Tag: how

How your imagination can help you overcome your fears

Our imagination is an incredibly useful tool. It can soothe us during difficult times and help us solve problems, create new things, and consider possible courses of action. Some researchers have argued that our imagination, which gives us the ability to consider different scenarios, is at the core of what makes humans different from the

How Australians perform on a global health check

A new tool shows that Australians are generally in good health, compared with other countries. For the first time, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has built a data tool, looking at health measures including our life expectancy, rates of cancer, obesity and smoking, and causes of death, in relation to 36 countries in

Here’s How You Can Win Free Starbucks for Life

Starbucks has never shied away from giving away free drinks, be it on a national holiday or to promote a new drink offering. It seems like every other week, there’s a way to get your hands on a Starbucks Frapp for next to nothing. But free Starbucks for life? This comes just once a year,

How does social media use affect our body image?

Recently, the effects of social media use on our mental health and well-being have been the topic of much debate. According to the social displacement theory, for example, the more time we spend socializing online, the less time we’re likely to spend socializing in the offline world. This could lead to a decrease in one’s

Here’s How High Blood Pressure Can Affect Your Eyes

High blood pressure can do critical damage to your heart. But it affects other parts of the body, too, including the eyes. Believe it or not, when you don’t take care of your heart, you may be causing harm elsewhere, too. Here’s how blood pressure can affect your eyes. High blood pressure can cause eye

How schools can optimise support for children with ADHD

New research gives the clearest guidance yet on how schools can best support children with ADHD to improve symptoms and maximise their academic outcomes. The study, led by the University of Exeter and involving researchers at the EPPI-Centre (University College London), undertook a systematic review which analysed all available research into non-medication measures to support

COPD diagnosis: Which tests do doctors use and how are they done?

Symptoms of COPD, such as wheezing, shortness of breath, and fatigue, can be similar to the signs of other lung conditions. COPD often gets progressively worse over time. Getting an accurate and early diagnosis allows doctors to develop an effective treatment plan that can help slow the progression of a person’s disease. Doctors begin diagnosing

How the grid cell system of the brain maps mental spaces

It has long been known that so-called place cells in the human hippocampus are responsible for coding one’s position in space. A related type of brain cell, called grid cells, encodes a variety of positions that are evenly distributed across space. This results in a kind of honeycomb pattern tiling the space. The cells exhibiting

How to avoid raising a materialistic child

If you’re a parent, you may be concerned that materialism among children has been on the rise. According to research, materialism has been linked to a variety of mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, as well as selfish attitudes and behaviors. But there’s some good news. A new University of Illinois at Chicago

How humour can reduce workplace stress

Research from ANU has found a bit of humour at work can help employees deal with workplace aggression and stressful situations. Lead researcher Dr. David Cheng of the ANU College of Business and Economics said workplace aggression and bullying is a widespread problem which impacts the mental health of victims and the ramifications can be

How to Old Is Too Old to Trick or Treat

Pin Kids love Halloween — or at least the dressing up and getting candy part. But should teens or even college-age kids really be out there trick-or-treating with the little kids?  Child psychologist Michele Borba tells SheKnows that while there’s no one-size strict age cutoff, most kids decide that between 12 and 17 they feel

How to lose 10 TIMES more weight by changing how you think

You CAN think yourself thin! Dieters lose up to 10 TIMES more weight by simply ‘imagining themselves as being slimmer’ Dieters should imagine what weight loss would look, feel, smell and taste like Motivates dieters to stick to their plan, particularly those that lack willpower  The technique – tested in a new study – is

How Gwyneth Paltrow Overcame Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression is far too common. According to the American Psychological Association, 1 out of every 7 women has experienced — or will experience — PPD. And celebrities are certainly not immune. In fact, in recent years, numerous models, singers, actors and musicians have spoken out about their own struggles — including Gwyneth Paltrow. In

How the smell of disease can affect healthy people

Disease and infection can alter bodily odor. This mechanism is an important tool, albeit one that we are not usually aware of, in guiding social interactions self-preservation mechanisms. If we can “sense” that a stranger on the bus has a cold, we may instinctively avoid sitting down next to them. Previous research has shown that

PMS vs. pregnancy symptoms: How to tell the difference

Symptoms of both premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and pregnancy can vary from person to person, but they often include tenderness in the breasts, cramping, and changes in mood. In this article, we compare the symptoms of PMS with those of early pregnancy and explore the differences between the two. Mutual symptoms of PMS and pregnancy Symptoms