Think Tank: The Neuro Blog
The Effects of Chronic Stress on the Body and the Brain
It's not news: stress wears us down over time. But have you wondered exactly how? Compare the past century of human history to the past thousands of years: the difference is staggering. We've flung ourselves into a much faster paced modern world. We are communicating and working more than ever before, and in different ways. Our minds and bodies struggle to catch up with these increased pressures.While the right amount of stress is great to help get things done, too much stress over too much time has hidden effects that you're probably not aware of:
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The Importance of Gratitude
Gratitude can be a part of a wider positive outlook on life that involves acknowledging and appreciating all of its positive aspects. Practicing gratitude can help us feel more positive emotions, as well as acknowledge and appreciate the positive aspects of our lives, while helping us cultivate better relationships with the people around us and even getting us through some difficult times. We all have the ability to feel and express gratitude. And, according to the results of many research studies that have revealed the numerous benefits of practicing gratitude, we should not reserve giving thanks for Thanksgiving season only.
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What Causes “Brain Fog”?
If you’re unfamiliar with the phrase, Brain Fog is a term used for those moments when your thoughts become suddenly unclear. You become unfocused. Simple math somehow becomes challenging. It’s a scary feeling for most people — a sudden loss of control of the most important part of their body. As we get older, these moments become more common, but dismissing them as a normal part of aging can be a mistake. People remain sharp well into their 90's. So what’s the cause? What makes the difference between that sharp-minded 90-something and the 30-something that gets recurring episodes of forgetfulness?
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Six Life-Changing Strategies to Build Resilience and Increase Happiness
Recently, the World Health Organization has identified stress as “the global health epidemic of the 21st century". We live and work in fast-paced environments, and the feelings of being overwhelmed and burned out are now quite common among us. We all desire to be happy, and yet happiness remains one of the most elusive of all human emotions. Since the fast-paced and highly demanding culture of our workplaces and daily lives is not likely to slow down anytime soon, this is a perfect time to find new ways to cultivate our resilience to stress and to maximize our happiness.
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Ten Lessons People Most Often Learn Too Late in Life
The thought of lying on your deathbed with a bucket full of regrets is anything but pleasant. Nor is the thought of getting to an age when it’s simply too late to put things right. But is there a list of top ten failings most people end up with? What if you could get that list in your early 20s? Wouldn’t it be great if you could read it, actually take it on board and go on to learn the lessons most people learn too late? Would you take note and make changes?
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5 Ways to Catch a Liar
Many lies actually harbor good intention. You tell your friend you love her new dress even though you hate it. You tell your boss the reason you were late as heavy traffic rather than admitting you couldn’t get out of bed. These lies can help you get along better with people and, in some ways, you even get rewarded for telling these lies. What would happen if you were brutally honest with everyone you encountered? You’d probably fall out with lots of people and lose your job within a week. So, let’s not be all high and mighty about lying, we all do it.
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Science-Based Signs of Intelligence
Intelligence has traditionally been associated with having a high IQ as well as displaying a great depth of knowledge, but recent scientific studies have associated certain character traits and personal habits with high intelligence. While most people consider people in the top echelons of society like doctors, lawyers, and top executives to be smarter than professionals like cleaners or construction workers, social status is not necessarily a clear sign of intelligence or lack thereof. Let’s look at what scientists have recently discovered about intelligence, especially the new signs of intelligence:
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5 Ways to Deal with Stress and Anxiety
It is normal to feel stressed out and anxious when facing challenging situations in life. However, it is important to recognize when you start feeling overwhelmed by stress before it begins to interfere with your physical and psychological well-being. Stress and anxiety have many harmful effects on the mind and body. While a little stress can serve as a motivator, too much of it will make your mind and body pay the price. Fortunately, there are also many ways to manage stress and anxiety, which make it possible to cope with them in a positive and proactive manner. Here are some tips to tame the stress and anxiety beast:
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How to Rejuvenate your Brain from the Inside Out
You may think your mental capacity is at a pretty good level, with your thought processes fluid and fully functional; but what if they could be even better? The fact is, the human brain has tremendous potential and recent advances in medical science have unearthed clues into optimizing the way you feel, think and interface with the world around you. Sounds far-fetched, but this “optimization” is simply the process of neurogenesis, which can best be explained as the way our brain renews and evolves by creating new neurons and other cells essential to the brain and central nervous system.
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