life - each suicide has a devastating and lasting impact on their families, friends and communities.

In January 2016, 11-year-old Milly Tuomey died by suicide. Devastated by her sudden death, Milly's mother Fiona searched for a suicide support group in Dublin to help her with her grief but could not find one. So, in 2017, the first HUGG group was setup. The demand for new groups grew, so after discussion and research HUGG was established in 10 February 2018, Milly's birthday.

Coming to accept that loss is permanent, is perhaps one of the most difficult things to do. You will never 'get over' the death of your loved one. But, with support and understanding you will find hope and learn to live with your grief.

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Suicide Help - Suicide Prevention - Suicide Bereavement - Suicide Support Groups - HUGG Charity

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You will never 'get over' the death of your loved one. With support and understanding you will find hope and learn to live with your grief.

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Q: Why can't you trust Math teachers in Springtime?
A: Because they'll always play matrix on you..

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Artificial intelligence continues to increase in ability and technology. Undress AI is one example that could leave young people open to harm. Learn what it is so you can better protect your child online.

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Children and young people might not yet understand the law. As such, they might struggle to separate harmful tools from those which promote harmless fun.

Inappropriate content and behaviour

The curiosity and novelty of an undress AI tool could expose children to inappropriate content. Because it's not showing a 'real' nude image, they might then think it's okay to use these tools. If they then share the image with their friends 'for a laugh', they are breaking the law likely without knowing.

Without intervention from a parent or carer, they might continue the behaviour, even if it hurts others.

Privacy and security risks

Many legitimate generative AI tools require payment or subscription to create images. So, if a deepnude website is free, it might produce low-quality images or have lax security. If a child uploads a clothed image of themselves or a friend, the site or app might misuse it. This includes the 'deepnude' it creates.

Children using these tools are unlikely to read the Terms of Service or Privacy Policy, so they face risk they might not understand.

Creation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM)

The IWF also reported that cases of 'self-generated' CSAM circulating online increased by 417% from 2019 to 2022. Note that the term 'self-generated' is imperfect as, in most cases, abusers coerce children into creating these images.

However, with the use of undress AI, children might unknowingly create AI-generated CSAM. If they upload a clothed picture of themselves or another child, someone could 'nudify' that image and share it more widely.

Cyberbullying, abuse and harassment

Just like other types of deepfakes, people can use undress AI tools or 'deepnudes' to bully others. This could include claiming a peer sent a nude image of themselves when they didn't. Or, it might include using AI to create a nude with features that bullies then mock.

It's important to remember that sharing nude images of peers is both illegal and abusive.

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What parents need to know about undress AI

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What is undress AI? Guide for parents and carers | Internet Matters. Learn about deepnudes and nudify apps and sites to keep kids safe.

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How to Protect Children from Online Sexual Harm

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How to Protect Children from Online Sexual Harm

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Learn about online sexual harm with advice from the UK's NWG Network and Marie Collins Foundation. Find advice on how to minimise the risks and support your child if they are victims of online sexual harm.

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Simply put, online harm is any behaviour online that causes physical, emotional or sexual harm.

Online sexual harm includes:

Sexual abuse and exploitation

Grooming: Someone befriends a child and builds trust so they can sexually influence them

Sending or receiving sexual photos or messages

Sextortion: Someone threatens to publish sexual images or information about another unless they do what they say

Encouraging a child access adult pornography websites.

How is it different from exploitation offline?

We know that sexual abuse is harmful regardless of where it takes place. Despite the similarities between online and offline sexual abuse, there are some differences.

Online interactions can give the offender greater access to the child. Abuse can occur even while family members are in the background, downstairs or in another room.

Content is recorded and shared

Often, an element to online sexual abuse is it is recorded and shared. This adds to harm of the child because it can spread further. As such, children might feel embarrassed or ashamed, blaming themselves for the abuse. They might become anxious, worrying the offender will share the pictures or videos with others.

Survivors of online sexual abuse are often fearful that images of them will 'resurface'. This fear can stay with them into adulthood.

How do offenders target young people online?

Offenders are skilled and motivated to target children through the internet. They can be of any gender, age or sexual orientation and gain access to a child by manipulating or grooming them.

What is grooming?

Grooming is when an offender interacts online with a child by taking an interest in them. The groomer will form a friendship with them and learn about their interests, home, family and friendship groups.

During this process, the offender tests out a child's response. It could start subtly and then move into more sexual or coercive conversations. However, the offender could also try to coerce the child more directly. If they're unsuccessful, they might move onto another child.

Where do groomers contact children?

As in the offline world, offenders go where children are. Some groomers pretend to be someone else or younger. However, not all offenders do this.

Groomers might contact children via social media, gaming and other popular apps. Offenders target both boys and girls from across all age ranges regardless of the children's backgrounds.

What can I do if my child is harmed?

Try to stay calm. Your child will likely feel vulnerable, and they need to know you are on their side. Try the CARES approach if you have concerns about the content your child is sharing, viewing or uploading:

C - Calm, non-judgemental listening. Fake it if you have to! Make it clear you do not blame them.
A - Ask open questions and assess - give time and avoid asking 'why?'
R - Reassure and give information and support. Reassurance does not mean saying it will all be okay. Reflect back feelings and acknowledge how hard this must be. This is a moment in time and recovery is possible.
E - Enter their model of reality; see how it feels for them. There is likely to be conflict and doubt. Do not worry if they would rather talk to someone else.
S - Seek support and self-care. Do not blame yourself. Contact relevant professionals for advice.

Remember: how you react influences your child. Keeping calm will help them do the same.

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How to protect children from online sexual harm | Internet Matters

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Learn how to minimise the risks of online harm and what you can do to help your child if you discover they are victims of this crime.

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‘Take Notice’: Why Are We So Bad at Reporting Good News?

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‘Take Notice’: Why Are We So Bad at Reporting Good News?

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What if the news were filled with stories of hope instead of disaster? In this unique TED talk, journalist Angus Hervey highlights the strides that countries worldwide are taking in human rights, public health, climate change and more. He reminds us that it’s important to notice and celebrate humanity’s victories to reshape our narrative in the 21st century for the better.

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Why Are We So Bad at Reporting Good News? | Angus Hervey | TED

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Try these memory, nutrition and social tips for better brain health. 

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It’s not just your home that can get dusty and cluttered: Your brain can get overloaded with “junk” that needs a spring cleaning, too. The good news: Your brain has an amazing ability to grow new neural pathways, which can help you feel sharper. And this can happen at any age, as long as you take care of your brain.

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Jonathan Haidt speaks on heading off disaster in teen mental health. Clinical psychologist Haidt has spent his career speaking truth backed by data in the most difficult landscapes-communities polarised by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the public health emergency faced by Gen Z. We cannot afford to ignore his findings about protecting our children-and ourselves from the psychological damage of a phone-based life.

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#EIE23: Jonathan Haidt: Smartphones vs. Smart Kids

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An in-depth look at this inspiring social media trend.

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There’s a new term for the growing number of people who share behind-the-scenes looks at the daily realities of providing round-the-clock care for older loved ones: “carefluencers.”

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‘Carefluencers’ Are Helping Older Loved Ones, and Posting About It

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On TikTok and Instagram, people are sharing what it’s like to take care of relatives who have reached their final years.

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There’s an alarming new trend among young girls lately, who are heading to beauty retailers in droves for a surprising category of products: anti-aging lotions and potions. That’s right, these so-called “Sephora kids” are looking for anti-aging products, thanks to social media exposure to older beauty influencers who are open about their use of anti-aging skin care, Botox, and other cosmetic procedures. But what does this all mean for kids?

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In some cultures, aging has always been a touchy subject. But the rise of preventive wrinkle treatments and social media filters have taken our aversion to looking older to new levels-and even adolescents have found themselves caught up in the obsession.

Photograph by Westend61, Getty Images

Lately my mirror's been doing some weird stuff. My hair is turning white. Tiny lines have carved themselves around my eyes, and crevasses are forming between my cheeks and mouth, unmistakable marionette lines my 43-year-old face can no longer hide. Do I need to upgrade my night routine?

A quick peek online reveals that I have even weirder company: age-obsessed tweens. These so-called "Sephora kids" have been bombarding the beauty retailer, and others like it, with their dollars in exchange for anti-aging potions they think will keep them forever young, and Sephora customers and cultural commentators alike are concerned by the trend.

Are these miniature snatched-face-seekers in search of a premature fountain of youth a harbinger of even worse things to come-or do they simply reflect a shallow reality fueled by social media, filters, and product placement?

"We're selling the idea that we are all against aging, because we should be afraid of it-and better yet, battle it," sociologist and University of British Columbia professor Laura Hurd tells me.

Beauty marketing bonanza

I can't scoff at the trend. I was an impressionable kid once, too, and as a tween and young teen in the early 1990s, I vividly remember taking my babysitting earnings to the local Thrifty's, buying an ice cream cone, then parking myself on the floor next to the magazine rack to read each teen magazine cover to cover.

These magazines taught me that it was my job to be "fresh-faced" and lovely, to artfully conceal any hint of a zit or a shiny nose, that my social cachet and future happiness could be imperiled by dark under-eye circles or freckles, which I had in the millions and which I was convinced condemned me to eternal pariah-dom. But it never occurred to me to swipe some of my mom's Oil of Olay.

(What does your skin actually need?)

That doesn't surprise historian Kathy Peiss, author of Hope in a Jar: The Making of America's Beauty Culture. Her research shows how kids and teens-particularly girls-were sucked into a 20th-century marketing bonanza.

Before World War II, makeup was marketed primarily to women in their twenties and older, and many people relied on homemade concoctions to perfect their complexions. But starting in the 1940s, cosmetic companies began leaning into market segmentation-and designing advertising just for teens and kids. Both demographics had their "own" star products: acne-fighting products and trend-chasing items for teens, toy makeup kits for younger kids.

Meanwhile, anti-aging products were the sole province of older women eager (or desperate) to preserve their looks-which is probably why other teenagers and I never thought to pick them up.

Acne remedies are still aimed at teens today. But social media exposes them to older beauty influencers, too-public figures who are open about their use of anti-aging skin care, Botox, and other cosmetic procedures. The omnipresence of those products-touted by marketers as "holy grails" for consumers-means teenagers are more likely today to pick them up. The phenomenon is so widespread that cosmetics giants are distancing themselves from it-Unilever even launched a campaign "to protect girls' self-esteem from anti-aging skincare pressures."

A mirror warped by filters

The myth of my youth that a blemish-free visage was both preferable and obtainable was fueled by retouched images that fostered the illusion that other people actually possessed these perfections.

That technique, it turns out, is as old as photography itself. People began begging photographers to airbrush or literally paint away their imperfections in the mid-19 th century, when photography had evolved to the point where you could see every wrinkle and pore, Peiss says. "What's different now," she says, "is that it's available to everyone."

(It's harder than ever to identify a manipulated photo. Here's where to start.)

Apps like Facetune and the easy-to-use photo editing tools that come standard with every smartphone have made it easier than ever before to achieve that flaw-free face on camera. The ubiquity of filters has even spurred its own countermovement, #nofilter, in which people claim to post "candid" shots of their unfiltered faces. But the #nofilter trend is much less widespread than you may think: Studies suggest that up to 90 percent of people edit their selfies before posting.

That has real-world consequences: In a study published in 2023, participants who edited photos of themselves were likelier to perceive themselves as less attractive. They also engaged in what theorists call self-objectification: internalizing what an outside viewer might think of their appearance instead of prioritizing their own self-image. Self-objectification is associated with body shame, eating disorders, and mood disorders like depression.

Studies show that teens sometimes use selfies to seek approval from their peers as well as to manage body dysmorphia, a mental illness that obsessively focuses on supposed "flaws" in someone's appearance. And social media can make things worse: In one nationally representative survey in 2022, the parents of eight- to 18-year-olds who are self-conscious about their looks were twice as likely to report that their child's self-image is more affected by social media than real-life.

Social media has always been good at tailoring content to individuals. But now trends that might once have taken months or years to filter into the mainstream do so in days. Instead of pursuing mass messaging, advertisers are discovering extremely targeted micromarkets based on demographics and online behavior. It's a disquieting development, and one that suddenly makes the kids-plus-anti-aging-serums equation make sense.

What does all this mean for kids?

There's the obvious question as to whether a child's often sensitive (and already wrinkle-free!) skin can stand up to the harsh ingredients designed to blast wrinkles into oblivion-and reports of allergic reactions and face freakouts abound. It's also unclear what the trend of preventative Botox injections -designed to keep wrinkles from emerging in the first place-means for young skin.

(Melanoma is overdiagnosed at "alarming" rates. Here's what to know.)

But the more I witness these phenomena, the more I worry about what the paucity of aging faces online will do to kids' sense of reality-and their self-perceptions once they themselves begin aging.

Hurd is afraid of something else: The ways in which an expanded interest in "anti-aging" products perpetuates prejudice.

"We are right out in people's faces about the fact that we are against aging," she says. "We're selling this idea that we should be afraid of it and, better yet, we should be battling it."

This fear leads to real consequences for older people, Hurd says, from casual ageism to institutional and social practices that exclude, dehumanize, and endanger older adults. Hurd's research reveals that the social stigma causes harm to the self-esteem of older people-especially women.

Self-image is just the beginning: Workplace discrimination, problems finding romantic partners, and a loss of "social currency" are all associated with looking old. Ageism can even promote elder abuse: Though research on the topic is still in its infancy, researchers are teasing out links between committing and tolerating the mistreatment of older adults.

"The language of anti-aging is problematic," says Hurd. "But we just accept it."

But we don't have to-and maybe the supposed epidemic of Sephora Kids offers us adults an opportunity to check in on our own attitudes about aging.

What if instead of scanning our features for evidence of snatched cheekbones, we considered what a privilege it would be to earn even more wrinkles, sags, and scars? What if we taught our kids how to recognize a filter, spot a deepfake, or identify the telltale signs of heavy photo editing?

It may sound pie-in-the-sky, but as Hurd points out, there are real-world ways to fight ageism: People can advocate for policies that support older adults, get to know their elders, and look for ways to mix generations in their social lives.

Once I got off the phone with Hurd, I decided to cross "upgraded night serum" off my list-and remind myself to look for my 43 years of experience next time I pass the mirror. It's time to battle my own internalized ageism instead.

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How our fear of aging has led to 'Sephora Kids'

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You may have heard about "Sephora Kids"-here's what experts say is behind the hordes of teens and tweens obsessed with retinol and other anti-aging products.

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How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness - by Jonathan Haidt

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After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on most measures. Why? Haidt shows how the “play-based childhood" began to decline in the 1980s, and how it was finally wiped out by the arrival of the "phone-based childhood" in the early 2010s. Haidt describes steps that parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments can take to end the epidemic of mental illness and restore a more humane childhood.

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From New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Coddling of the American Mind, an essential investigation into the collapse of youth mental health-and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood.

After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on most measures. Why?

In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time. He then investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults. Haidt shows how the *play-based childhood" began to decline in the 1980s, and how it was finally wiped out by the arrival of the "phone-based childhood" in the early 2010s. He presents more than a dozen mechanisms by which this "great rewiring of childhood" has interfered with children's social and neurological development, covering everything from sleep deprivation to attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, social comparison, and perfectionism. He explains why social media damages girls more than boys and why boys have been withdrawing from the real world into the virtual world, with disastrous consequences for themselves, their families, and their societies.

Most important, Haidt issues a clear call to action. He diagnoses the "collective action problems" that trap us, and then proposes four simple rules that might set us free. He describes steps that parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments can take to end the epidemic of mental illness and restore a more humane childhood.

Haidt has spent his career speaking truth backed by data in the most difficult landscapes-communities polarized by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the public health emergency faced by Gen Z. We cannot afford to ignore his findings about protecting our children-and ourselvesfrom the psychological damage of a phone-based life.

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The Anxious Generation is out March 26. Order the Book.

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From New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Coddling of the American Mind, an essential investigation into the collapse of youth mental health-and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood

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A Revolutionary Remedy for an Uncertain Age by Meg Jay

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Clinical psychologist Jay presents a brisk and pragmatic 'skills over pills' guide to mental health for young adults. Critiquing what she sees as a crisis of overmedication and over-diagnosis of mental illness, Jay posits that most 20-somethings “don’t have disorders that need to be treated; they have problems that need to be solved,” many of which stem from the inherent uncertainty of that stage of life, which can catalyze depression, substance abuse disorders, and other mental health issues. As an alternative, Jay outlines brass-tacks skills for tackling challenges such as career shifts and social stress.

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Clinical psychologist Jay ( The Defining Decade) presents a brisk and pragmatic guide to mental health for young adults. Critiquing what she sees as a crisis of overmedication and overdiagnosed mental illness, Jay posits that most 20-somethings "don't have disorders that need to be treated; they have problems that need to be solved," many of which stem from the inherent uncertainty of that stage of life, which can catalyze depression, substance abuse disorders, and other mental health issues. As an alternative, Jay outlines brass-tacks skills for tackling challenges such as career shifts (in an uncertain job landscape, 20-somethings should focus on accruing skills that are "transportable across jobs or locations") and social stress ("The only way to feel more sure of yourself socially is to spend more time being social... only experience can teach your brain that this isn't as dangerous as it feels"). While Jay's assertion that "we ought to proceed thoughtfully... when considering psychiatric medications" for young adults is well-taken, readers may be left unsure about how to harness that information in terms of seeking psychiatric care and deciding whether to go on medication themselves. Still, the author's can-do attitude and experience-based advice will do plenty to reassure that uncertainty is an inevitable element of young adulthood that needn't be incapacitating. This is a solid resource for the stressed-out. (Apr.)

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The Twentysomething Treatment: A Revolutionary Remedy for an Uncertain Age by Meg Jay

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Clinical psychologist Jay (The Defining Decade) presents a brisk and pragmatic guide to mental health for young adults. Critiqui...

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Quit yolking around, ya don't need eggs-ray vision..

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'Chi'

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Literally…

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"There is force in the Universe which, if we permit it, will flow through us and produce miraculous results." - Mahatma Gandhi

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Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing Programmes Information for 15 to 18 Year Olds 

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Everyone experiences anxiety. It can play a healthy role in alerting us to problems or challenges. While anxiety is a natural feeling, it can become overwhelming and get in the way of day-to-day life. This programme is all online and helps you to understand your anxiety and how to manage it. It has two main steps which help you feel well:
• Understanding what’s going on inside of you
• Making changes to feel better
Working through the programme is easy and there are tools and activities that help you put what you have learnt into practice. A trained supporter will guide you through the programme and answer any questions you have. These programmes have been created by the digital platform, SilverCloud who are leaders in providing online self-care programmes. Click the image to find out how to access it.

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Spring is just around the corner, and if you’re feeling like it’s time to emerge from winter’s slumber, these creative, science-backed strategies will help you boost your confidence, add more movement to your days, and infuse every aspect of your life with more joy.

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It's almost spring. It's time to reawaken from our winter slumber, break out of our shells and get happy.

Liven up your body and mind with these creative and science-backed ways to boost confidence, joy and add movement to your life.

Put a spring in your step
Make your daily walks whimsical
Make your daily walks unpredictable and surprising by adding a creative challenge, says Elizabeth Lyons of the University of Texas Medical Branch.

As part of her research, she created a Facebook page to help motivate older women in Galveston, Texas, to go for daily walks. To keep the participants on their toes, she posts fun challenges on the page. For example, she asks the women to take a photo of something on their walk that looks like a book cover - or mark off as many different kinds of trees as possible from a checklist she shares in advance.

Recreate this sense of whimsy in your own exercise routine. Take photos of at least five different flowers on your neighborhood walk. Ride your bike from one friend's house to another. Beat your personal record to the peak of a hill.
Punctuate your day with short bursts of movement
Loretta DiPietro, an exercise research scientist at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, says that just moving "helps to clear fat and sugar out of blood."

Try three 10-minute bouts of exercise scattered throughout the day - for instance, walking up the stairs or around the block.

Studies show these shorter bursts of exercise can give you similar heart health benefits as one longer stint, and can keep you from gaining weight. In other words, you're getting fitter with every 10-minute bout. And eventually, you can build up to working out in much longer stretches.
Pick up the pace
Make your daily walks do more for your health by increasing the intensity, says DiPietro. Turn on some music - the beat can prompt you to walk faster. Or try engaging more muscles by adding some stairs in and swinging your arms.

Get happy

Make your wishes come true with WOOP
Reach your dreams this spring by following WOOP, a science-based mental strategy developed by Gabriele Oettingen, a social scientist and author of the book Rethinking Positive Thinking: Inside the New Science of Motivation. The acronym stands for "wish, outcome, obstacles, plan."

First think about a wish you have, let's say you want to learn Italian. Then think about the outcome of that wish. If you learned Italian, you could show off your new skills on a trip to Rome.

That's where positive thinking normally stops, but WOOP tells us to go a little further. What are the practical and personal obstacles to learning Italian? Having to pay for a class? Setting aside free time to study? Lastly, make a plan to help you overcome those challenges. Instead of going to a formal class that meets a couple of nights a week, maybe you can download a language app you can use on your own time. Apply the WOOP framework to any goal and see where it gets you.
Pay a 'gratitude visit'
Evidence suggests that if you express gratitude to the people you care about, you can improve those relationships, says Laurie Santos, host of The Happiness Labpodcast. "Often, researchers have subjects do what's called a 'gratitude visit.' They ask subjects to scribble down a few things they're really grateful for about a person they haven't thanked. Then, they have them meet in person and read the letter."

In practice, the people who receive these letters often report it's one of the best moments in their life, says Santos. "But what's more amazing is that these letters not only help the person that receives the gratitude - they also help the person who expresses the gratitude."
Do something kind for someone else
Doing a good deed can remind you that you have the power and ability to make things better - for yourself and others. "You can live by your values even if so much is out of your control," says Jenny Taitz, a clinical psychologist and the author of Stress Resets: How to Soothe Your Body and Mind in Minutes.

These kind acts don't have to be time-consuming, she adds. They can be small, positive actions you can do in a pinch: Send a friend a greeting card out of the blue. Be extra kind to your neighbors. Find a volunteer opportunity that resonates with you and commit to it.

These acts may even offer positive benefits to your health. One 800-person study of older adults found that those who did good deeds, like helping family members with errands or providing childcare, had a lower chance of dying from stress-related causes.

Boost confidence
Take an improv class
Improv can help you practice self-love, build confidence and achieve self-actualization, says Clay Drinko, author of Play Your Way Sane: 120 Improv-Inspired Exercises to Help You Calm Down, Stop Spiraling and Embrace Uncertainty.

In fact, there are several mental health benefits of performing this art. According to a 2020 study published in Thinking Skills and Creativity, researchers found that doing just 20 minutes of improv can increase creativity, well-being and our ability to tolerate uncertainty. Another study from 2019 found that doing improv was associated with reductions in social anxiety in adolescents.
Talk to yourself the way you'd talk to a friend
When we beat ourselves up over mistakes, disparage our own appearance or talk ourselves out of great ideas, we're not giving ourselves the grace and care that we would give others, says Joy Harden Bradford, an Atlanta-based clinical psychologist and the host and founder of the podcast Therapy for Black Girls. Try practicing self-compassion and replacing that negative inner voice with a kinder one.

When you realize you're talking down to yourself, ask yourself: "Would I say this to my best friend?" Then remind yourself of who you really are. Try to remember that we all make mistakes and you are a delight to be around.
Surround yourself with people who love you
If we're "grounded in the fact that we're unconditionally worthy," says clinical psychologist Adia Gooden, then we're less likely to take offense when "somebody doesn't treat us that way."

To strengthen our feelings of self-worth, Gooden suggests "spending time around people who remind us that we are deserving of care and respect, like close friends and family members who lift you up.
The digital story was written by Malaka Gharib and edited by Clare Marie Schneider. The visual editor is Beck Harlan. We'd love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at LifeKit@npr.org.

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9 energizing ideas that can put a spring in your step

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Boost confidence, joy and add movement to your life with these creative and science-backed actions.

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Text About It is a free, anonymous, 24/7 messaging service providing everything from a calming chat to immediate support for mental health and wellbeing. Text About It provides a safe space where you’re listened to by a trained volunteer. You’ll message back and forth, only sharing what you feel comfortable with. By asking questions, listening to you and responding with support, they will help you sort through your feelings until you both feel you are now in a calm, safe place.

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HOW TEXT ABOUT IT WORKS

Text About It is a free, anonymous, 24/7 messaging service providing everything from a calming chat to immediate support for mental health and wellbeing.

Text About It provides a safe space where you're listened to by a trained volunteer. You'll message back and forth, only sharing what you feel comfortable with. By asking questions, listening to you and responding with support, they will help you sort through your feelings until you both feel you are now in a calm, safe place.

Text HELLO to 50808 for free
To start a conversation with us, text the word 'HELLO' for free to 50808. You'll get two automated messages in response. The first will outline our terms and conditions and the second will simply ask "What's going on for you?"
Remember: 48, An Post & Clear Mobile customers should text 'HELLO' to 0861800280, standard SMS charges may apply.

Some things to remember:

If at any time you want to end the conversation, you can text STOP and you won't receive any further texts.

If our team believes you or someone else is at imminent risk, we will contact the emergency services to ensure your safety and it will be up to the emergency services to determine how and when they respond.

It's not a one way process: you won't be told what to do. You'll need to work with the volunteer to share what is going on for you, explore options and look to move forward.

Our volunteers don't provide clinical advice and the service does not provide therapy or long-term support.

If your phone network doesn't support short codes like 50808, you can reach us using our back-up number 0861800280, however standard messaging rates may apply to this number.

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Text About It is a free, anonymous, 24/7 messaging service providing everything from a calming chat to immediate support for mental health and wellbeing. Text About It provides a safe space where you're listened to by a trained volunteer. You'll message back and forth, only sharing what you feel comfortable with.

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Men who watch pornography have poorer wellbeing, ESRI study finds

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Primary school aged children encounter pornography once they get their first phone, according to a study published in January 2023. Pornography is increasingly having a damaging impact on young people’s understanding of relationships and needs to be discussed in school and at home. A study published in March 2024 found that men who use pornography have poorer wellbeing than non-users; they reported being less satisfied with their lives, having more depressive symptoms and a poorer self-image. Among both women and men, those who use pornography have higher levels of aggression and are more likely to cope with stress by using negative strategies, such as drinking alcohol or drug-taking, or taking to their bed.

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Men who watch pornography have poorer wellbeing, ESRI study finds

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Young men almost five times more likely to watch pornography than young women, according to research

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Every waking moment is a nightmare for children in Gaza. Please donate now to send vital aid.

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In Their Own Words

Mahmoud* sits on a hospital trolley beside his injured little brother Rayan*, who is still unconscious. His head wrapped in heavy bandages; his t-shirt drenched in his own blood. Mahmoud is nursing a badly injured arm and cut to his head.

The boys are receiving treatment for their injuries at the Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City. They managed to survive the bomb but their terror and trauma is etched across their faces.

"They bombed the house next to us," Mahmoud says, his eyes wide with fear. "Sand, rocks and everything fell down on us."

Mahmoud and Rayan's physical wounds may heal, but the scars of their trauma run so deep that they will live with the consequences for the rest of their lives. This is the tragedy over a million children are facing in the Gaza Strip this Christmas
*Names changed to protect children's identity

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Gaza Crisis Emergency Appeal | Donate Now | UNICEF Ireland

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Donate now to UNICEF's Gaza Crisis Emergency Appeal. Children are running out of food, water & medicine. They need your help to survive.

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Beyond the Surface: Exploring the Link Between Inflammation and Mental Health | Cue

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The Link Between Inflammation and Mental Health

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The Link Between Inflammation and Mental Health

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Depression is a complex mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Recent research has uncovered a surprising link between inflammation and depression in some people. This article explores what causes inflammation, the signs and symptoms of inflammation, the relationship between inflammation and depression, recent scientific findings, and the importance of at-home testing. Understanding and managing inflammation can play a crucial role in promoting mental well-being and overall health, so let’s get started.

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Depression is a complex mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Recent research has uncovered a surprising link between inflammation and depression in some people. In this article, we will explore what causes inflammation, the signs and symptoms of inflammation, delve into the relationship between inflammation and depression, highlight recent scientific findings, and discuss the importance of at-home testing. Understanding and managing inflammation can play a crucial role in promoting mental well-being and overall health, so let's get started.
What Causes Inflammation
Inflammation is a natural response by your immune system to protect your body against harm, such as infections or injuries. However, chronic inflammation can arise from various factors, including:

Poor diet: Consuming high amounts of processed foods, refined sugars, unhealthy fats, and additives can trigger chronic inflammation.

Sedentary lifestyle: Lack of physical activity and prolonged sitting can contribute to systemic inflammation.

Chronic stress: Long-term stress can disrupt the body's immune response, leading to inflammation.

Environmental factors: Exposure to pollutants, toxins, and allergens can promote chronic inflammation in susceptible individuals.

Signs and Symptoms of Inflammation
Recognizing the signs and symptoms of inflammation is important, as they can manifest in various ways, including:

Redness: Increased blood flow to the affected area may cause redness.

Heat: Inflammation often generates heat in the affected area.

Swelling: Fluid accumulation can lead to visible swelling or puffiness.

Pain: Inflammation can activate pain receptors, resulting in discomfort or tenderness.

Fatigue: Chronic inflammation can cause fatigue and a general sense of low energy.

The Link Between Inflammation and Depression
Emerging research has suggested a compelling connection between inflammation and depression in some individuals. Inflammation triggers chemical reactions in the body that can impact brain function and mood regulation. Studies have found that individuals with chronic inflammation are at a higher risk of developing depression. Additionally, some people with depression show elevated levels of inflammatory markers in their blood.

Recent scientific findings suggest that inflammatory molecules can disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin and dopamine, which play a critical role in mood regulation. Inflammation may also impair the growth and connectivity of brain cells, leading to changes in brain structure and function associated with depression.
At-Home Lab Tests for Inflammation
Monitoring your inflammatory markers can provide valuable insights into your health and potentially your mental well-being. Convenient at-home lab tests for inflammation allow you to measure specific markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) or interleukin-6 (IL-6) from the comfort of your home. Tracking these markers can help you measure underlying inflammation and make informed decisions about your well-being, including seeking appropriate treatment options.
Importance of Understanding and Managing Inflammation for Overall Health
Understanding and managing inflammation is crucial for promoting overall health. By adopting an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, such as consuming a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, engaging in regular physical activity, managing stress effectively, and limiting exposure to toxins, you can help reduce chronic inflammation and potentially alleviate symptoms of depression.

Moreover, addressing inflammation not only might benefit your mental health but it may also lower the risk of developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders.

In conclusion, the surprising connection between inflammation and depression reveals an interplay between our physical and mental well-being. For some people, chronic inflammation can contribute to the development or worsening of depression, emphasizing the importance of managing inflammation for mental health.

By adopting an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress management, and reducing exposure to toxins, individuals may be able to actively reduce chronic inflammation and potentially alleviate symptoms of depression. Monitoring inflammatory markers through at-home lab tests, allows for better understanding and personalized management of inflammation.

Recognizing the link between inflammation and depression empowers individuals to take proactive steps towards improved mental health and overall well-being. By addressing inflammation, individuals not only promote mental wellness but also reduce the risk of chronic diseases and enhance their quality of life.

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Beyond the Surface: Exploring the Link Between Inflammation and Mental Health | Cue

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Depression is a complex mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Recent research has uncovered a surprising link between inflammation and depression in some people.

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How the new science of mindset can transform individuals, teams and organisations.

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In Cultures of Growth, Dweck’s protégé, Mary Murphy, a social psychologist at both Stanford and Indiana University, shows that mindset transcends individuals. A growth mindset culture can transform any group, team, or classroom to reach breakthroughs while also helping each person achieve their potential.

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Chapter 1: The Mindset Continuum CHAPTER 1 The Mindset Continuum
We've gotten mindset all wrong. Well, not all wrong, but we've oversimplified it drastically, and to our detriment.

Mindset seems like an easy concept to grasp: Either you believe that intelligence and ability are largely set and can't change much, or you think that we can grow and develop them over time. Yet when you reflect on your own personal experiences, you might sense something more complex than an either/or dichotomy.

Think of a time in the past when you were met with a challenge. How did you respond? Let's say your boss asked you to come up with some fund-raising ideas to help address a projected shortfall. Perhaps you played it safe, suggesting only initiatives that were in line with what the organization had done in the past. Or, maybe you saw in that request an opportunity to try something new, and you stretched yourself to offer unique solutions that went beyond traditional outreach and events. Or, maybe you started by listing the usual ideas, but then decided to push yourself a little.

The reality is that no one has either a fixed or a growth mindset. Although we may favor a fixed or a growth mindset, we all have both-and shifting between them is something each one of us does. Moreover, when we shift from fixed to growth, it isn't always like flipping a switch; sometimes it's more like adjusting a dimmer.
Mindset exists on a continuum. And where we fall on that continuum at any given moment often has to do with the situation we're in and the people around us.
However, the way we've come to think about mindset doesn't reflect this complexity. Since Carol Dweck first introduced the concept, we've seen the following illustration displayed frequently in classrooms and on social media:

What's wrong with this image? Yes, people can differ in the mindset they typically endorse, but by focusing on our brains, this image implies that mindset is located entirely in the head. And it puts it in either/or terms. It asks us to identify what kind of mindset we have, implying that it's one or the other. Can you see the irony here? Thinking we always embody either the fixed or the growth mindset is a very fixed way of viewing mindset!

This image also shows a clear preference for one mindset over the other: Growth is good and fixed is bad. Although, as we will see, people and cultures with more of a growth mindset may have many admirable qualities, these misunderstandings have led to the moralization of mindset, especially in the American educational system and in corporations that have taken up the idea. When we view mindset as a fixed trait that resides inside an individual's head, and when we believe that a person with one mindset is a better person than someone with the other mindset, it's easy to use mindset to sort and label people. It also means that we put the onus of change on the individual, instead of considering the context and culture that creates and maintains mindset.

Mindset culture as it exists outside of us is an active, collaborative creation. Still, organizational leaders often focus on individual mindset, as if identifying and retaining "growth mindset" employees will create a growth-minded organization. Many school systems have asked my colleagues and me if there are assessments to rate teachers on their fixed or growth mindsets; and investment firms have requested that I help them create assessments so they can identify which entrepreneurs to invest in. Often, organizations want to use such assessments for selection and hiring. The underlying assumptions behind these inquiries are that: (a) mindset is static; (b) it's entirely individual; and (c) such assessments will reveal the "truth" about someone's mindset-whether they have a growth (or fixed) mindset, and therefore whether they'll be a good employee (or not). And when we affix these beliefs on individuals, they turn around and affix them on others.

In the teacher training institute that my colleagues and I created, we see teachers who endorse this false dichotomy view of mindset labeling students who struggle with motivation or performance by saying things like, "I'm sorry, this kid just has a fixed mindset and there's nothing much I can do about it" or "This generation of students has really fixed mindsets." When we ask teachers what they're doing to help students move toward their growth mindset, they sometimes say, "That's not my job. Students just need to have a growth mindset, or their parents need to be working with them to develop one." But labeling kids as unable to change is the definition of a fixed mindset-on the part of the teacher. And because some teachers may want learning to come easily and quickly (another fixed-minded attitude), they may short-circuit students' struggles-and thereby their learning-by immediately offering the correct answers or reassuring them that, "It's okay, not everyone can be a math person."

All of this misconstrues what mindset is, as well as the factors that determine our mindset in any given moment. And it turns mindset into a blame game, which doesn't help anyone.

Ask someone what their mindset is, and the accurate answer is: It depends. Even among those of us who study mindset, no one leans toward growth all of the time. Depending on the situation, our fixed or growth mindset can become activated.

Meet the Mindset Continuum.
THE MINDSET CONTINUUM
Instead of simply having a fixed or growth mindset, we are nudged along a continuum either more toward our fixed or more toward our growth mindset, depending on the circumstance. But on this continuum, we also have a default set point. Perhaps you tend to hang out on the growth end of the continuum, or your initial response to challenge is more fixed. (Don't hold too tightly to that idea either, because our set point can change over time and in different situations.)

Understanding our mindset set point can be a helpful starting point, as Carol Dweck's classic work shows, yet none of us lives in a vacuum. In fact, one of the most surprising findings of our research is how people move along the continuum based on predictable, discernable cues around them, which is why mindset assessments aimed at targeting our "one true mindset" often miss the mark.
MINDSET CULTURE
The culture surrounding us is one of the biggest influences on our beliefs, motivations, and behavior. This mindset culture exists at the group and organizational level.

Mindset culture is so powerful that it can actually block an individual's growth mindset. But when leaders focus on developing individuals, they almost always overlook the impact of the mindset culture they've created. In many cases, they're not even aware of it! For example, Barre3 CEO Sadie Lincoln had built a fitness business that she thought had growth mindset at its core until an anonymous company-wide survey shattered the image she'd worked hard to develop-that of the perfect leader who made it all look easy. "I really tried to play that part, even though it wasn't always true," says Lincoln. "I didn't realize I had created a culture of perfection, and as a result we lost authenticity, trust, and our ability to innovate together." Perfection is one aspect of a fixed mindset culture. In an environment that demanded seemingly effortless, flawless performance (as modeled from the top), employees felt demotivated and demoralized instead of invigorated and inspired to take on challenges. This is mindset culture at work. Even an attentive leader such as Sadie Lincoln was shocked to learn that instead of a Culture of Growth, she'd unwittingly created what I call a Culture of Genius, an organization whose policies, practices, and norms embody fixed mindset beliefs.

Lincoln knew she and her team had to overhaul their corporate culture, starting with taking ownership of her role in creating a toxic atmosphere. (We'll look at how she did that in Chapter 11.) It wasn't easy-and it wasn't without consequences. "I lost team members during this trying time," Lincoln told Marie Claire.

Some people who bought into the fixed mindset culture of effortless perfection found it unsettling to see Lincoln openly acknowledging and owning her failures. But the people who stayed helped her build their new growth mindset culture. And as Lincoln told Guy Raz in a 2020 interview on How I Built This, the lessons her team learned during that time later helped them successfully navigate the COVID-19 pandemic-when countless other fitness companies had to close their doors permanently. Within days of closing all of their locations nationwide, they re-opened as an online exercise platform.

But lockdowns were only the beginning of what they would have to grapple with. In response to the Black Lives Matter movement, Lincoln and her team called on experts and began to formulate a plan to address issues of structural racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion that they identified within the business. As Lincoln told Raz, "This is one of the most hard, profound, important moments of our history at Barre3.... I am a White woman in leadership with immense privilege, and [I've unconsciously built] a company of leaders who look a lot like me," including franchise owners and instructors. The company has been working with their DEI partner to educate leadership and franchise owners, and to reshape their outreach and hiring practices. They've been sharing their plans publicly through the company's blog, have created a set of internal metrics to measure their progress, and are working to reshape their systems to make DEI-centered policies standard practice throughout the organization.
CULTURES OF GENIUS AND CULTURES OF GROWTH
Organizational mindset refers to the shared beliefs about intelligence, talent, and ability that are held by a group of people in an organization. This mindset is revealed through the group's cultural artifacts: its policies, practices, procedures, behavioral norms, messages from leaders and other powerful people, important organizational materials (such as its website, mission statement, and other foundational documents), and so on.

Organizational mindsets also exist on a continuum spanning fixed to growth. Teams don't just have a static mindset; they move between them in response to opportunities and challenges that arise and the affordances provided by the larger organization. Organizational mindset beliefs-that is, the degree to which a given group believes that intelligence, talent, and ability are fixed or are malleable-not only influence our behavior and how we present ourselves, they also guide our interactions and our expectations of others. These core beliefs shape the way people in a group think, feel, and behave. In workplace settings, mindset culture has a ripple effect that impacts everything: collaboration and innovation; who is hired, fired, and promoted; ethical (or unethical) behavior; diversity and inclusion; and bottom-line economic success. At school, the mindset culture affects students' experiences, engagement, and performance in class, and it influences which students teachers and administrators deem worthy of challenging material and additional investment.

Fixed mindset organizations-or Cultures of Genius-believe and communicate the idea that people's abilities are unchangeable, or fixed. People either "have it" or they don't, and there's little anyone can do to change this. "Star search" and "stack ranking" evaluation practices are a common outgrowth of fixed-minded Cultures of Genius. If leadership believes that some have it and some don't, the focus naturally shifts to finding, recruiting, and promoting stars and either ignoring or firing everyone else. In Cultures of Genius, systems encourage people to compete against one another to prove themselves and to see who rises to the top (often by whatever means necessary).

Ironically, when people hear the term "Culture of Genius" without context, their eyes widen. "Ooh, I like the sound of that!" they exclaim. Our society has a cultural fascination with the idea of genius and the perception that some special people are born with innate abilities and skills that lie beyond the grasp of the rest of us. We even falsify history to retell stories that emphasize the genius or lone hero who, by virtue of innate talent, has a brilliant "aha" moment that changes the world. Paradoxically, the more our daily lives require interdependence, collaboration, and teamwork, the more we seem to cling to these genius narratives. As Harvard professor Marjorie Garber writes in The Atlantic, "The further our society gets from individual agency-the less the individual seems to have real power to change things-the more we idealize the genius, who is by this definition the opposite of the committee or the collaborative enterprise. Indeed, some of the resistance to the idea that Shakespeare wrote his plays in collaboration with other playwrights and even actors in his company comes from our residual, occasionally desperate need to retain this ideal notion of the individual genius."

As Garber goes on to note, Joseph Addison, an eighteenth-century chronicler of the history of the genius, described two types of genius popular in the early 1700s: natural and learned. One could display brilliance from an early age, but one could also develop it through industriousness (or what I call effective effort). These days, we focus almost exclusively on the former manifestation, to the point of idolizing it. That's why the Culture of Genius, at first blush, sounds so appealing.

When I asked Carol Dweck where she thinks our love of genius comes from, she speculated, "I think a large part of it comes from the legacy of hierarchy," explaining that those in power, born into privilege and educated at prestigious schools, tend to look for ways to justify why they're better. Stanford psychology professor Claude Steele echoed a similar idea: "It's probably a root of a power-privilege sustaining ideology. Once you have it, you have it, and if you don't have it, you're out of luck. That guarantees a certain status to me if I'm a genius and I have high ability-it gives you a sense of exclusiveness that other people might not be able to get there and it's just the natural order of things." Claude added that this type of thinking "legitimizes and launders privilege. The reality is I've gotten good because I've had some pretty good scaffolding, but with the genius idea, I don't have to think about my position that way-I can think about it in terms of 'this is a gift that I have.'?" Consistent with these analyses, the research I've conducted shows that the genius mentality helps maintain the status quo. Those who most benefit from the status quo-the few who are considered stars-have an interest, consciously or unconsciously, in keeping it in place. At the same time, it takes the pressure off those who haven't been anointed; after all, if I'm not someone who has it, people are likely to expect less of me.

Perhaps then it's logical we'd gravitate toward building Cultures of Genius. With a genius at the helm-and as many as we can find, spread throughout the organization-we should be extremely successful, right? But that's not what my research shows. As you'll see in coming chapters, ironically, Cultures of Genius often produce less genius-that is, they tend to show significantly less innovation, creativity, sustained growth, consistent results, and so on. People's drive, their willingness to take the kinds of risks that will lead to the next big idea or breakthrough, their desire to collaborate with their colleagues or folks in other sectors, may all be dampened inside the prove-and-perform culture of effortless perfection that Cultures of Genius establish.

Conversely, with its emphasis on embracing complexity, possibility, and dedicated effort, growth mindset cultures-or Cultures of Growth-can sometimes seem more demanding. In an organization where learning is continuous, there are always more ways to improve and new horizons to seek.

Yet people often misperceive the growth mindset as softer and less rigorous, and Cultures of Growth as ones where leaders provide unreserved warmth, positivity, and endless affirmations while rewarding effort more than results. But this flies in the face of my research, which shows that college students in classrooms taught by faculty who create a growth mindset culture, for example, do not experience those professors' classes as easier or less rigorous. Instead, they describe the classes as quite demanding, and sometimes, downright annoying. When a professor is functioning in their growth mindset while leading a class, they will keep challenging students to stretch themselves to learn and grow. These teachers will not be content if even one student hits a learning plateau; they push for continuous improvement, even among students who are already doing well. From the perspective of students, this is not always pleasant. But they tend to appreciate it in the longer run because they do better and learn more.

People in Cultures of Growth believe that talent and ability can be developed with effort, persistence, good strategies, help-seeking, and support. They are often asked to reflect on their progress and development instead of just reporting whether or not they've accomplished their goal. They are also asked to identify what was done to create that progress (including things that failed, not just things that succeeded). Finally, they are asked to use that knowledge to improve the organization. Cultures of Growth offer tangible strategies and structures that encourage innovation and expand the abilities of their workforce. That is, the Culture of Growth's commitment to development is demanding-requiring effort, attention, and dedication to proactively identify ways to improve-but critically, individuals are not left to do this alone; the organization provides support and resources to help folks along the way.

My research shows that an organization's mindset culture consistently influences five common ways people work well together (or not): collaboration; innovation; risk-taking and resilience; integrity and ethical behavior; and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). These behavioral norms (defined as unwritten rules for behavior that are considered acceptable or desirable within a group) are often interlocking, such that when a team has issues with collaboration and innovation, they usually struggle with risk-taking, ethics, and DEI too. In Part Two, I'll show how mindset culture shapes each of these norms and how you can harness them to build organizational trust, employee satisfaction and commitment, and yes, profit. That's a whole lot, and it's reasonable to ask how we know so much is shaped by mindset culture.
Organizational Mindset as a Meaning-Making System
An organization's mindset may rest on a shared belief, but it has a cascade of implications for people's other beliefs, goals, and behavior. When we encounter setbacks, when we're called upon to channel substantial effort into our work, or when we need to master a new domain, the core mindset beliefs endorsed by an organization tell people how best to respond. In Cultures of Growth, the cues around us prompt us to frame these challenges as opportunities to expand our abilities and develop professionally, and as people. In Cultures of Genius, we're more apt to view these situations as cause to defend and prove ourselves, even at the expense of others, if necessary. Instead of learning, we seek to elevate our status or shore up our standing.

Organizations don't fully embody either a Culture of Genius or a Culture of Growth at all times and in all contexts; they are not monolithic. As with personal mindset, organizational mindset exists on a continuum. And while there is often a recognizable overarching mindset culture at the level of the organization (the cultural set point), within organizations there are often a variety of mindset microcultures. For instance, while the organization as a whole may largely embody more of a fixed mindset, certain divisions, departments, or teams may be more oriented toward growth.

Then we have mindset at the individual level. Through research we've isolated four common, predictable situations, termed mindset triggers, that lead us to embody our personal fixed or growth mindset. (You and others may have triggers not listed here, but these are the ones that, according to analyses of the literature and anecdotal experiences working with a variety of organizations, show up most reliably.) These situations are useful to understand because they provide insights about when we tend to embody our fixed mindset and how to shift ourselves toward growth. We'll cover all of that in Part Three. (And if you're still a little confused about how it all fits together, don't worry-I'll break it all down as we move forward.)

For now, let's reconsider the illustration of the personal mindset from the start of this chapter. Instead of those two competing heads, here's a more accurate picture of how mindset operates. This version considers the influence of both the mindset culture and mindset cues that move us along the continuum between our personal fixed and growth mindset beliefs.

Though individuals have some control over their personal mindset beliefs, external factors such as an organization's mindset culture play a large and underappreciated role in shaping our thoughts, motivations, and behavior.

Your organization has a mindset culture-the question is: Do you know what it is and the ways it is affecting you and others within it?

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Cultures of Growth by Mary C. Murphy - Award-winning social psychologist Mary Murphy offers a groundbreaking reconsideration of individual and team success-s...

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How the myth of effortless genius hurts learning

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When we view hard work as a sign of low aptitude, it harms our ability to learn and grow. Research shows that like a muscle, our brains really do get "stronger" through effort and hard work. When people work hard to learn something new, they develop more neural connections between different brain regions. Recognizing effective effort can increase motivation and help people overcome challenges, argues Mary C. Murphy in her 2024 book Cultures of Growth.

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Stanford duck syndrome: How the myth of effortless genius hurts learning

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It is assumed that struggling to learn means less aptitude. But research shows that our brains get “stronger” through effort and hard work.

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Trapped in routine? Neuroscientist Tali Sharot recently spoke with Big Think about a two-step method for escaping the dark sides of habits.

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How to 'Dishabituate' and Rediscover Joy

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How to 'Dishabituate' and Rediscover Joy

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We often talk about the power and importance of habits, but we often neglect to consider the darker sides of habits.

Neuroscientist Tali Sharot spoke with Big Think about two ways to "dishabituate" yourself: take a break or make a change. Sharot said that our lives will have exploring and exploiting stages, and it's important to keep track of the balance.

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The alarm goes off to herald the start of another glorious routine! It's time to do the same things in the same order and in the same way: eat the same breakfast, take the same commute, see the same people, and, at the end of the day, go to bed at the same time. Slowly but surely, your entire life becomes banal routine, and the world outside of this gray monotony fades to nothing. You close yourself off to the world.

This is what French existentialist Gabriel Marcel called "crispation," and he saw a lot of it in society. For Marcel, crispation is when everything gets stuck or entombed in a dense mesh of habits and routines. It's the state of mind that says, "But... I've always done it this way" when presented with a new opportunity. Crispation is what says no to the wandering wizard's call to adventure, choosing to stay home and watch TV instead. We get burrowed under a "kind of shell" that gradually hardens and imprisons us.

In some ways, we live in an age of habit-fetishization. James Clear's Atomic Habits has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide, and media outlets regularly publish articles and videos with titles like " How to Build Successful Habits." But, as Marcel knew, there's a shadow side to habits. Shift your perspective and habits look like ruts. Routine becomes crispation.

Perhaps it's time to embrace "dishabituation." We should break out of the box and take on something new. To explore what dishabituation means and how it's an essential part of flourishing, Big Think spoke with bestselling author and neuroscientist Tali Sharot about her most recent book, Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There.

A habit taken for granted

Habits are formed when you do an action so often that it becomes effortless. The power of habituation is that it makes automatic things that once required conscious, determined effort. As Sharot put it, "Habituation means that we respond less and less and less to things that are constant or frequent and are always there." Habits allow you to do things easily. They let you focus on other things.

The problem is that a lot of things we call "habits" deserve our focus. Sharot talks about things like racism and sexism, where it's easy to normalize or get used to both. But it could also be "inefficiencies of the workplace or cracks in the relationships." Someone might be in a toxic relationship for so long that it becomes the norm. Their habit means they fail to see the things that should be seen: the inadequacy of their partner.

But this habitual oversight also works the other way. There are wonderful and cherished things in life, and when we take these things for granted, it lessens them a bit. When you see a friend every week or a spouse every day, they can start to fall into the background. Bit by bit, we start to see others not as people but as props on a set. Even our closest relatives, such as children or loved ones, can become folded into our routines.

So, habits have one major pitfall: They let us ignore what needs to be seen.

Breaking and changing

Sometimes, then, we need to break a habit by consciously adopting a plan of "dishabituation." We have to learn again to see what we used to see. Sharot argues that there are two main ways to do this: breaking and changing.

First, you take a break from the habit.

"Breaking is the idea that we take a break from something," Sharot said, "and then come back to it, right? And then once we come back to it, we're able to see it again...[For example], people might leave their daily lives, maybe just on a business trip for a couple of weeks, and then they come back home. Suddenly they see their home life afresh, whether it is their home, the view from the window, or their families, right? Suddenly you feel this kind of gratitude again because you've been away and you come back."

Sharot noted that the psychological benefits of breaking things up are seen in everything from how we enjoy music (even listening to a song in parts enhances the experience) to massages. It's why we tend to enjoy watching TV shows more, overall, by tuning in each week rather than in an eight-hour streaming binge.

Second, you change the habit. Changing can involve breaking, but usually involves a more lasting change. For example, you might change your environment. Let's say you're always working on the same task at the same time of day. You might choose to go to a café for that task or to work outside. Changing habits in this way is especially useful for creativity. This isn't just about artists and musicians mixing it up. It's about creativity in your everyday life.

As Sharot put it, "If you've been with the same or a bunch of people or have been in the same place for a while, with the same policies and the same routines, it will be more difficult for them to see what are the things that we can do better, right? Because of habituation."

So consider bringing some creative change to your habits - even if it's something as simple as where you work or whom you work with.

Explorers and exploiters

Of course, there's a reason why books like Atomic Habits sell millions of copies and why we're all so curious about habit-forming strategies. Habits are useful. Our brains need certain habitual heuristics to function at all - and often the most successful people are those who form strong habits. So, the question is one of balance.

"We talk a little bit about explorers versus exploiters," Sharot said. "So people who are explorers like to try a lot of new things. So, they might go visit different places, and they might talk to different types of people, right? Exploiters tend to just do more of the same thing that they find that they like a lot. Eat the same kind of thing and so on....and the optimal solution is somewhere in the middle you want to exploit; you want to take the good stuff they already know."

The overall thesis of Sharot's new book is that too many of us are living the lives of exploiters. We're staying put and sticking with old favorites. This is especially true in middle age.

"People in midlife have the lowest subjective happiness ratings for all age groups," Sharot said. "It's quite high in teenagers and kids, and then it goes down, down, down, reaching your rock bottom in midlife. [This is because] mostly and on average, people establish a family, right? Because of that, you mostly live in one place. In terms of your profession, you've kind of reached the peak or are close to it, and you are kind of just maintaining rather than developing or moving."

The midlife crisis and the dissatisfied ennui of stagnation are fueled by an excess of exploitation. We're often made unhappy by our habits. So consider finding ways to change and break some of yours. By challenging the comfort of our daily patterns, we open ourselves to new experiences, perspectives, and connections. It seems foolish to wait for a crisis to jolt us out of complacency; instead, we should seek opportunities to explore. We should aim to grow and not stagnate. Embracing change is not just an escape from monotony, but a step toward living a life full of purpose and joy.

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Trapped in routine? Here's how to "dishabituate" and rediscover joy

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Neuroscientist Tali Sharot recently spoke with Big Think about a two-step method for escaping the dark side of habits.

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The one day every year when EVERYBODY is Irish..

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How to spot misinformation and disinformation on social media - Pause; Question; Confirm.

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It's Our Social Media - Feed the Good / Block the Bad

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It's Our Social Media - Feed the Good / Block the Bad

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Online platforms are places we can connect, express, learn and explore. But we know sometimes they can also turn nasty. There’s a lot of hate online. So what can we do about it? We need to remember that social media is powered by us - the users. If it’s toxic, we can change it. We can shape it for the better. We’re holding social media platforms to account, calling on them to make our social media what we want it to be. Good fact checking and Q&A links here.

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Finally, it's important to confirm the facts yourself by using reliable news sources.

The Journal.ie is an internationally verified fact-checker, and the news website regularly fact checks misinformation that is spreading quickly in Ireland. Working with Media Literacy Ireland, The Journal.ie have put together some tips for spotting misinformation - click here to learn more!

Sometimes disinformation is shared on a fake news website or an edited screenshot. Before sharing or commenting, search the news site that the story says it is from and check their website to see if it is there.

A good way to get all of the facts is to read articles from multiple reliable news sources, like The Journal.ie, RTÉ, Virgin Media and the Irish Times.

If you're still not sure, check out Media Literacy Ireland's 'Ask An Expert' webpage. As part of their Be Media Smart campaign, a team of online safety experts are available to answer questions you have about spotting and verifying misinformation. Click here to learn more.

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Make social media better for LGBT young people

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Sure where would ye be..?

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Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 - Newsletter

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Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 - Newsletter

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'Peace of Mind'.

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'Essence'

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Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?

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Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?

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The very device many parents use as a lifeline to their kids has its own growing set of dangers. In 2017, The Atlantic posed the question: Have smartphones destroyed a generation? And in the years since, we’ve learned that these adverse effects carry into adulthood, with studies showing a depressing relationship between the age a kid first gets a smartphone and their mental health later in life.

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A study recirculating this week shows a depressing relationship between the age a kid first got a smartphone and mental health.

Women who used smartphones earlier in life reported far worse mental health as adults.

Bring back flip phones and AIM.

A chart picking up steam this week on social media might give parents of younger kids pause: Young adults who first owned smartphones in elementary school reported much worse mental health in adulthood than those who got the devices later in their teens.

The survey made me glad that, as a millennial, I'm part of the last generation that had a comparatively low-tech childhood.

I used a flip phone in middle school and into high school to remind my parents to pick me up from practice. T9 and a limited text plan relegated my tween after-school chatter to the only good social media platform, AOL Instant Messenger. (You might remember me as livelaxlove3 - RIP.)

The full study, published last year by the nonprofit group Sapien Labs, surveyed more than 27,000 young adults around the world, ages 18 to 24.

Even for people without childhood trauma, the relationship between the age of their first smartphone and adult mental health was significant, especially for women. (Of female survey respondents to the survey, 74% who first got a smartphone at age 6 reported they were "distressed or struggling" mentally, compared to 52% who got their first phone at 15.)

I don't envy parents struggling to figure out when to give their kids a smartphone, especially in light of surveys like these.

One mom wrote in Business Insider last year that age 6 was the right time to buy her gifted son a smartphone. (He wanted to take and catalog insect photos, the purest possible use.)

Parents looking for guidance may consider that the people who know the most about tech, like billionaires Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, raised their kids with limited technology.

Gates didn't let his kids get phones until they turned 14.

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This chart shows people who got phones earlier in life report more mental distress as adults. Isn't that sadly obvious by now?

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This chart shows that 74% of adult women who got a smartphone at 6 said they were struggling mentally. It makes me glad I grew up in a lower-tech age.

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Schools across Ireland Awarded for LGBTQ+ Inclusion - Belong To - LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland

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On February 23rd two students and two staff members attended an accreditation event at Google HQ where we joined 36 other schools across Ireland to be the first ever schools to be awarded the LGBTQ+ Quality Mark accreditation in recognition of our efforts to create a safe, supportive and inclusive school environment for staff and students members of the LGBTQ+ community.

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Schools across Ireland Awarded for LGBTQ+ Inclusion - Belong To - LGBTQ+ Youth Ireland

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37 Post-Primary Schools Complete Accreditation Programme For LGBTQ+ Safe and Supportive Schools Almost 40 schools across Ireland have been awarded the LGBTQ+ Quality Mark for their commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion. These are the first schools to finish the 18-month journey to embed LGBTQ+ inclusion across their school community, policies and practices.

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There is no greater wealth in this world than peace of mind.

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Tips and benefits from the American Heart Association. 

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'Be Active': How to Stay Active in Cold Weather

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'Be Active': How to Stay Active in Cold Weather

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When winter blows in, you can pull the blankets over your head and go back to sleep, or you can suit up and head out for an outdoor winter adventure. Tips and benefits to keep in mind from the American Heart Association.

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When winter blows in, you can pull the blankets over your head and go back to sleep-or you can suit up and head out for an outdoor winter adventure! The American Heart Association offers these tips for working out in the cold of winter.

There's no reason you need to take a break from physical activity when the temperature drops. In fact, exercising in cooler weather has some distinct advantages over working out in warmer weather.

Tips to Keep in Mind

No heat and humidity to deal with. Winter's chill might even make you feel awake and invigorated.

You may be able to work out longer in cold weather-which means you can burn even more calories.

It's a great way to take in the sunlight (in small doses). Not only can light improve many people's moods, it also helps you get some vitamin D.

Exercise boosts your immunity during cold and flu season. Just a few minutes a day can help prevent simple bacterial and viral infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Try these outdoor activities:

Brisk walking or hiking

Jogging or running

Raking leaves

Shoveling snow

Ice skating

Sledding

Cross-country skiing

Snowshoeing

Stay Warm, Stay Safe

Staying warm and dry when heading out to exercise in cold weather is all about layers. A little preparation can keep you safe from cold weather hazards like hypothermia and frostbite.

Cold temperatures, strong winds and damp conditions (like rain and snow) steal your body heat. For example, according to the National Weather Service, a 30-degree day with 30-mile-an-hour wind feels like about 15 degrees. And if you get wet (from rain, snow or perspiration) that effect is only magnified. That's why layers of clothing are so important. They help trap the heat and form a kind of insulation against the elements.

Resist your instinct to start layering with cotton. Once cotton becomes wet with sweat or snow, the moisture is trapped and will actually make you feel colder (and heavier). For your first layer, you want something that pulls moisture away from your skin, like the moisture wicking fabrics used in high-performance sportswear. Next, add a layer of fleece; finally, top with a thin waterproof layer.

Know the Signs

Hypothermia means the body temperature has fallen below 35 degrees Celsius or about 95 degrees Fahrenheit. It occurs when your body can't produce enough energy to keep the internal body temperature warm enough. It can kill you.

Symptoms can include:

lack of coordination

mental confusion

slowed reactions

slurred speech

cold feet and hands

shivering

sleepiness

Children and the elderly may be at more risk because they may have limited ability to communicate or impaired mobility. Elderly people may also have lower subcutaneous fat and a diminished ability to sense temperature, so they can suffer hypothermia without knowing they're in danger.

Stay Hydrated

Don't forget to drink water when exercising in cooler weather. Thirst isn't the best indicator that you need to drink.

Bye-Bye, Couch Potato!

If the winter weather prevents you from getting outside, don't just reach for the remote. Make your time inside count. There are many ways to get physical activity indoors-no gym required. Hand weights or resistance bands are a great addition, but not necessary. You can also wear a heavy backpack to add intensity to your workout.

Try these indoor activities:

Home workout circuit

Dancing

Active housework like vacuuming and sweeping

Mall walking

Bowling

Roller skating

Yoga or other fun group classes at your local gym, studio, or community center

Stair climbing

Fit in Fitness

Follow the American Heart Association physical activity recommendations of at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week to improve your quality of life. Move more, with more intensity, and sit less.

What if I'm recovering from a cardiac event or stroke?

Some people are afraid to exercise after a heart attack. But regular physical activity can help reduce your chances of having another heart attack.

The AHA published a statement in 2014 that doctors should prescribe exercise to stroke patients since there is strong evidence that physical activity and exercise after stroke can improve cardiovascular fitness, walking ability and upper arm strength.

If you've had a heart attack or stroke, talk with your doctor before starting any exercise to be sure you're following a safe, effective physical activity program.

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When winter blows in, you can pull the blankets over your head and go back to sleep-or you can suit up and head out for an outdoor winter adventure! The American Heart Association offers these tips for working out in the cold of winter.