A Hug a Day Keeps the Doctor Away. A study suggests that, in addition to making us feel connected with others, hugs may prevent us from becoming ill. You may be forgiven for thinking the contrary. But the new research out of Carnegie Mellon indicates that feeling connected to others, especially through physical touch, protects us from stress-...
Literature · 7th June, 2020 · 1 min
This study set out to explore the affects of gratitude writing along with psychotherapy. 293 student participants took part, all seeking psychotherapy. They were divided into three groups :(a) control group (psychotherapy only), (b) psychotherapy plus expressive writing, (c) psychotherapy plus gratitude writing. Those in the expressive writing group wr...
Counselling · 24th June, 2019 · 1 min
Social media has its place; keeping people connected, but for some it becomes an addiction. In a recent survey of almost 25,000 people, social media addiction was associated with lower levels of self-esteem and higher levels of narcissism (excessive interest and admiration for oneself ). Social media is ego boosting and so appeals to the narcissist. Th...
Literature · 28th January, 2019 · 1 min
A recent study has revealed that persons who use self-deprecating humour to gain others' affirmation, show greater levels of psychological well-being. This does however contradict previous research which suggests the contrary. People engaged in this type of humour show higher scores in areas such as happiness and, to a smaller extent, friendliness. Thi...
Counselling · 5th November, 2018 · 1 min
A lot of emphasis today is on diet and exercise and its importance for one's mental health. What about sleep? I believe it to be very underrated, however sleep deprivation can have a major impact on one's mental functioning. In a small study it was found that higher levels of repetitive negative thinking (RNT) are associated with reduced sleep duration...
Other · 5th August, 2018 · 1 min