She rushed into the kitchen and reached for the steaming coffee pot. Smooth, dark hair hung loose about her shoulders, framing a strikingly beautiful face. Her long legs were lean and fit, accentuated by the patterned running tights and tank top she wore. She was the picture-perfect example of a successful high-school senior; straight-A student,… read more
February is here, Spring is right around the corner, and time is rushing by at breakneck speed. And yet. And yet I sat there in the winter sunshine and did nothing. Of course there were ten-thousand-and-one things on my to-do list, emails to return, phone calls to make, kids to pick up…but that could all… read more
Imagine it: Pounding headache, sour stomach, and fatigue like a heavy blanket willing me to close my eyes. Fifteen minutes before I needed to be at the office; enough time to stop for coffee. The decaf latte would be more a distraction than a caffeine rush but hopefully help me snap out of it. No,… read more
For many of us, a busy afternoon and evening might include running the kids to ballet and ball practice, picking up dry-cleaning, mid-traffic phone calls with the orthodontist, CPA, and co-worker… and a fast-food drive-through for dinner. A busy mindset is often regarded as indulgent due to the rush: “I didn’t have time for lunch… read more
Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present in the current moment, acknowledging physical and cognitive perceptions without judgement or analysis. While this may sound simple, for many of us the art of just breathing and noticing internal energy and perceptions without agenda or evaluation can seem impossible to attain. New research published in the… read more
Believe it or not, women have twice as many neurons related to smell as men do. That means they have a stronger sense of smell. Researchers at University of British Columbia studied how smelling their partner’s previously-worn shirt impacted cortisol levels of women in stressful situations. They found that a partner’s scent lowered stress levels… read more
Moody teenage years might be caused by significant prenatal stress. Researchers at Central European Institute of Technology analyzed MRI and mood-related data from a cohort of 93 young adults and found that higher prenatal stress predicted altered brain states and poor mood in young adulthood. Early intervention for young children who were subjected to stressful events… read more
Even kids need an outlet for stress and anxiety. Researchers at Tulane University examined the impact of 8 weeks of yoga and mindfulness training on the anxiety symptoms of third graders. Not only did yoga improve symptoms of anxiety, it was also associated with improvement in emotional and psychosocial quality of life. So, get your… read more
The effects of chronic stress on the memory center of the brain can be reduced by running. Researchers at Brigham Young University investigated the impact of stress on the connections between neurons in groups of mice who were either sedentary or who ran 5 km per day on a running wheel. The mice who ran… read more
The Impact of Stress on Your Brain and What You Can Do About It by Amy Lawson Moore, PhD THE RAT RACE Americans are stressed. We work hard, study hard, parent hard, and marry hard. In a culture where downtime is painfully undervalued, we are expected to produce, perform, and be masters of our crafts… read more
