Rituals are social conventions that range from religious ceremonies like baptisms and bat mitzvahs to simple greetings like handshakes.
- By James Urton
In the new paper, researchers report that sleep cycles in people oscillate during the 29.5-day lunar cycle: In the days leading up to a full moon, people go to sleep later in the evening and sleep for shorter periods of time.
Research has uncovered a variety of benefits that can arise from instances of what might otherwise label as “bad” behaviour.
The COVID vaccine rollout has placed the issue of vaccination firmly in the spotlight. A successful rollout will depend on a variety of factors, one of which is vaccine acceptance. One potential hurdle to vaccine acceptance is needle fear.
While developing an effective vaccine probably won’t bring an immediate end to the pandemic, it’s clear that things can’t begin to return to normal without one.
- By Julian Reeve
I’d just conducted a performance of the Broadway musical Hamilton in San Francisco in 2017 when I experienced a heart attack on my way home. Tests proved that my right coronary artery was 90% blocked, and two stents were placed to get me on the road to recovery. I was 43 years old.
There’s no question the rising rate of unemployment is one of the worst consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leadership is a human universal. It can even be seen in other species, which suggests it may be an evolutionarily ancient process.
Of course, we all know people who are more androgynous, having a mix of personality traits that are stereotypically considered to be male or female.
If you are an adult who has experienced chronic issues with restlessness, impatience, poor listening skills, or a difficulty doing “boring” jobs like balancing a checkbook, you already know what it feels like to experience some of the challenges associated with ADHD.
Some countries have opted for strict national lockdowns, like the one currently in place in the UK, while other countries such as Taiwan have opted for border closures and mandatory quarantine for overseas arrivals. Such different approaches to restricting movement have different effects on our well-being.
Fear is debilitating. It affects us our thinking, our health, and our relationships. And we know, it is very present in these times. But there are ways to leave fear behind and enter a life of joy...
- By Nathan Smith
Being forced into isolation and confinement creates a number of potentially stressful demands. However, we might be able to learn a thing or two about coping with these demands, from people who choose a life in such settings.
Appreciation is most powerful when it ceases to be something that you do only occasionally, and instead becomes your basic approach to life. You must first be willing to overcome certain resistances to appreciating...
Incredibly, a whole year has passed since the first emergence of COVID-19. What looked like a temporary inconvenience at first is turning into a permanent fixture that might forever change life as we knew it before 2020.
- By Jean Slick
Human experience with disasters and crises is obviously not new. There are common patterns in the ways people come together to respond to these kinds of events — regardless of whether the trigger was a natural hazard, technologically based or human-caused.
In a world immersed in urgency, with alarm bells ringing left and right and dire predictions for our future, how dare I come up with a banner marked, “Yes, so many good things are happening”? Simply because how we
The raging coronavirus pandemic, along with political turbulence and uncertainty, have overwhelmed many of us. Indeed, all through these times, both the dark and bright sides of human nature were evident as many people engaged in extraordinary compassion and courage when others were committing acts of violence, self-interest or greed.
We all have a choice. We can submit to apathy and indifference or we can choose hope. This dialogue is about choosing hope and recognizing that we each have a responsibility to make a difference in the world.
- By Gordon Rixon
Making and breaking New Year’s resolutions is a familiar and discouraging annual ritual for many people. In a few short weeks, many find they are unable to meet their goals of self-improvement,
COVID-19 is pushing us all in ways we’ve never been pushed, and making us do thing we’ve never done. It’s also stressing us in very peculiar ways. Perhaps one of the most tiring things is the all encompassing lack of certainty.
Nature does not pick sides: it simply gives every plant a fair chance to life. The sun shines on everyone regardless of their size, race, language, or opinions. Can we not do the same? Forget our old quarrels, our old grievances, our old prejudices, and start looking at everyone on earth as another person just like us...
The other day I was giving myself a "good talking to"… telling myself I really need to exercise regularly, eat better, take better care of myself… You get the picture. It was one of those days when I was determined to do better and was giving myself what was supposed to be a "pep talk"...