So, you may or may not have heard of Blue Monday. This is the name given to a day in January (typically the third Monday of the month) which is said to be the most depressing day of the year. The concept was first published in a 2005 press release from the company, which claimed to have calculated … Continue reading Blue Monday- debunked
Category: psychology
Language around anxiety is political
Anxiety has been systematically stigmatised for many decades and has historically settled for discriminatory lexicon. Words like, ‘loner’ ‘weirdo’ ‘loonie’ are all words that we have been bought up with to be perfectly acceptable terms. Stigma is not only an element that people with anxiety experience, but the extent to which it has permeated our … Continue reading Language around anxiety is political
6 of Psychology’s greatest case studies
These six characters have all had a huge influence on psychology and their stories continue to intrigue each new generation of students. What’s particularly fascinating is that many of their stories continue to evolve – new evidence comes to light, or new technologies are brought to bear, changing how the cases are interpreted and understood. … Continue reading 6 of Psychology’s greatest case studies
What can mental health researchers learn from the COVID-19 crisis?
Since the COVID‐19 pandemic took hold in the first quarter of 2020, children and their families across the world have experienced extraordinary changes to the way they live their lives – creating enormous practical and psychological challenges for them at many levels. While some of these effects are directly related to COVID‐related morbidity and mortality, … Continue reading What can mental health researchers learn from the COVID-19 crisis?
Mindset Matters
Does mindset matter? Yes it does. Mindset acts as an internal template for making sense of problems and responding to them. Whatever the changes you are trying to make, taking time to get into the right mindset each day can make a real difference to results. So how do you work out what mindset you … Continue reading Mindset Matters
Mental health is a political issue
Political uncertainty can be challenging, regardless of our beliefs or where we might fall on the political spectrum. Political change can affect us in different ways and, for many of us, and uncertainty may cause stress and anxiety about the future of our country. Major political and economic fluctuations, such as Coronavirus, may also have … Continue reading Mental health is a political issue
How books can impact our mental health
Ever since I can remember I have used books to help influence my mood, if I’m feeling like I need some female empowerment I’ll go and read some Brené Brown, or Toni Morrison. If I’m feeling in a love mood I will read a book about how we never can stop having hope, such as … Continue reading How books can impact our mental health
Psychology research in the era of Covid- Is it Groundhog day?
As the reality of the coronavirus pandemic set in a few months ago, psychologists set to work to understand how COVID-19 is going to affect us and try to inform a response to it. A few months later, hundreds of studies are in progress, examining everything from the spread of conspiracy theories to the characteristics … Continue reading Psychology research in the era of Covid- Is it Groundhog day?
Why psychologists are using social media for mental health research
This article contains discussion of suicide and self-harm In 2014, the Samaritans launched what seemed like an innovative new project: Radar. Designed to provide what the charity described as an “online safety net”, users could sign up to Radar to receive updates on the content of other people’s tweets, with emails sent out based on … Continue reading Why psychologists are using social media for mental health research
Vulnerability
Hey, How are you doing? I don’t know whether it’s the pandemic, but I am feeling a shift in how I embrace and show my own vulnerability. I feel naturally more open, and it feels like a stark contrast to how I was in my twenties. When I use to bat everyone off with a stick … Continue reading Vulnerability