Blogs / Articles
The Epidemic of Sleep Deprivation: Anxiety, Stress, Other Causes – and what to do about it
Prepared by Sigfried and Susan Othmer, ca 1990-1995How many of us lie awake at night, with ruminating thoughts, unable to fall asleep? Or we finally nod off, only to reawaken and cannot get back again. According to the American Academy of Sleep...
Risking: Good Idea, Bad Idea
Certain actions or activities carry risks, whether you are engaged in combat for your country, sky diving, investing in high-risk stocks, as a pioneer exploring unknown territory, or simply going beyond your established comfort zone. Clearly, there...
From Timid to Warrior: Boosting Self-Esteem
Low self-esteem can be described as lacking self-confidence, and self-worth, in one’s abilities. So, how to transcend it, not let it hold us back? My definition of a warrior is someone who acts in spite of fear. Fear is normal – even healthy when...
Smoke gets on the brain
Health impact studies of air pollution, including wildfire smoke, have mostly focused on the lungs. But toxicologist Matthew Campen of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque is looking at the brain. In a study of the inflammatory effects of...
The Vast Potential of the Vagus Nerve
Some say a cure for ailments like anxiety is flowing from the brain. But much is unknown. By Christina Caron In recent years, the vagus nerve has become an object of fascination, especially on social media. The vagal nerve fibers, which run from...
Mom’s voice loses its grip for teens
As kids grow up, unfamiliar voices get more interesting By Laura Sanders Young kids’ brains are especially tuned to their mothers’ voices. Teenagers’ brains, in their typical rebellious glory, are most decidedly not. That conclusion, reported on...
This Year, Try Spring Cleaning Your Brain
Five ways to soothe a mind fixated on anxiety, stress, and streams of information. Coronavirus cases are receding across the United States, and face masks are coming off. Little green shoots are finally poking through the earth, signaling the...
Instead of Relying on Diets, Learn to Train Your Brain
Mindful awareness techniques can be used to reshape eating habits and quell cravings. Here’s a New Year’s resolution you can keep: Stop dieting and start savoring your food instead. That may seem like surprising advice, but there’s mounting...
Take Comfort: These Foods Can Improve Your Mood
Increasingly, researchers are finding stronger links between diet and brain health. It’s time to start feeding your brain. For years research on healthy eating has focused primarily on physical health and the link between diet, weight, and chronic...
Adaptability: Navigating an Ever Changing World
John Lennon is quoted as saying: ‘Life is what happens when you are making other plans.’ Indeed, Life continues to throw curve-balls at us: from the Covid, tragedy, familial and cultural tensions, financial uncertainty – as well as the cumulative...