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It’s Time to Do Away With Early School Start Times
The first bell echoes off the bricked hallways of Lindbergh High School in Renton, Washington, warning dazed and coffee-clutching students to pick up their pace. It’s December. It’s 7:15 a.m. It’s still dark outside. Yet, in five minutes, they are expected to be sitting in class, alert, and ready to learn. ... Poor sleep and circadian disruption carry numerous costs for teens. Studies point to lower grades and higher rates of car accidents, athletic injuries, risky behaviors, substance abuse, obesity, depression, and anxiety. Cycles of REM sleep primarily occur in the last third of the night.
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Are Ultraprocessed Foods Really That Delicious?
I’m a Gen X-er, so ultraprocessed foods have been a mainstay of my diet since I was a kid. I was raised on bowls of sugary cereal, mac and cheese and instant ramen. I still crave them. And that’s by design, said Ashley Gearhardt, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan. Dr. Gearhardt’s research suggests that some UPF ingredients, like added fats and sugars, can activate the brain’s reward centers in ways similar to those of addictive substances like alcohol and nicotine. “The more you have, the more you want,” she said.
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Eight Ways to Stay Happier This Year, According to Science
... There is another way the past could help you in the present. Research suggests that engaging with our ancestry can have profound psychological benefits. Family stories about overcoming adversity, for example, can be empowering when passed down to new generation. Iris Mauss, a psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, has also shown that the desire and pursuit of happiness can also increase feelings of loneliness and disconnection. She recommends adopting a more stoic attitude and being more accepting of life's ups and downs.
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If You’re Mentally Struggling During the Holidays, Here’s How to Cope
For many people, celebrating New Year’s Day can include reflecting on a life well lived or a chance to start anew. But for some, the holiday may have dark undertones, according to a recent large study. ... The results may also reflect the known tendency for many people to feel generally less upbeat during the winter months due to seasonal affective disorder, said Dr. Dan Romer, psychologist and research director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, via email. Romer wasn’t involved in the study.
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Invisible Habits Are Driving Your Life
You probably remember when you took your last shower, but if I ask you to examine your routine more closely, you might discover some blank spots. Which hand do you use to pick up the shampoo bottle? Which armpit do you soap up first? ... Around the new year, countless people pledge to reform their bad habits and introduce new, better ones. Yet the science of habits reveals that they are not beholden to our desires. “We like to think that we’re doing things for a reason, that everything is driven by a goal,” Wendy Wood, a provost professor emerita who studies habit at the University of Southern California, told me.
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Radical Acceptance Can Help Build Emotional Resiliency
... A growing body of research suggests that the more you fight against your pain, the stronger and louder it’s going to get. Marsha Linehan, a retired University of Washington psychology professor and creator of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), calls the process of allowing the feelings to come without judgment or action “radical acceptance.” She advises that “the pathway out of hell is through misery. The more you fight your misery, the more you stay in hell.” The goal of radical acceptance is not to condone or approve of a situation but to recognize its existence and let go of the emotional suffering caused by fighting reality.
