MENTAL HEALTH

(BPT) - Step into the world of gardening, a blossoming trend that's captivating people of all ages. If you've already spent time in the garden, you understand the excitement of seeing vibrant colors coming to life as your plants grow and bloom. Beyond enhancing your outdoor spaces, gardening also provides meaningful benefits for your health and well-being. Embrace the joys of summer gardening with Beacon® Impatiens and discover the powerful wellness benefits of spending time outdoors and connecting with nature. Get physical Take part in the physical nature of gardening — a hands-on activity that gets you moving, improves joint flexibility and enhances your range of motion. Your body will thank you as the activity boosts endorphin production — feel-good hormones that relieve stress, r...

How To Avoid Seeing Disturbing Content On Social Media And Protect Your Peace Of Mind When graphic videos go viral, like the recent fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, it can feel impossible to protect yourself from seeing things you did not consent to see. But there are steps you can take. Social media platforms are designed to maximize engagement, not protect your peace of mind. The major platforms have also reduced their content moderation efforts over the past year or so. That means upsetting content can reach you even when you never chose to watch it. You do not have to watch every piece of content that crosses your screen, however. Protecting your own mental state is not avoidance or denial. As a researcher who studies ways to counteract the negative effects of social media on menta...

Discover how mental health directly impacts physical wellness. Learn practical tips to reduce stress, improve sleep, and boost immunity for holistic well-being. In recent years, health experts have increasingly emphasized the intricate connection between mental and physical health. It’s no longer enough to focus solely on diet and exercise—mental well-being plays a critical role in overall wellness. Chronic stress, anxiety, and depression can trigger physical symptoms ranging from headaches and fatigue to heart disease and digestive issues. Research shows that prolonged stress elevates cortisol levels, a hormone linked to weight gain, high blood pressure, and immune dysfunction. Meanwhile, positive mental states, including mindfulness, gratitude, and meditation, can lower stress, reduce ...

Amplifying delusions: How social media can negatively impact our mental well-being. Imagine a tribe of uncontacted hunter-gatherers in the deepest Amazon rainforest. Anthropologists airdrop dozens of smartphones loaded with social media apps, with solar chargers, simple instructions in their native language and Wi-Fi just within the tribe. What would happen to their culture and their mental health? Such an experiment appears fanciful, but a similar one has been unfolding in our world for about 20 years. For the first time in human evolution, everyday social interactions have changed from face-to-face to disembodied experiences, from in-person to digital and from social reality to whatever someone puts online. Social media is an evolutionary novelty, like M&M’s, e-cigarettes, fen...

Is a ‘friend-apist’ what we really want from therapy? When I read the recent New York Times article “Therapy Is Good. These Therapists Are Bad,” I couldn’t help but think of the Apple TV+ series “Shrinking.” The article details the troubling prevalence of ethical and legal boundary violations by therapists: riding an exercise bike during appointments, bringing a dog into sessions despite a patient’s fear of animals, flirting with patients and even having sex with them. In “Shrinking,” Jason Segel stars as Jimmy Laird, a cognitive behavioral therapist who becomes increasingly entangled in his patients’ lives. His skeptical boss, Paul Rhoades – played by Harrison Ford – critiques Jimmy’s unconventional methods while facing struggles of his own. Everyone seems enmeshed with everyone else...

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