INSIGHTS 3: Health & Well-being/ Mental Illnesses Related Issues/ Sleeping Problems

• Eating for better health: The power of plant-based diets(Fruits, veggies and Mediterranean diets)
• Can a change in diet help people fight depression?(We see again that everything is integrated in some way)
• A Brain for Life(An insightful book  highlighting the need to develop and take care of our brain by neuropsychologist Dr Nicola Gates)
• Antibiotics overuse could result in common illness becoming life threatening(Isn’t it timely that we develop our immune systems through natural but purposeful means in order to keep away from diseases? As neuroscience research reveals mindfulness and compassion training practices allow us to overcome stressful conditions and develop resilience. Such practices have proven to improve our overall health and wellbeing. https://www.centerhealthyminds.org/news/mind-over-matter-mapping-the-two-way-street-of-the-brain-and-immune-system  http://ccare.stanford.edu/education/about-compassion-cultivation-training-cct/benefits/ )
• Burning question: Dementia and what you can do to cut your risk(It explains why lifelong learning is important to our wellbeing. In a world of information deluge, we should prepare ourselves to be receptive to diverse information/knowledge reaching us, irrespective of disciplinary boundaries. Such preparation and learning focus will lead us towards enhancing wisdom and human development.)
• Mental illness doesn’t discriminate, so when it comes to athletes, why do we? (Why is it so important for our overall wellbeing that we have a lifelong purpose (such as lifelong learning) in our lives? Then the whole lifetime can be considered as a strategic project that we manage on our own (as opposed to managing short-term goals). Having a strategic purpose/plan such as lifelong learning would likely to take us away from mental illnesses and conditions such as dementia while maintaining a high level of productivity through the development of consciousness/wisdom and/or human development. Giving emphasis on a lifelong learning target at a very young age would appear to be highly beneficial.)
• Living With Purpose May Help Seniors Sleep Soundly (Why is it important to have a purpose in life? How do mindfulness practices help in this regard?)
• The brutal dementia statistics that show Australia has a budget time bomb (It is essential that we emphasise on lifelong learning per se and mindfulness practices to avoid this situation.)
• This is what happens to your brain and body when you check your phone before bed (Why do we need sleep – a minimum of 7-9 hours a day? The well-known professor of Psychiatry, Daniel Siegel explains.)
• ‘Loneliness Epidemic’ Called a Major Public Health Threat (Loneliness Epidemic: shouldn’t practices of empathy, compassion training, emotional intelligence awareness and mindfulness practices that make social connections provide solutions to these problems?)
• The most important thing your doctor should do, but often doesn’t: talk to you (Why should empathy/ empathic communication be an essential trait for medical practitioners? Why should it an essential be part of medical education?)
• Walking for exercise: Is it enough by itself? (How walking 30 minutes a day (even in 3 blocks of 10 minutes) for 5 days over a week at a moderate intensity (as opposed to vigorous intensity) can bring significant health/well-being benefits?)
• Sleep deprivation costing billions (Less sleep and loss of productivity – can we quantify?. Is sleeping less caused by some unavoidable life matters or is it a choice? Is surviving on less sleep something to brag about? Is there a trend developing over the years about the level of sleep in general?)
• Why you should escape the cult of ‘super busy’ (Interesting discussion on how to manage our health and well-being! Prolong stress and its damage – due to hormones adrenaline and cortisol in our bloodstream for longer.)
• Sleep Deprivation a Serious Threat to Health: Expert (Why is sleep deprivation a serious problem? What are the health conditions associated with it? Should employers/decision-makers pay more attention in this area?)
• Schools reach ‘crisis point’ with sharp increase in students dealing with anxiety, depression (How can our education systems change/improve in order to avoid these trends – significantly increasing incidents of mental health issues for children as young as 10?)
• Why a meaningful life might matter more than happiness (Why a purpose in life or meaningful life matters for our health and well-being (or to be more resilient)!)
• Lifestyle changes could have prevented 40 per cent of cancer deaths, study finds (Reducing cancer deaths 40% by making appropriate lifestyle changes. Tobacco smoking, including passive smoking Low intake of fruit and vegetables and high intake of red and processed meat Excessive alcohol consumption Being overweight Being physically inactive Excessive exposure to UV light Infections such as hepatitis C and Human papillomavirus Use of some menopausal hormonal therapy)
• Jobs That May Ruin Sleep (“Not long ago, sleep wasn’t considered particularly important. You either got it or you didn’t, and if you didn’t, too bad. That picture has changed dramatically as more and more health problems are associated with poor sleep. Some of the problems caused by lack of sleep are short-term. You become more moody. Your judgment can be off. You find it harder to learn. You may also be at greater risk of serious injury. All of this adds up to more mistakes at work and school, and opens the door to potential accidents while driving. There are also long-term problems that arise when you don’t get enough sleep. Over time, sleep deprivation can lead to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and even an early death.”)
• What’s behind the rise of minimalist living? (Interesting living trend – Minimalist Living! “It’s someone who decides not to buy into the ‘work, spend, go into debt, work some more’ lifestyle, which is encouraged by consumerist society,” Professor Kasser says. “[They] instead focus on personal growth, their family, or spirituality … living sustainably or contributing to the community”  “We focus primarily on how the economy is doing … these are all extrinsic, materialistic, money-orientated indicators,” he says. “Instead of using economic growth as a proxy for all things good, [we must focus] instead on indicators that really do have to do with intrinsic values, how happy are people.”)
• The High Price of Materialism (High price of materialism – what research finds is deteriorating health and well being (depression, anxiety, low self-esteem etc), reducing personal and social sustainability!)
• Eat Your Greens . . . and Maybe Boost an Aging Brain (
  HEALTHY AGING – HOW?
  Eat your greens
  Regular exercise
  Not smoking
  Maintaining a healthy weight
  Keeping your cardiovascular system in good condition (by controlling high blood pressure and diabetes, for instance)
  Staying mentally engaged (by reading or learning new skills, for example)
  )
• Depression Symptoms: Exercise, Diet & Stress Reduction (Some useful, natural practices to overcome stress, anxiety and depression (and to maintain overall well-being)!)
• Superannuation increasingly used for medical costs (Concerning trend! – in an increasing trend of superannuation funds are being used as medical costs (40+ million in 2001 and now it is close to 300 million). It appears that something is not right here. What are are the causes/solutions?)

Omega-3: What are the health benefits and how should you eat it? (Deciding on healthy-fat intake towards well-being. “Easy ways to eat healthy fats Include 2–3 serves of fish a week (100–150g per serve). Use nuts and seeds in your breakfast. Sprinkle ground linseed on cereal or try a handful of almonds sprinkled over yoghurt. A handful of unsalted nuts make a healthy snack any time of the day. Use oils and margarine spreads made from olive, sunflower, canola and safflower oils in cooking and on sandwiches and toast instead of butter. Choose wholegrain bread with linseeds.”)

•  Slow down! Eating at a leisurely pace may be good for you (Mindful eating (by slowing down the speed of taking food in) to avoid getting over-weight/obesity. It allows us to listen to body signals better to stop over-eating. Interesting! Another example of how mindfulness helps in personal well-being.)
• Sugary soft drinks linked to increased cancer risk (A good reason to minimise (or even to avoid) soft drinks – MINIMISE CANCER RISKS. )
• Heavy Drinkers Put Themselves at Risk for Dementia (Research findings/confirmations: The relationship between alcohol abuse and dementia (early onset))“Overall, alcohol abuse was associated with a three times greater risk for all types of dementia. Alcohol was a factor in 57 percent of the 57,000 cases of early onset dementia, which is dementia that develops before age 65.
• Practise some digital manners on your daily commute: start by turning down the volume (“where’s the digital etiquette?”(especially in public places)) An interesting and worthy question in a modern world.)
• Overwhelmed with responsibilities? How to learn to give yourself a break (Why our ultimate goal should be the well-being of all! “It’s these feelings of human frailty that bind us together and shows we are more alike than we realise. As Pema Chodron says: “Compassion for others begins with kindness to ourselves.”)
• Does Journaling Boost Your Well-Being? ( The value of journaling (possibly15-30 minutes a day) in enhancing well-being, reasoning and insight,  )
• 11 Surprising Reasons You’re Always Tired ( Some steps towards individual well-being – to avoid feeling tired and pay attention/be mindful of our work for enhanced learning and development. )
• Work and the Loneliness Epidemic (How severe can be loneliness as an epidemic in our societies? “Loneliness is a growing health epidemic. We live in the most technologically connected age in the history of civilization, yet rates of loneliness have doubled since the 1980s. Today, over 40% of adults in America report feeling lonely, and research suggests that the real number may well be higher. Additionally, the number of people who report having a close confidante in their lives has been declining over the past few decades. In the workplace, many employees — and half of CEOs — report feeling lonely in their roles.”)
• What to Do When Personal and Professional Commitments Compete for Your Time (How one’s value system becomes the key when it comes to prioritising personal and professional life commitments – interesting discussion! “The first is to define how you want to prioritize your time when professional and personal commitments collide. Each person must determine this prioritization for themselves because dramatic differences exist between individuals’ preferences, especially across cultures.” “Values. To feel successful, you need to live according to your values. Ask yourself: What are my values in terms of the type of spouse, parent, and employee I want to be? What choices will I be happy that I made five years from now?” “Family culture. Every family has a different flavour in terms of what matters to them. Ask yourself: What kind of family culture do I want to create? Do I value eating meals together, going to kids’ activities, or spending quality time with my spouse? What decisions would be aligned with that culture?”)
• Training compassion ‘muscle’ may boost brain’s resilience to others’ suffering (What the research on compassion training reveals – developing resilience in the face of “poignant enormity ” (as referred to by Jon Kabat-Zinn from University of Massachusetts Medical Center, the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) founder/pioneer) of our world – could be a very useful practice/tool for, more specifically, those highly sensitive/overexcitable (as referred to by Kazimierz  Dabrowski) individuals.”The findings, published May 22 in the journal Frontiers in Psychology…””Compassion meditation slows things down so people can practice being more calm, notice the feelings that arise and learn to be less reactive, she adds. “This gives you more mental space to focus on the other person, to practice wishing kindness and wanting them to be well, and I think both parts are really important for effectively responding to people suffering.”””“The pattern of these findings — an increase in looking at suffering while simultaneously down-regulating neural circuits associated with negative emotion — is a winning combination that may be beneficial for a wide range of conditions including autism and social anxiety disorder in which gaze aversion and social discomfort are hallmark signs,” he adds.”)

  Just How Bad Is Business Travel for Your Health? Here’s the Data (The relationship between BUSINESS TRAVEL and TRAVELLER’S HEALTH – very much educative! “…strong correlation between the frequency of business travel and a wide range of physical and behavioural health risks. Compared to those who spent one to six nights a month away from home for business travel, those who spent 14 or more nights away from home per month had significantly higher body mass index scores and were significantly more likely to report the following: poor self-rated health; clinical symptoms of ANXIETY, DEPRESSION and ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE; NO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY or EXERCISE; SMOKING; and TROUBLE SLEEPING. The odds of being OBESE were 92% HIGHER for those who travelled 21 or more nights per month compared to those who travelled only one to six nights per month, and this ultra-travelling group also had HIGHER DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE and lower high-density lipoprotein (the good cholesterol).)

  Living in a World More Focused on Means than Meaning (MEANING of life – the intriguing question for some – the thought-provoking EXISTENTIAL matters! Some deeper insights! “Viktor Frankl (Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist as well as a Holocaust survivor) once lamented, “People have enough to live by but nothing to live for: they have the means but no meaning.” This is the predicament of modern man. Once we’ve addresse

  • Eating for better health: The power of plant-based diets(Fruits, veggies and Mediterranean diets)
  • Can a change in diet help people fight depression?(We see again that everything is integrated in some way)
  • A Brain for Life(An insightful book  highlighting the need to develop and take care of our brain by neuropsychologist Dr Nicola Gates)
  • Antibiotics overuse could result in common illness becoming life threatening(Isn’t it timely that we develop our immune systems through natural but purposeful means in order to keep away from diseases? As neuroscience research reveals mindfulness and compassion training practices allow us to overcome stressful conditions and develop resilience. Such practices have proven to improve our overall health and wellbeing. https://www.centerhealthyminds.org/news/mind-over-matter-mapping-the-two-way-street-of-the-brain-and-immune-system  http://ccare.stanford.edu/education/about-compassion-cultivation-training-cct/benefits/ )
  • Burning question: Dementia and what you can do to cut your risk(It explains why lifelong learning is important to our wellbeing. In a world of information deluge, we should prepare ourselves to be receptive to diverse information/knowledge reaching us, irrespective of disciplinary boundaries. Such preparation and learning focus will lead us towards enhancing wisdom and human development.)
  • Mental illness doesn’t discriminate, so when it comes to athletes, why do we?(Why is it so important for our overall wellbeing that we have a lifelong purpose (such as lifelong learning) in our lives? Then the whole lifetime can be considered as a strategic project that we manage on our own (as opposed to managing short-term goals). Having a strategic purpose/plan such as lifelong learning would likely to take us away from mental illnesses and conditions such as dementia while maintaining a high level of productivity through the development of consciousness/wisdom and/or human development. Giving emphasis on a lifelong learning target at a very young age would appear to be highly beneficial.)
  • Living With Purpose May Help Seniors Sleep Soundly(Why is it important to have a purpose in life? How do mindfulness practices help in this regard?)
  • The brutal dementia statistics that show Australia has a budget time bomb(It is essential that we emphasise on lifelong learning per se and mindfulness practices to avoid this situation.)
  • This is what happens to your brain and body when you check your phone before bed(Why do we need sleep – a minimum of 7-9 hours a day? The well-known professor of Psychiatry, Daniel Siegel explains.)
  • ‘Loneliness Epidemic’ Called a Major Public Health Threat (Loneliness Epidemic: shouldn’t practices of empathy, compassion training, emotional intelligence awareness and mindfulness practices that make social connections provide solutions to these problems?)
  • The most important thing your doctor should do, but often doesn’t: talk to you(Why should empathy/ empathic communication be an essential trait for medical practitioners? Why should it an essential be part of medical education?)
  • Walking for exercise: Is it enough by itself?(How walking 30 minutes a day (even in 3 blocks of 10 minutes) for 5 days over a week at a moderate intensity (as opposed to vigorous intensity) can bring significant health/well-being benefits?)
  • Sleep deprivation costing billions(Less sleep and loss of productivity – can we quantify?. Is sleeping less caused by some unavoidable life matters or is it a choice? Is surviving on less sleep something to brag about? Is there a trend developing over the years about the level of sleep in general?)
  • Why you should escape the cult of ‘super busy’ (Interesting discussion on how to manage our health and well-being! Prolong stress and its damage – due to hormones adrenaline and cortisol in our bloodstream for longer.)
  • Why a meaningful life might matter more than happiness(Why a purpose in life or meaningful life matters for our health and well-being (or to be more resilient)!)
  • Lifestyle changes could have prevented 40 per cent of cancer deaths, study finds(Reducing cancer deaths 40% by making appropriate lifestyle changes. Tobacco smoking, including passive smoking Low intake of fruit and vegetables and high intake of red and processed meat Excessive alcohol consumption Being overweight Being physically inactive Excessive exposure to UV light Infections such as hepatitis C and Human papillomavirus Use of some menopausal hormonal therapy)
  • Jobs That May Ruin Sleep(“Not long ago, sleep wasn’t considered particularly important. You either got it or you didn’t, and if you didn’t, too bad. That picture has changed dramatically as more and more health problems are associated with poor sleep. Some of the problems caused by lack of sleep are short-term. You become more moody. Your judgment can be off. You find it harder to learn. You may also be at greater risk of serious injury. All of this adds up to more mistakes at work and school, and opens the door to potential accidents while driving. There are also long-term problems that arise when you don’t get enough sleep. Over time, sleep deprivation can lead to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and even an early death.”)
  • What’s behind the rise of minimalist living?(Interesting living trend – Minimalist Living! “It’s someone who decides not to buy into the ‘work, spend, go into debt, work some more’ lifestyle, which is encouraged by consumerist society,” Professor Kasser says. “[They] instead focus on personal growth, their family, or spirituality … living sustainably or contributing to the community”  “We focus primarily on how the economy is doing … these are all extrinsic, materialistic, money-orientated indicators,” he says. “Instead of using economic growth as a proxy for all things good, [we must focus] instead on indicators that really do have to do with intrinsic values, how happy are people.”)
  • The High Price of Materialism(High price of materialism – what research finds is deteriorating health and well being (depression, anxiety, low self-esteem etc), reducing personal and social sustainability!)
  • Eat Your Greens . . . and Maybe Boost an Aging Brain(
    HEALTHY AGING – HOW?
    Eat your greens
    Regular exercise
    Not smoking
    Maintaining a healthy weight
    Keeping your cardiovascular system in good condition (by controlling high blood pressure and diabetes, for instance)
    Staying mentally engaged (by reading or learning new skills, for example)
    )
  • Depression Symptoms: Exercise, Diet & Stress Reduction(Some useful, natural practices to overcome stress, anxiety and depression (and to maintain overall well-being)!)
  • Superannuation increasingly used for medical costs(Concerning trend! – in an increasing trend of superannuation funds are being used as medical costs (40+ million in 2001 and now it is close to 300 million). It appears that something is not right here. What are are the causes/solutions?)
  • Omega-3: What are the health benefits and how should you eat it?(Deciding on healthy-fat intake towards well-being. “Easy ways to eat healthy fats Include 2–3 serves of fish a week (100–150g per serve). Use nuts and seeds in your breakfast. Sprinkle ground linseed on cereal or try a handful of almonds sprinkled over yoghurt. A handful of unsalted nuts make a healthy snack any time of the day. Use oils and margarine spreads made from olive, sunflower, canola and safflower oils in cooking and on sandwiches and toast instead of butter. Choose wholegrain bread with linseeds.”)
  • Slow down! Eating at a leisurely pace may be good for you (Mindful eating (by slowing down the speed of taking food in) to avoid getting over-weight/obesity. It allows us to listen to body signals better to stop over-eating. Interesting! Another example of how mindfulness helps in personal well-being.)
  • Sugary soft drinks linked to increased cancer risk(A good reason to minimise (or even to avoid) soft drinks – MINIMISE CANCER RISKS. )
  • Heavy Drinkers Put Themselves at Risk for Dementia(Research findings/confirmations: The relationship between alcohol abuse and dementia (early onset))“Overall, alcohol abuse was associated with a three times greater risk for all types of dementia. Alcohol was a factor in 57 percent of the 57,000 cases of early onset dementia, which is dementia that develops before age 65.
  • Practise some digital manners on your daily commute: start by turning down the volume(“where’s the digital etiquette?”(especially in public places)) An interesting and worthy question in a modern world.)
  • Overwhelmed with responsibilities? How to learn to give yourself a break(Why our ultimate goal should be the well-being of all! “It’s these feelings of human frailty that bind us together and shows we are more alike than we realise. As Pema Chodron says: “Compassion for others begins with kindness to ourselves.”)
  • Does Journaling Boost Your Well-Being?( The value of journaling (possibly15-30 minutes a day) in enhancing well-being, reasoning and insight,  )
  • 11 Surprising Reasons You’re Always Tired( Some steps towards individual well-being – to avoid feeling tired and pay attention/be mindful of our work for enhanced learning and development. )
  • Work and the Loneliness Epidemic(How severe can be loneliness as an epidemic in our societies? “Loneliness is a growing health epidemic. We live in the most technologically connected age in the history of civilization, yet rates of loneliness have doubled since the 1980s. Today, over 40% of adults in America report feeling lonely, and research suggests that the real number may well be higher. Additionally, the number of people who report having a close confidante in their lives has been declining over the past few decades. In the workplace, many employees — and half of CEOs — report feeling lonely in their roles.”)
  • What to Do When Personal and Professional Commitments Compete for Your Time(How one’s value system becomes the key when it comes to prioritising personal and professional life commitments – interesting discussion! “The first is to define how you want to prioritize your time when professional and personal commitments collide. Each person must determine this prioritization for themselves because dramatic differences exist between individuals’ preferences, especially across cultures.” “Values. To feel successful, you need to live according to your values. Ask yourself: What are my values in terms of the type of spouse, parent, and employee I want to be? What choices will I be happy that I made five years from now?” “Family culture. Every family has a different flavour in terms of what matters to them. Ask yourself: What kind of family culture do I want to create? Do I value eating meals together, going to kids’ activities, or spending quality time with my spouse? What decisions would be aligned with that culture?”)
  • Training compassion ‘muscle’ may boost brain’s resilience to others’ suffering(What the research on compassion training reveals – developing resilience in the face of “poignant enormity ” (as referred to by Jon Kabat-Zinn from University of Massachusetts Medical Center, the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) founder/pioneer) of our world – could be a very useful practice/tool for, more specifically, those highly sensitive/overexcitable (as referred to by Kazimierz  Dabrowski) individuals.”The findings, published May 22 in the journal Frontiers in Psychology…””Compassion meditation slows things down so people can practice being more calm, notice the feelings that arise and learn to be less reactive, she adds. “This gives you more mental space to focus on the other person, to practice wishing kindness and wanting them to be well, and I think both parts are really important for effectively responding to people suffering.”””“The pattern of these findings — an increase in looking at suffering while simultaneously down-regulating neural circuits associated with negative emotion — is a winning combination that may be beneficial for a wide range of conditions including autism and social anxiety disorder in which gaze aversion and social discomfort are hallmark signs,” he adds.”)
  • Just How Bad Is Business Travel for Your Health? Here’s the Data(The relationship between BUSINESS TRAVEL and TRAVELLER’S HEALTH – very much educative! “…strong correlation between the frequency of business travel and a wide range of physical and behavioural health risks. Compared to those who spent one to six nights a month away from home for business travel, those who spent 14 or more nights away from home per month had significantly higher body mass index scores and were significantly more likely to report the following: poor self-rated health; clinical symptoms of ANXIETY, DEPRESSION and ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE; NO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY or EXERCISE; SMOKING; and TROUBLE SLEEPING. The odds of being OBESE were 92% HIGHER for those who travelled 21 or more nights per month compared to those who travelled only one to six nights per month, and this ultra-travelling group also had HIGHER DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE and lower high-density lipoprotein (the good cholesterol).)
  • Living in a World More Focused on Means than Meaning(MEANING of life – the intriguing question for some – the thought-provoking EXISTENTIAL matters! Some deeper insights! “Viktor Frankl (Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist as well as a Holocaust survivor) once lamented, “People have enough to live by but nothing to live for: they have the means but no meaning.” This is the predicament of modern man. Once we’ve addressed our basic needs in life, what do we strive for? This is the kind of question we ought to be talking about at our dining table with family and friends as well as in the workplace. My hope is that in sharing this article, it will prompt more of those kinds of conversations. “)
  • Probiotic supplements: should healthy people take them or is it a waste of money?(Should we take PROBIOTIC supplements or use more NATURAL means (having healthy diets with lots of VEGGIES, FRUITS and DIETARY FIBRE) to get the same effects? An interesting and useful discussion/advice!       “So if you have a poor diet (you eat TOO MUCH TAKE-AWAY food and NOT ENOUGH fruit, vegetables and whole-grain products, or you drink ALCOHOL TOO MUCH and too often) and DON’T EXERCISE regularly, your digestive bacteria may benefit from probiotic supplements, though you’ll have to keep taking them to get lasting effects.”

“But if you are otherwise healthy, probiotic supplements are likely to be a WASTE OF MONEY. Here’s some simple advice: take what you spend on probiotic supplements, and use it to buy and eat more fruit and vegetables.”)

• • Can Compassion Heal? (Great article on how MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS can become healers/therapists for significantly more EFFECTIVE DIAGNOSIS and TREATMENT (moving away from ALGORITHMIC DIAGNOSIS/TREATMENT, minimising the need for medication and improving recovery time) – yes research supported scientific evidence!)

    The Moment I Stopped Letting Busyness Be My Comfort Zone (Great firsthand insights into the value of SLOWING DOWN/being MINDFUL instead of being in ROBOTIC BUSYNESS/AUTOPILOT in order the enjoy happiness/joy/wisdom in life!

    “Before my accident, I hadn’t been still in years. Maybe ever. BUSYNESS had always been my COMFORT ZONE. I knew I was an OVERACHIEVER; that was pretty obvious. What I didn’t know was why. Honestly, I can’t recall having wondered about it at all before the accident. Keeping myself busy meant that I had NO TIME to dwell on the deep hurts and trauma of my childhood; work was the most acceptable way to NUMB MYSELF. However, coming to stillness after my accident helped me realize that, by keeping myself busy all the time, I wasn’t just avoiding uncomfortable feelings, I was also avoiding JOYFUL ones.”)

  • Behavioral Medicine ( BEHAVIOURAL MEDICINE an INTEGRATIVE/INTERDISCIPLINARY practice as means of reducing costs on healthcare systems ( including MINIMISING RELIANCE ON MEDICATION)- a very useful notion!
    “Changes in behavior and lifestyle can improve health, prevent illness and reduce symptoms of illness. More than 25 years of research, clinical practice and community-based interventions in the field of behavioral medicine have shown that behavioral changes can help people feel better physically and emotionally, improve their health status, increase their self-care skills and improve their ability to live with chronic illness. Behavioral interventions also can improve the effectiveness of medical interventions, reduce overutilization of the healthcare system and reduce the overall costs of care.”)

  • Is Humility the Soil for Happiness to Grow? (An INSIGHTFUL and EVIDENCE-BASED view on the quality of HUMILITY! What a useful feature to become AWARE OF THE REALITY AS IS and develop WISDOM (that helps complex problems solving )? “”the ability to see oneself in true perspective and be at PEACE with it.” Three components support this definition: a HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP to oneself, a healthy relationship to others and a healthy relationship to reality.” “Humble people are able to TOLERATE an honest look at themselves, and non-defensively accept their WEAKNESSES alongside their STRENGTHS,” … “This untroubled, serene, secure relationship to oneself diminishes the need to CONSTANTLY monitor and DEFEND one’s self-worth, bringing about FREEDOM from a never-ending and exhausting tendency to COMPARE ONESELF TO OTHERS.” “Humble people DO NOT EXAGGERATE the meaning of their differences from others. Even when they may LEGITIMATELY judge themselves as better or worse than others in some respects, they do not view themselves as SUPERIOR or INFERIOR to others on the whole…” “being free from exaggerated concerns about what other people SIGNIFY FOR THEIR OWN SELF-WORTH, humble people are also able to approach others with more openness, ease and benevolence.”)

  • What is Integrative Medicine? (INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE – A very important and useful emerging BROADER MEANING OF MEDICINE that should IDEALLY be the more MAINSTREAM definition of medicine at the earliest possible for developing SUSTAINABLE societies. “INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE is grounded in the definition of health. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of COMPLETE PHYSICAL, MENTAL and SOCIAL WELLBEING and NOT MERELY  the absence of disease or infirmity. Integrative medicine seeks to restore and maintain health and wellness across a PERSON’S LIFESPAN by understanding the PATIENT’S UNIQUE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES and addressing the FULL RANGE of PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, MENTAL, SOCIAL, SPIRITUAL and ENVIRONMENTAL influences that affect health. Through PERSONALISING care, integrative medicine GOES BEYOND the treatment of SYMPTOMS to ADDRESS ALL THE CAUSES of an illness. In doing so, the patient’s immediate health needs as well as the effects of the LONG-TERM and complex interplay between biological, behavioural, PSYCHOSOCIAL and ENVIRONMENTAL influences are taken into account”)

  • Pleasure and Happiness: The Great Mix-up (Insightful reflection on the DIFFERENCE between PLEASURE and #HAPPINESS! “Pleasure is the direct result of hedonistic, pleasurable sensual, esthetic, or intellectual stimuli. This fleeting experience of pleasure is dependent upon #circumstances, on a specific #location, or moment in time. It is #unstable by nature, and the sensation it evokes soon becomes neutral or even unpleasant. When repeated it may grow insipid or even lead to disgust, like the happiness of eating a cake. It tastes good, but that pleasure ends as soon as we finish it. To prolong this happiness we would have to keep eating more cakes and then, ten cakes later, we might feel nauseous.”)
  • Alcohol Helps Kill 2.8 Million People Globally Each Year (  ALCOHOL as a COLOSSAL GLOBAL ISSUE!”According to Robyn Burton of King’s College London, in England, “The conclusions of the study are clear and unambiguous: alcohol is a colossal global health issue and small reductions in health-related harms at low levels of alcohol intake are OUTWEIGHED BY THE INCREASED RISKS of other health-related harms, including CANCER.”The new study offers strong support for a guideline published by the CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER of the UNITED KINDOM, “who found that there is ‘NO SAFE LEVEL OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION,’ ” Burton wrote in an editorial that accompanied the study.”The SOLUTIONS are straightforward: INCREASING TAXATION creates income for hard-pressed health ministries, and REDUCING EXPOSURE OF CHILDREN to alcohol marketing has no downsides,” Burton concluded.”)
  • How Buddhism helped this cancer doctor care for his dying patients (How MINDFULNESS practices (or MEDITATION) helped an AUSTRALIAN ONCOLOGIST (specialist treating CANCERS) to take better care of himself and his patients. MIRACULOUS EFFECTS of paying FULL-ATTENTION NON-JUDGEMENTALLY (in an open, accepting mind) to what one is doing in the present moment.”Before the influence of Buddhism on his practice, he says his relationship with patients was characterised by “coldness, a lack of engagement and a lack of grieving”.This only added to his feelings of depression and burnout, he says.Dr Page says Buddhist philosophy helped him get in touch with ways of being, characterised by compassion, loving kindness and equanimity.Accepting the impermanence of things was also key in helping him confront his own mortality.All this changed his practice as a clinician.”It’s affected the way I see people and treat people,” Dr Page says. “I reconfigured my job.”””As a Buddhist, Dr Page believes suffering is universal, but it can be reduced if we meditate.”)
  • To Cope with Stress, Try Learning Something New (#LEARNING SOMETHING NEW as a means of overcoming hashtag#STRESS – especially when we have a FAITH/TRUST as a way of HUMAN DEVELOPMENT not merely as a way of finding EMPLOYMENT! A great insight”investigated learning as a stress buffer because learning helps workers build valuable instrumental and psychological resources… learning brings us new information and knowledge ..useful for solving near-term stressful problems; ..equips us with new skills ..capabilities to address ..prevent future stressors. ..taking time to reflect on what we know and learn new things ..develop feelings of competence and self-efficacy (a sense of being capable of achieving goals and doing more). Learning . helps connect us to an underlying purpose of GROWTH and DEVELOPMENT. ..we can see ourselves as constantly improving and developing, rather than being stuck with fixed capabilities. .. enable us to build RESILIENCE in the face of stressors””Alongside purely relaxing breaks — either short ones like meditating or longer ones like taking days off — consider recasting learning itself as a break from your routine tasks at work. .. seem like a mere mental rebranding, but if a learning activity allows ..to divert from the type of effort you use in regular work activities….it can replenish you psychologically.”)
  • Obesity epidemic is fuelled by ‘truth decay’ (The serious SOCIAL PROBLEM of TRUTH DECAY described with an application in the FOOD INDUSTRY to explain the social problem of OBESITY! However, as one would realise, TRUTH DECAY is not restricted to one industry, it is a very common social phenomenon we encounter on a daily basis.“Science, including health research, has been particularly susceptible to “truth decay” — a term coined by the Rand Corporation thinktank to describe the rise in use of opinion over fact in political debates and public discourse.Truth decay is characterised by increasing disagreement about facts and data, an increase in anecdotes to combat evidence and a decline in trust in experts.This enables special interests to flood individuals with filtered information.”“Consumers, clinicians, researchers, and policy makers need to be empowered to recognise when research has been hijacked by corporate interests, and to make decisions based on facts and not opinions.”)
  • ‘Mental hygiene’ could improve your life — but does it improve your health? (MENTAL HYGIENE (similar to DENTAL HYGIENE) through MINDFULNESS and WHEEL OF AWARENESS!It is great to see the WORLD RENOWN PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY/AUTHOR (HARVARD graduate) DANIEL SIEGEL from UCLA, being interviewed by ABC on the benefits of MINDFULNESS practices. Prof. Siegel puts forth work of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Professor Elizabeth Blackburn’s work on the effects of MINDFULNESS  on  TELOMERES that protect chromosomes in cells (or people who practice mindfulness regularly have an optimal level of telomerase).“Professor Siegel has developed a reflective practice called ‘wheel of awareness’ training, to help people gain greater control over their attention and be “present for life”.The wheel, a visual metaphor for the way the mind works, distinguishes individual aspects of our internal and external world.At its centre is the ‘hub’, the home of ‘knowing’ or being aware.The rim of the wheel is divided into the things our attention can shift to, like listening to your body and listening to your mind; senses like taste, touch or hearing; and relationships with other people.Professor Siegel trains people to mentally shift this spoke away from distractions as required, and bend back on itself so that it’s directed toward the central hub, the home of clear-mindedness.”)
  • How Sleep Primes The Brain For Emotional Intelligence (The RELATIONSHIP between SLEEP and EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE! How would adequate SLEEP help in enhanced EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE!“I described how I sometimes become “GRUMPY” when I don’t get enough sleep. Parents of young children experience this all the time. Both in the sleep deprived parent and in the toddler who was possibly up all through the night. We see it in the workplace when an “ANGRY” LEADER might snap at and LOSE PATIENCE with a subordinate. A sleep deprived doctor can come across as IMPATIENT and have poor bedside manners. These “INAPPROPRIATE EMOTIONS” are often the result of sleep deprived individuals. This is not an effective way to build strong relationships and improve connections. ”“Getting eight hours of sleep is essential–not six or seven, but EIGHT HOURS. Why? According to the research, those last two hours are filled with 60-90% of the important dream state REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. It is during this time that our brains get a sort of EMOTIONAL TUNE-UP. As humans, we have the ability to deeply experience and REGULATE our EMOTIONS. We can RECOGNISE and INFLUENCE the EMOTIONS of others. We also have more REM sleep than any other species. According to Walker, REM sleep “enhances EMOTIONAL and SOCIAL SOPHISTICATION.” “)
  • What is Attachment Theory? Why is it important? (The significance of the QUALITY OF the CARE from the CARE-GIVER/PARENT of an infant/child in child’s DEVELOPMENT (especially emotional stability/RELATIONSHIPS with OTHERS later in life)!“Having a healthy ‘internal working model’ is thus important for three main reasonsYour sense of selfYour sense of othersYour relationships with yourself and othersResearch shows that attachment problems can have a big impact on later life. Attachment difficulties account for a significant percentage of reasons why adoptions break down for e.g.Children who are securely attached can develop increasing independence, exploring their environment with confidence that they can return to a carer who will respond to their needs. Therefore securely attached children will develop good self esteem and know that they are considered worth looking after.However, children who don’t get the chance to form good attachments run the risk of developing poor internal working models which can have very negative impacts on their view of themselves and their ability to form relationships with other people. John Bowlby was worried that the long-term impacts included increased aggression and even ‘affectionless psychopathy’ where a person cannot show affection or concern for others.”)
  • ‘Training’ your mind to improve well-being (WELL-BEING as an ahivable GOAL through MIND TRAINING!”Davidson said that his career has been driven by a central question: “Why is it that certain people are more vulnerable to life’s slings and arrows, and others are more resilient? And how can you nudge people along whatever these continua are to promote more resilience and well-being?””There is also strong evidence that people have a natural propensity toward being good, toward caring for others—and that this propensity can be nurtured over time. “When we do simple meditation practices to cultivate kindness and compassion, we’re not creating those qualities de novo, but rather we are nurturing qualities that may be there from the start,””)
  • This 70-Year Study of Over 70,000 Kids Reveals How to Raise Happy and Successful Children (SCIENCE-INFORMED PARENTING based on RESEARCH conducted for over 70 YEARS in the UK! After all, findings may not be out of the blue!”The study found that the biggest factor in a child’s success was how warm and engaged the parents were. The more the parents were interested in the child and the more quality time they spent together, the more likely that child was to be happy and successful later on.Things like, “TALKING and LISTENING to a child, RESPONDING TO THEM WARMLY, teaching them their letters and numbers, [and] taking them on trips and visits” are all beneficial. But the research shows that the BEST WAY TO ENGAGE with your child is by reading to, or with, them. Unsurprisingly, children who read more before the age of 10 went on to perform better in school.sAnd while the study does provide interesting insights (including the importance of a ROUTINE BEDTIME!), Pearson urges parents to think of their own KIDS FIRST: “Ultimately, if we want happy children, all we can do is LISTEN TO THE SCIENCE, and of course, LISTEN TO OUR CHILDREN themselves.””)
  • New Neuroscience Reveals 9 Rituals That Will Make You An Amazing Parent (NEUROSCIENCE-BASED positive PRACTICES for PARENTING! Insightful.”Connect: Communicate comfort, validate feelings, listen and reflect.Reduce Words: Seriously, when have lectures ever worked?Embrace Emotions: All feelings are permitted; all behaviours are not.Describe, Don’t Preach: “All daddy’s shoes are in the refrigerator.”Involve Your Child In The Discipline: “What’s a way to express your anger that doesn’t involve anyone getting 27 stitches?”Reframe A “No” Into A Conditional “Yes”: “Yes, you can watch ‘Toy Story’ for the 400th time — after mommy finishes this wonderful blog post she’s reading.”Emphasize The Positive: Instead of “No whining,” try, “I like it when you talk in your normal voice. Can you say that again?”Creatively Approach The Situation: “I’ll bet I can eat my vegetables faster than you can.”Teach Mindsight Tools: Teach them to notice their emotions. You can’t improve how you deal with something if you’re not aware of it.”)
  • Is our constant use of digital technologies affecting our brain health? We asked 11 experts (How SCARY would be living in a world/society with a holistic ATTENTION DEFICIT situation and conjecturing on its ramifications into the future?)
  • Mental Hygiene – Madison researcher uses modern neuroscience to study kindness, compassion & happiness (Mental Hygiene – how practising ATTENTION (for example, by simply focusing on breathing) becomes the key to academic success as well as overall well-being!)
  • Mindfulness & Gut Microbes | Ayman Mukerji | TEDxNYU (MINDFULNESS  as a NATURAL IMMUNITY BUILDER to minimise chances of CANCER, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE etc. MINDFULNESS as a NATURAL IMMUNITY BUILDER to minimise chances of CANCER, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE etc.)
  • Blue light has a dark side (BLUE LIGHT EXPOSURE(from digital/LED screens) and its NEGATIVE impact on SLEEP!”While light of any kind can suppress the secretion of melatonin, blue light at night does so more powerfully. Harvard researchers …conducted an experiment comparing the effects of 6.5 hours of exposure to blue light to exposure to green light of comparable brightness. The blue light suppressed melatonin for about twice as long as the green light and shifted circadian rhythms by twice as much (3 hours vs. 1.5 hours).”…researchers at the University of Toronto compared the melatonin levels of people exposed to bright indoor light who were wearing blue-light–blocking goggles to people exposed to regular dim light without wearing goggles. The fact that the levels of the hormone were about the same in the two groups strengthens the hypothesis that blue light is a potent suppressor of melatonin””If blue light does have adverse health effects, then environmental concerns, and the quest for energy-efficient lighting, could be at odds with personal health. Those curlicue compact fluorescent lightbulbs and LED lights are much more energy-efficient than the old-fashioned incandescent lightbulbs we grew up with. But they also tend to produce more blue light.”)
  • ‘Traditional masculinity’ and mental health: Experts call for gendered approach to treatment (The much-needed RETHINK of MASCULINITY for achieving overall well-being leading towards social sustainability! “Traits of so-called ‘traditional masculinity’, like suppressing emotions and masking distress, often start early in life and have been linked to less willingness by boys and men to seek help, more risk-taking and aggression — possibly harming themselves and those with whom they interact.” “There’s literally decades of research pointing to the fact that conformity to traditional masculinity is associated with poor health among men, high levels of suicidal thoughts and behaviour, poor relationships and parenting, and involvements in violence against women and other men.” “He said while it was important to acknowledge how traditional masculinity can be “limiting for men”, it was also important to talk about how it can be harmful, or indeed lethal, for women. “There is a very well-established link between agreement with traditional masculinity and men’s use of violence, whether that’s domestic violence, sexual violence, or violence against other men.”)
  • Sydney surgeon quits dream job after seeing ‘the dark side’ of profession (Yet another example of the common/critical issue of SLEEP DEPRIVATION associated with the MEDICAL PROFESSION! Where are the solutions coming from? Essentially with a change of perspective involving SYSTEMS THINKING/OVERALL WELL-BEING.”The doctor and marathon runner, who was ranked third in a class of 250 students at the University of New South Wales for anatomy, “”Yumiko Kadota was at her hospital for up to 140 hours a fortnight””The following month, a breaking point arrived when she had worked 24 consecutive days, then saw she would be working another 19 in June and 21 in July — despite six senior doctors flagging concerns about her situation.””Dr Kadota said the last words from the head of her department, following her resignation, were: “You’re good at what you do … but if you can’t handle the hours, maybe this isn’t for you.”She said she hoped to give younger trainees a realistic picture of life in the job.””By sharing my story I also hope to raise awareness about doctors’ health, work-life balance, safe working hours, and the toxic surgical environment that still exists in Australia.””)
  • Young doctor overwhelmed by worldwide response to blog about hospital hours that ‘broke’ her (It is a great consolation to see that some understand the situation in the PRACTICES of the MEDICAL PROFESSION in general!”I really do think the system needs to change so that it’s a more nurturing workplace for junior doctors, and it’s really important that doctors need to look after themselves and also each other.””Dr Melissa Yang is a co-founder of Doc to Doc, a support network for female doctors set up in 2017 after a number of physicians TOOK THEIR OWN LIVES.””It sounds like [Dr Kadota] was very BURNT OUT by the end of it and very TRAUMATISED,” Dr Yang said.”Unfortunately it’s NOT AN UNCOMMON SITUATION. I think that this is a PRACTICE THAT IS GOING ON IN HOSPITALS AROUND AUSTRALIA.””It speaks to a number of SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS in the way we ADMINISTER OUR TRAINING PROGRAMS and I think it also speaks to a CULTURE ISSUES””In Yumiko’s case, plastic surgery has always been her dream. For her to speak up and to say that she wasn’t coping would directly mean that that was going to affect her ABILITY TO GET A REFERENCE and POTENTIALLY A JOB into the following year, or into a training program, so it really demonstrates the SEVERITY OF THE SITUATION.””)
  • Put No One Out of Your Heart (Developing the ability to see a SILVER LINING even in the DARKEST of CLOUDS – a positive life/well-being principle.)
  • Write Concentration: Using a Pen and Paper to Meditate (WRITING/JOURNALING as a means of being MINDFUL/ MEDITATING!”On a warm day, I’ll sit on a park bench and start writing about objects that are large and nearby, like an ancient oak tree… As time passes, I challenge myself to NOTICE MORE SUBTLE aspects, like the contrast of light and shadow on the tree’s leaves or a broken acorn wedged in the sidewalk crack. For me, this is a way to practice BEING PRESENT in the world, and RECORDING my OBSERVATIONS makes me feel RESPONSIVE and ENGAGED.””This exercise is a different kind of writing than, say, this article, a term paper, or an email to a colleague. When I RECORD my OBSERVATIONS, I PRIORITIZE AWARENESS and PRESENCE rather than productivity or accuracy. I write in a FLUID and CONTINUOUS way; I don’t PAUSE to reflect on an idea or edit a sentence to improve my grammar. I just keep writing. The exercise, then, calls for HONESTY and a full suspension of JUDGEMENT and CRITICISM.””This STREAM-of-CONSCIOUSNESS writing can function like the practice of NOTING, when a MEDITATOR labels a thought as a way of LETTING GO of it. By writing an observation down on the page, I shift its location from my mind to a landscape that FEELS REMOVED from myself”)
  • Well-Being Toolkit for Children, Educators and Parents (The value of introducing and promoting WELLBEING at/from an early age!)
  • Why Are Autoimmune Diseases on the Rise? (The concerning rise of AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES – how are the modern lifestyles associated with it?”Researchers largely assume that the cause of the rise can be pinpointed to CHANGES in our environment…in turn are causing CHANGES in our bodies…humanity has drastically altered the way we lived for the majority of existence. And while advancements in technology and living conditions lead us to believe we should be HEALTHIER than ever  …Western civilization now has access to BETTER MEDICINE, clean water, and abundant food — doctors are beginning to understand some of the UNINTENDED consequences of these changes. With better medicine… comes the OVERUSE of ANTIBIOTICS and the rise of SUPERBUGS; with industrialized farming comes the rise of CHEMICALS and processed foods ..could have something to do with the onset of AUTOIMMUNITY””The rise in out-of-whack immune systems may also be tied to internal STRESSORS, specifically our increasingly STRESSED-out minds. Every year, Americans are reporting higher levels of STRESS and ANXIETY than the year before, according to the American Psychological Association (APA), citing everything from WORK and home life to TECHNOLOGY to the political state of the country as reasons for their worry”)Seven Ways to Feel More in Control of Your Life (Taking care of one’s life through AGENCY without getting STUCK, ADRIFT or THWARTED!”For many of us, the PACE of life has accelerated to a level where we CAN’T fully ADAPT. We exist in a buzz of worry that we’re not doing what we’re meant to do, and the ANXIETY we feel, in turn, makes it DIFFICULT to get things done, creating a spiral of INACTION. What we need is more AGENCY: … With agency, we can feel more in COMMAND of our lives.””Agency begins with what you LET INTO your mind—meaning what comes in from your environment. If you are lacking agency, it’s likely your ATTENTION is being HIJACKED and you need to figure out how to restore it.””It’s impossible not to be AFFECTED by those around us—it’s easy to “CATCH” their EMOTIONS… That means you should set boundaries with difficult people, DISENTANGLE yourself from NEGATIVE online INTERACTIONS, and be more conscious of how you might be VULNERABLE to “GROUPTHINK”—pressures to behave or think in ways that are CONTRARY to your VALUES.”

    “People with HIGH LEVELS of AGENCY are CONTINUALLY LEARNING MORE and EXPANDING their CAPACITY to LEARN by adopting a more OPEN, COLLABORATIVE approach to EVERYTHING in life”)

    A Missing Link Between Work and Well-Being (Differentiating between EVENTS that make us HAPPY (in the short run) and a DEEPER SENSE OF SATISFACTION and WELLBEING (which is driven by HIGHER PURPOSES)!

    “What makes you happy? I don’t mean in an I-won-the-lottery kind of way, but rather what gives you a deep sense of satisfaction and well-being? It turns out there’s a difference between the events that make us happy for a while and what gives us that feeling of well-being.”

    “Dr. Carol Ryff, a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was among the first to disentangle well-being from a simplistic definition of happiness.”)

  • Explore Mindfulness in Healthcare with 25+ Leading Mindfulness Experts, Researchers, and Medical Professionals (MINDFUL HEALTHCARE – one of the GREATEST NOTIONS of our time that requires EVERYONE’S DILIGENT ATTENTION.)
  • https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/morality-in-language/201905/why-calling-stress-injury-matters (POST TRAUMATIC STRESS as an INJURY (PTSI) that can be RECOVERED/HEALED from as opposed to a DISORDER (PTSD) that resembles a congenital deficiency in the person undergoing – A GREAT notion!From another perspective, a person who gets traumatised by a NEGATIVE SOCIAL/ENVIRONMENTAL event may be an indication that he/she is SENSITIVE (or his/her associated neural networks are OPEN/on alert) about what is RIGHT, MORAL, ETHICAL, CIVIL that contributes to the GREATER GOOD as opposed to being INSENSITIVE to it. Can we define having such a delicate level of SENSITIVITY  as a DISORDER? Or is about LIVING LIFE FULLY by being OPEN to more EXPERIENCES and be part of NEURODIVERSITY, despite the associated VULNERABILITIES, at varying degrees at different societies/social environments? This where we get to realise the importance of developing RESILIENCE by means of practices such as MINDFULNESS, PERSPECTIVE TAKING/COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY, COMPASSION TRAINING, developing EQUANIMITY, AUTOPSYCHOTHERAPY (borrowed from Kazimierz Dabrowski)especially for the survival of highly SENSITIVE/OPEN to EXPERIENCES, more VULNERABLE individuals)
  • Hit the Reset Button in Your Brain (The need to SEESAW between FOCUSED ATTENTION (task-positive mode)  and DAYDREAMING(task-negative mode) for overall WELL-BEING!”This radical idea — that problem solving might TAKE SOME TIME and doesn’t always have to be accomplished immediately — could have PROFOUND effects on DECISION MAKING and even on our ECONOMY. Consider this: By some estimates, PREVENTABLE MEDICAL ERROR is THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE of DEATH in the United States, accounting for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. You want your diagnostician to give the RIGHT ANSWER, NOT always the QUICKEST one. ZONING OUT is NOT always BAD. You don’t want your airline pilot or air traffic controller to do it while they’re on the job, but you do want them to have opportunities to reset — this is why air traffic control and other high-attention jobs typically require FREQUENT BREAKS. Several studies have shown that people who work overtime reach a point of diminishing returns.”)
  • What’s Your Purpose? Finding A Sense Of Meaning In Life Is Linked To Health (A very interesting finding – the RELATIONSHIP between having a PURPOSE and HEALTH/WELLBEING!”Just like people have BASIC PHYSICAL NEEDS, like to SLEEP and EAT and DRINK, they have BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS,” says Alan Rozanski, a PROFESSOR at the Icahn SCHOOL of MEDICINE at Mount Sinai who was not involved in this research but has studied the relationship between LIFE PURPOSE and PHYSICAL HEALTH.””The NEED for MEANING and PURPOSE is No. 1,” Rozanski adds. “It’s the DEEPEST DRIVER of WELL-BEING there is.”)
  • Thought Leader Q&A: How Can We Cultivate Well-Being? (The role of PSYCHOLOGISTS in directing individuals towards WELL-BEING and societies towards SUSTAINABILITY!”I’ll be sharing data that shows there are FOUR components to WELL-BEING that can be transformed: AWARENESS, CONNECTION, INSIGHT, and PURPOSE. Awareness is being fully engaged with our present experiences. One study showed that the average person is not paying attention 47% of the time, so there is room for growth. The second component, connection, relates to nurturing relationships with other people; insight is about knowledge of the narratives we have about ourselves, and purpose is related to identifying your central purpose in life. Our research has shown that specific practices can strengthen these four components of well-being, which led us to the radical conclusion that well-being is a skill. “)The Connection Between Probiotics and Your Mood (Probiotics/prebiotics, GUT HEALTH and their relationship (in the opposite direction as well) to MENTAL HEALTH/MOOD/EMOTIONAL STABILITY/RESILIENCE – explains why the gut is considered as the 2nd brain.

    “In one study, specific probiotic yogurts and capsules improved self-reported outcomes in questionnaire measures of general health, and also improved scores on scales that measure depression and anxiety…In another study, healthy women who took a probiotic milk product twice a day for four weeks showed brain activity changes that may protect against negative emotional sensitivity… ”

    “the researchers narrowed their attention on the balance of Bacilli versus Clostridia in each rat’s gut. Bacilli microorganisms include several ANTI INFLAMMATORY species, while Clostridia are often linked to inflammation, so a healthy response to the inflammatory effects of STRESS could be an INCREASED ratio of Bacilli to Clostridia. Fitting with this theory, the RESILIENT RATS showed an INCREASING RATIO of Bacilli to Clostridia over their multiple days of social conflict, and a significantly higher ratio compared to RELAXED RATS on their final day of testing. In contrast, the vulnerable rats showed no adaptive change in this ratio.”)

  • There’s More To Look Forward To After Peaking Professionally (A great idea to solve some of the MAJOR ISSUES associated with AGING in our societies. Wish we can guide everyone in this path for developing SUSTAINABLE SOCIETIES.”People will rage against the decline in their fluid intelligence. But they’re missing something really big, which is, that curve may be going down but there’s ANOTHER CURVE that’s GOING UP that’s called CRYSTALLIZED INTELLIGENCE — that’s your STOCK WISDOM, that’s the vast library that you’re accumulating, all the books in your library that are your mind and your ability to use them with wisdom, that increases through your 40s and 50s and 60s and STAY HIGH.””Here’s the trick: You’ve got to stop being an innovator and start being an INSTRUCTOR. An instructor is somebody who uses crystallized intelligence, who SYNTHESIZES IDEAS and expresses them in NEW and INTERESTING WAYS that people can understand — that ENRICHES other people.”)
  • One Thing No One Talks About That Helps You Heal Faster (COMPASSION as the FASTEST and most EFFECTIVE HEALERS of all!”Tragically, PHYSICIANS often LACK BANDWIDTHfor such observation. They often DO NOT have enough TIME with patients. SURGERIES are prioritized (after all, they bring in the money), MEDICATION is pushed—and patients receive little of the HUMAN CONNECTION, EMPATHY, and COMPASSION that they long for. Physicians are trained in SCIENTIFIC and TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE but also CLINICAL DETACHMENT. How many of us have entered a doctor’s office only to be met by an UNEMOTIONAL individual with very little time for us who mostly STARES into a COMPUTER SCREEN? “)
  • 15 Things You Need to Know If Your Child Is an Introvert (Accepting INTROVERSION of your child (and others)!”INTROVERTS are hardly a minority, making up 30-50 percent of the U.S. population. Some of our most SUCCESSFUL LEADERS, entertainers, and entrepreneurs have been INTROVERTS, such as BILL GATES, Emma Watson, WARREN BUFFET, Courteney Cox, Christina Aguilera, and J.K. Rowling. It’s often suggested that even ABRAHAM LINCOLN, Mother Teresa, and Mahatma Gandhi were introverts.””Furthermore, a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that INTROVERTS have larger, THICKER gray matter in their PREFRONTAL CORTICES, which is the area of the brain associated with ABSTRACT THOUGHT and DECISION-MAKING.””…consider WRITING classes or science camps. INTENSE ENGAGEMENT in an activity can bring HAPPINESS, WELL-BEING, and confidence (think Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s state of flow), but it also gives your kid opportunities to socialize with other children who have SIMILAR PASSIONS (and perhaps SIMILAR TEMPERAMENTS).””Introverted children are often kind, thoughtful, focused, and very interesting company, as long as they’re in settings that work for them.”)
  • Diet and Weight Loss: Healthy Fat Foods (The significance of avoiding SATURATED FAT and taking UNSATURATED FAT/OMEGA 3 (such as fish, avocado, nuts)!”Naturally fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines, and albacore tuna are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These are “good” fats that help keep your heart healthy. They may also help keep your brain sharp, especially as you get older. The American Heart Association suggests eating two servings of fatty fish a week. A serving is 3 ounces — about the size of a deck of cards. Try it baked, grilled, or poached.””so aim to eat 8 ounces of seafood a week, with choices like salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies and herring. You can also get the omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) from some plant-based foods, primarily walnuts, sunflower seeds and oil, sesame and pumpkin seeds, and chia and flax seeds. The body doesn’t use ALA as easily as it does EPA and DHA, but it’s still valuable.””Less well-known are the omega-6 fatty acids. They, too, are in many nuts and seeds, but also in corn and soybean oils, heavily used in packaged foods like chips. Getting too many omega-6s can be a problem, especially if they outweigh the omega-3s in your diet, another reason to limit processed foods.”;;)
  • Poor parenting epidemic leading to ’emotionally abused’ kids, John Marsden says (A very important and MUCH-NEEDED (though very difficult) AWARENESS-RAISING, PUBLIC DISCUSSION on giving KIDS/CHILDREN the right ENVIRONMENTS to LEARN and DEVELOP based on evidence/research outcomes! They essentially need to come from individuals of the calibre of John Marsden to have an impact, if at all. “Marsden said he felt things had become “POWERFULLY WORSE” for kids in recent years and he lay a LARGE part of the BLAME on mums and dads who didn’t know how to PARENT EFFECTIVELY” “He described it as “EMOTIONAL ABUSE” by those in the “RESPECTABLE Australian middle-class, which comprises MOST of the population nowadays”.” “It’s NOT VISIBLE in the way that PHYSICAL ABUSE is, because there are no cigarette burns or bruises or black eyes, but there is TERRIBLE DAMAGE and it’s damage that CAN’T be ever FULLY REPAIRED. It’s LIFELONG.” “Marsden said it was often suffocating or overprotective parenting that could lead to things like ADDICTIVE behaviour, DEPRESSION, ANGER, CRIME and a feeling of HELPLESSNESS because kids didn’t learn COPING mechanisms.” “He said it was going unnoticed and he saw NO PUBLIC DISCUSSION around the issue for a couple of reasons.)Stress Makes It Harder to Recognize Danger (Thriving under STRESS? True/False? Or is it LIFE-THREATENING? True/False? Can we AVOID STRESS or Do we have to MANAGE STRESS (Using measures such as EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE-EI)?)
  • Grey fingers: Ageing Singapore uses gardening to fight loneliness (Overcoming the challenges of AGING as LIFE-EXPECTANCY goes up in general! “As people LIVE LONGER the World Health Organization predicts that one in five – 2 BILLION people – will be aged 60 or older by 2050, double that of 2015” “MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS are on the rise worldwide and could cost the global economy up to $16 TRILLION between 2010 and 2030, causing LASTING HARM to people and communities…” “…the “therapeutic” gardens, uses fragrant plants and herbs to stimulate the senses in areas near nursing homes, in a bid to reduce CONDITIONS associated with AGING such as DEMENTIA and ALZHEIMER’s” “Better urban design and friendlier public spaces could rekindle a sense of COMMUNITY and boost MENTAL HEALTH.. the U.N. projects more than TWO-THIRDS of the world will live in cities by 2050” “Elderly SUICIDES in Singapore have been driven by a lack of SOCIAL CONNECTION and a growing fear of being a burden on one’s family, said the SOS, a leading suicide prevention group.” “It’s not good coming together and becoming denser … if that DENSITY doesn’t allow you to be MORE SOCIAL and to have MEANINGFUL BONDS, said architect Itai Palti, based in Britain where the government says LONELINESS is a MAJOR HEALTH issue.”)
  • Diet and Weight Loss: Healthy Fat Foods (The significance of avoiding SATURATED FAT and taking UNSATURATED FAT/OMEGA 3 (such as fish, avocado, nuts)! “Naturally fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines, and albacore tuna are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These are “good” fats that help keep your heart healthy. They may also help keep your brain sharp, especially as you get older. The American Heart Association suggests eating two servings of fatty fish a week. A serving is 3 ounces — about the size of a deck of cards. Try it baked, grilled, or poached.” “so aim to eat 8 ounces of seafood a week, with choices like salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies and herring. You can also get the omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) from some plant-based foods, primarily walnuts, sunflower seeds and oil, sesame and pumpkin seeds, and chia and flax seeds. The body doesn’t use ALA as easily as it does EPA and DHA, but it’s still valuable.” “Less well-known are the omega-6 fatty acids. They, too, are in many nuts and seeds, but also in corn and soybean oils, heavily used in packaged foods like chips. Getting too many omega-6s can be a problem, especially if they outweigh the omega-3s in your diet, another reason to limit processed foods.”;;)Healthy Minds in Practice: Core Values Audio Practice (Accessing our INNER VALUES/ PURPOSE – for enhancing RESILIENCE and WELL-BEING – 5 minutes of guided practice! “Having a sense of PURPOSE IN LIFE has important consequences to our physical HEALTH and overall WELL-BEING. Research shows that having a SENS OF PURPOSE is a POWERFUL PREDICTOR of longevity. Those with a STRONG sense of PURPOSE tend to live longer and RECOVER from STRESS more QUICKLY, which can help us BETTER REGULATE our EMOTIONS and give us GREATER RESILIENCE. How do you strengthen your purpose? Try this 5 minute seated practice with Daniela Labra Cardero designed to help you focus on your core values.”)

    How Parental Love Impacts Flourishing Later in Life (The significance of PARENTAL WARMTH and DISCIPLINE at YOUNG AGE for LATER LIFE BENEFITS – relates to the widely researched topic of EMPATHY! “One of the interesting results of our two STUDIES was that PARENTAL WARMTH, or LOVE, seemed to be the DOMINANT factor. While those who had HIGH WARMTH and HIGH DISCIPLINE (authoritative style) did the BEST, the next best category was high warmth, low discipline (the permissive style) and they did considerably better than the group that, in contrast, had low warmth and high discipline (authoritarian style). Not surprisingly, the group that had LOW WARMTH, LOW DISCIPLINE (NEGLECTFUL style) fared POOREST. However, OVERALL, PARENTAL WARMTH or LOVE seemed the MOST IMPORTANT. When parental warmth was considered on its own, it was the MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT of PARENTING we were able to identify” “..research points to the important role of LOVE in HUMAN FLOURISHING..it is understood as a DESIRE for and/or commitment to the GOOD OF THE OTHER. That seeking of the other’s good, in CHILDHOOD (and arguably THROUGHOUT LIFE), is VERY POWERFUL..that experience of love affirms the person’s INTRINSIC VALUE and WORTH..It is no wonder, then, that the experience of LOVE appears to affect so MANY HEALTH and WELL-BEING outcomes”)

    The Sleeper’s Dilemma (FAVOURITE MOVIE/SHOW or one ADDITIONAL HOUR of SLEEP? How do you PRIORITISE taking into consideration LONG-TERM HEALTH and WELLBEING? “It’s 11:30 p.m., and you just completed a work assignment, put the kids to bed, or finished up your chores—whatever signals the end of a long day for you. You feel a little FATIGUED, but the NEXT EPISODE of your favorite SHOW is just BEGGING to be watched now that you have some free time. “What’s one less HOUR of SLEEP, really?” you say, as you put on your headphones. But the consequences of PRIORITIZING your favorite show over a GOOD night’s REST are MORE than just a HEADACHE the following morning: This one little decision may lead to your PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH suffering in the LONG TERM.” “We may, in addition, be HARMING key THINKING ABILITIES, as well as the way our BRAIN DEVELOPS and communicates. And we may even be INCREASING OUR RISK of HEART DISEASE or ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE. How can sleep, something unconscious that most of us take for granted, facilitate the development of DEADLY DISEASES and IMPAIRED THINKING?”)

    A Nimble Nutrient (Why are TURMERIC tablets/products MUSHROOMING in pharmacies around the world? “Although CURCUMIN has long been used in traditional medicines, recent CLINICAL TRIALS have given it the STAMP OF SCIENTIFIC APPROVAL. Studies show that CURCUMIN STIMULATES the release of proteins called CYTOKINES that CALM and HEAL INFLAMMATION. Chronic inflammation plays a role in many illnesses, including CARDIOVASCULAR disease, DIABETES, OBESITY, DEMENTIA, and DEPRESSION.”)

  • What can you do when you’re shaken? Find Your Ground (During TESTING TIMES, WHERE would/can you go for STAYING AFLOAT,   and then for RECUPERATION?”But at a basic level, it’s clear that WE ALL need a PLACE  to STAND. A PHYSICAL PLACE to be sure – hearth and home, land and sea, a bed to curl up in – BUT ALSO PSYCHOLOGICAL or spiritual places, such as FEELING LOVED, a CLAM CLEAR center inside, KNOWLEDGE of the facts, COMPASSION and ETHICS, and REALISTIC plans.””This is our ground, the place we REST in and move out from . . . even under the best of circumstances. And when you’re SHAKEN by EVENTS at ANY SCALE – from CHANGES in YOUR health to CHANGES in your COUNTRY or WORLD – then it’s especially important to FIND and HOLD your GROUND.”)Unlocking Job Vitality in a Digital Age: Health, Wellbeing, Happiness (Why is your MANGER more important in your HEALTH/ WELL-BEING than your GP/doctor/physician? HUMAN REVOLUTION (next in line) led by HUMAN LEADERS to OVERCOME BURNOUT by attending to ALL of the BODY (nutrients, exercise, sleep etc. ), MIND (learning, mindfulness, inner peace, resilience etc.) and (higher)PURPOSE (relationships, meaning etc.)!

    Why the order (of MAIN FOCUS)) of HUMAN DEVELOPMENT to SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT to ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT is of ULTIMATE SIGNIFICANCE for the SUSTAINABILITY of ORGANISATIONS, SOCIETIES and the whole PLANET but not the CURRENT ORDER (status quo) of EXACTLY THE REVERSE that is leading to UNSUSTAINABILITY/ widespread DESTRUCTION.)

    Guests Inside My Head: How to Combat Rumination (The fascinating metaphor of GUESTS ENTERING A HOUSE for EXPLAINING and MANAGING our EMOTIONS (guests) in our HEAD (house)! Non-judgemental ACCEPTANCE/ OPENNESS of the unavoidable appears to be going a long way in managing our emotions.

    “Contrary to some misconceptions, MINDFULNESS and EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE don’t require that we “forgive and forget” when we are negatively impacted or triggered. The impact is still an impact. Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence offer us the tools to better manage how much we are impacted. SELF-AWARENESS helps us PAY ATTENTION to the GUESTS inside our heads WITHOUT being held CAPTIVE by them. Self-management enables us to NOT GET CARRIED AWAY such that we forget that we are in control of which voices get to stay.”)[

  • 5 Reasons Kids with ADHD Need to Learn Mindfulness Skills (#ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder)  – #MINDFULNESS to the RESCUE!  “For #KIDS with INATTENTIVE or combined types of ADHD, paying #ATTENTION is a core CHALLENGE  Since practicing MINDFULNESS TEACHES the #BRAIN to pay ATTENTION, it addresses EXACTLY WHAT KIDS WITH ADHD STRUGGLE WITH. MINDFULNESS can also CALM the brain and the body, and IMPROVE the ABILITY to be more PRESENT and SELF-AWARE. This is particularly helpful for those with HYPERACTIVITY and #IMPULSIVITY.””Therefore, MINDFULNESS is a perfect way for KIDS with ADHD to THRIVE. “)
  • How Adverse Childhood Experiences Cost $1.33 Trillion a Year (#CHILDHOOD #TRAUMA – the PRESSING (#TRILLION DOLLAR) #PROBLEMS of the REAL WORLD (may find in our own SURROUNDINGS)! Would take YEARS even to START #MEANINGFULLY ADDRESSING if we become #CONSCIOUS of #SEVERITY NOW.ACE=#Adverse #Childhood #Experience

    “ACEs represents a #CHRONIC #EPIDEMIC which HURTS the ENTIRE #PLANET. Not only that, ACEs are PERPETRATED by OUR SPECIES AGAINST ITSELF, as adults both PERMIT and DIRECTLY INACT #ABUSE and NEGLECT on #CHILDREN. Those CHILDREN…GROW UP to be SHAPED by their DEVELOPMENTAL EXPERIENCES, and so the CYCLE REPEATS”

    “..data from over 17,000 patients ..found that PATIENTS with GREATER than 4 ACEs were at INCREASED #RISK for a variety of SERIOUS PROBLEMS: “4- to 12-fold increased HEALTH RISKS for #ALCOHOLISM, #DRUG ABUSE, #DEPRESSION, and #SUICIDE ATTEMPT; a 2- to 4-fold increase in SMOKING, poor SELF-RATED HEALTH, ≥50 SEXUAL intercourse PARTNERS, and #SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE; and a 1.4- to 1.6-fold increase in PHYSICAL INACTIVITY and severe OBESITY”

    “If there is a CALL TO #ACTION, it is to first RAISE #AWARENESS. With #COLLABORATION, #COMPASSION and #REASON, and especially by EMPOWERING and EDUCATING the YOUNGER GENERATIONS stuck with this TERRIBLE BILL, can we HOPE for a DIFFERENT KIND OF WORLD, and a DIFFERENT KIND OF #HUMAN BEING”)

    The Mindfulness Skill That Is Crucial for Stress (The significance of #NON-JUDGEMENTAL #ACCEPTANCE (instead of FIGHTING with them to GET RID of) of your #EMOTIONS/#FEELINGS for our #WELL-BEING!

    “…when people ACCEPT DIFFICULT EXPERIENCES (like stress), it allows the experiences to “RUN THEIR COURSE AND DISSIPATE,” while RESISTING them only makes them STRONGER. And, she adds, ACCEPTING STRESS helps people to STOP FOCUSING ONLY on what’s WRONG and to NOTICE OTHER FEELINGS, SENSATIONS, and THOUGHTS occurring at the SAME TIME, enabling them to see the “BIGGER PICTURE”

    “ACCEPTANCE is NOT about ACQUIESING to your FATE, though, says Lindsay—like getting a diagnosis of a terminal illness and just accepting that you’re going to die. That kind of “acceptance” leads to worse outcomes, she says. NOR is it about ACCEPTING POOR TREATMENT from other people. It’s more about ACCEPTING your INTERNAL EXPERIENCE—your thoughts and feelings—which INFORMS you about HOW TO RESPOND to your external circumstances in a WISER WAY. For example, if you feel ANGRY and ACCEPTyour anger in the moment, it may PREVENT you from LASHING out at someone and help you see that your feelings aren’t their fault”)

    Introducing Our Parenting Videos: Raising Caring, Courageous Kids (#SCIENCE-BASED STRATEGIES (based on RESEARCH over two DECADES) to raise #CARING and #COURAGEOUS kids who become #HEALTHIER, #HAPPIER and #RESILIENT and would self-identify a #PURPOSE beyond himself/herself for working for the #GREATER GOOD! This is about developing the #WHOLE BRAIN of the child, #NURTURING POSITIVE #NATURAL INSTINCTS of #EMPATHY, #COMPASSION, #GRATITUDE, #LOVE, #GENEROSITY, #FORGIVENESS etc.)/expand]

• Why sleep could be the key to tackling mental illness (The interesting relationship between sleep problems/deprivation and mental illnesses/conditions (such as anxiety, depression and schizophrenia) is worth noticing. Once again, we are reminded of the significance of living a balanced life towards overall wellbeing. Especially, those highly sensitive/overexcitable individuals would become susceptible to sleep problems and their consequences. As neuroscience research reveals, mindfulness/metacognitive practices could go a long way in developing more relaxed minds devoid of anxieties/sensitivities leading to a good night’s sleep.)
• More than brain chemistry: Is society, not just serotonin, contributing to increasing rates of depression?( It is surprising how we (in general) mindlessly believe that depression (and other mental-health conditions including anxiety) are purely a chemical imbalance in the brain and that it does not have environmental/social factors.””It is a bio-psychosocial problem; there are biological factors and psychological and social factors. What Hari is talking about are the social drivers of depression.””It’s good to challenge how the drug companies and the DSM and the FDA oversimplify not just depression, but all mental disorders,”Professor McGorry said. “They try to reduce them and American psychiatry is really responsible for that; they turned away from psychoanalysis to biological psychiatry and regarded everything as just a brain disease.”” )
• Medical students welcome overhaul of mental health reporting laws (After all medical professionals are human – cannot be (and also shouldn’t be) robots!)

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• Antipsychotic drugs, restraints and seclusion: Mental health treatments raising concerns(Antipsychotics! Are we overusing them? What are the negative side-effects?)
• Number of mental health visits to hospital for Victorian kids triples in seven years, study finds (A concerning trend in the mental health of kids and adolescents! “Self-harm, drug and alcohol issues, anxiety, and depression were the most common conditions among the 52,000 children who presented with mental health disorders over the seven-year period.” “Researcher and paediatrician Harriet Hiscock said many families did not realise their child was suffering from a mental health issue until they sought help at hospital.” “They think that the panic attacks are actually seizures, or the recurrent headaches or tummy aches are physically grounded problems, but they’re mental health problems,” she said.” “Measures included public health campaigns to improve mental health literacy and caregiving, and better equipping GPs and frontline health and educational professionals to recognise youth mental health issues.”)
• Big Rise Seen in U.S. Kids, Teens Attempting Suicide (A disturbing trend in the numbers of kids/teens attempting suicide! It gives an insight into how our planet is moving backwards, in the midst of some other advances in areas such as technology. “In a troubling sign that anxiety and depression are taking hold of America’s youth, new research shows a doubling since 2008 in the number of kids and teens who’ve been hospitalized for attempted suicide or suicidal thoughts.”)
• Mindfulness Meditation is Useful in Mental Health Treatment, but Evidence for Some Conditions Outpaces Others (Using MINDFULNESS practices in an evidence-based manner in addressing MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES such as DEPRESSION, ANXIETY DISORDERS and SUBSTANCE ABUSE!“It’s also exciting to consider that mindfulness meditation is just one family of practices among the many to be found in contemplative traditions. The experience we have gained from researching mindfulness meditation offers us a pathway for adapting other kinds of contemplative practice into the world of mental health treatment.”)
• Can Better Habits and Therapy Replace ADHD Drugs? (MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS, PSYCHOTHERAPY and MEDICATION!”There is little doubt that adults identifying themselves as candidates for an ADHD diagnosis have significant problems warranting care,” she continues. But solutions may lie in PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC treatment and NOT WITH MEDICATIONS alone. “I think we have PROBLEMS in the way WE ARE LIVING, and NOT EVERY PROBLEM in living should turn into a MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS TREATED BY A DRUG,””But her research suggests that PSYCHOSOCIAL treatment like CBT can also be effective. There’s also evidence — again preliminary — that MINDFULNESS-based MEDITATION programs can help some people with ADHD manage their symptoms.””Unfortunately, there’s NO ROADMAP for people with ADHD to follow when GOING OFF their MEDS. When it comes to ADHD drugs — and many other PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION, for that matter — “there’s NO PROTOCOL in place for DISCONTINUATION or DE-PRESCRIBING,” Zito says. She also points out that most ADHD drugs are STIMULANTS. “Of course if you go off them you’re not going to feel as upbeat,” she says.)
• The effects of bedroom air quality on sleep and next-day performance ()How can the AIR QUALITY (levels of CO2/O2) in the bedroom impact #SLEEP? It is better to check the bedroom air quality and sudden changes (difficulty in breathing, breathing not giving the expected relaxation etc ) before going to a GP or sleep specialist.

  “Objectively measured SLEEP QUALITY and the perceived FRESHNESS of #BEDROOM AIR IMPROVED significantly when the CO2 LEVEL was LOWER, as did next-day reported SLEEPINESS and ability to CONCENTRATE and the subjects’ PERFORMANCE of a test of LOGICAL THINKING”.

  The ideal temperature for sleep (How does BEDROOM TEMPERATURE affect SLEEP? It is better to check the bedroom temperature for sudden variations in the night (regularly waking up due to sweating etc.) and possible causes before going to a GP or sleep specialist.

  “So, what exactly is the RELATIONSHIP between body TEMPERATURE and SLEEP? Your CIRCADIAN RHYTHM (internal body clock) regulates many functions of the body including heart rate, blood pressure, hormone release, and body TEMPERATURE; all which ACT TOGETHER to help you stay awake during the day, and SLEEP at night.  However, in either HOT or COLD SLEEP ENVIRONMENTS our BODIES STRUGGLE to reach the OPTIMAL body TEMPERATURE for SLEEP which leads to restlessness, DIFFICULTY FALLING asleep and STAYING asleep.”

  “For optimal sleep, your ideal room temperature should be between 18 – 22 degrees.”)

  Blue light has a dark side (Effect of BLUE LIGHT (including LEDs) on SLEEP! It is better to check the bedroom/house blue/LED light effect in the night (extensive use of computers/mobile phones/tablets etc. and facing difficulty in falling asleep) and possible causes before going to a GP or sleep specialist.

  “While light of any kind can SUPPRESS the SECRETION of MELATONIN, BLUE LIGHT at night does so more POWERFULLY. Harvard researchers and their colleagues conducted an experiment comparing the effects of 6.5 hours of exposure to blue light to exposure to green light of comparable brightness. The BLUE LIGHT SURPRESSED MELATONIN for about TWICE as long as the green light and SHIFTED CIRCADIAN RHYTHM by twice as much (3 hours vs. 1.5 hours).”)

  Sleep and mental health ()The IMPACT of #SLEEP DEPRIVATION on #MENTAL #HEALTH!  “SLEEP and MENTAL HEALTH are CLOSELY CONNECTED. SLEEP DEPRIVATION affects your PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE and MENTAL HEALTH. And those with mental health problems are more likely to have insomnia or other sleep disorders.”

  “TRADITIONALLY, clinicians treating patients with psychiatric disorders have viewed insomnia and other SLEEP DISORDERS as SYMPTOMS. But studies in both adults and children suggest that SLEEP PROBLEMS may RAISE RISK for, and even DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTE to, the DEVELOPMENT of some PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. This research has clinical application, because TREATING A SLEEP DISORDER may also help ALLEVIATE SYMPTOMS of a co-occurring MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM.”

  Expanding Your Holiday HUB (Applying #MINDFULNESS in daily life situations by STAYING #GROUNDED and becoming your #OWN #THERAPIST! “Reflecting on memory, like this and other potential forms of distress now, is a way of making sense of your inner experience and the family events happening in this present time. Don’t forget that now, UNLIKE BACK THEN, YOU CAN BE YOUR OWN ATTACHMENT figure. You can see what is actually going on inside you with CLARITY and ACCEPTANCE, you can SOOTHE   your own INNER DISTRESS, you can keep yourself safe, and you can make sense of what is going on as you name it to tame it. Let yourself feel the security of this way of being with your family arise, even as it may now be organized by your own individual mental life. With your own Holiday HUB WIDENED and AWAKE, you can make these family times moments filled with CLARITY and STRENGTH Now you can see CHALLENGES as OPPORTUNITIES to make RECONNECTIONS even in the face of INITIAL MISMATCHES. Life is MESSY, relationships often disconnected and disconcerting. You can take this perspective with an open heart and a wide-open HUB to make these instances a fine time for family reunions. DEEP BREATH—and enjoy!”)