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Joy: Why Traffic On Poetry Websites Has Increased During The Pandemic
SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST: Traffic on poetry websites has been way up during the pandemic. No surprise - research shows reading and writing poetry can reduce stress and feelings of isolation. NOEL KING, HOST: NPR's online app, the Joy Generator, has some tools to help you engage with poetry, which is not just about feeling good; it's also good science. Keith Holyoak teaches psychology at UCLA. KEITH HOLYOAK: Among cognitive psychologists, I'm one of the few who's also a published poet. MCCAMMON: Holyoak also has written a book about poetry's effect on the brain.
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From Stress to Distress: Virginia Tech Professor on the Expectations on Simone Biles to Win
Mental health experts are taking a closer look at the reasons why U.S. gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from the women’s team final at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo over stress. A Virginia Tech professor weighs in. “We have a culture now that might make this more common,” psychology professor Dr. Scott Geller told WTOP. Geller said it’s possible that expectations on Biles to win evolved from stress that is typically used to motivate an athlete. “If our cognitive appraisal says ‘I’m not in control,’ now we have distress,” Geller said. “That’s debilitating and hurtful both psychologically and physically.” ...
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What Makes a Champion
What explains exceptional human performance? This podcast sheds light on the power of diversification.
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7 Ways to Reset Your Relationship
As we emerge, blinking, from our pandemic seclusion, all of us have, in ways great and small, changed. So, too, have our relationships. “During this time, couples may have been spending about as much time with each other as would normally be stretched across a two to three year period,” said Bryce Doehne, a clinical psychologist in Portland, Ore. “And they’ve had to occupy multiple roles that would have been previously filled by others, like friends, which is impossible.” Now, as many couples plunge back into the hum of life, is a perfect opportunity for a relationship reset — to learn from our time hunkering down together and look toward the future.
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Root of Teen Empathy Begins with Secure Relationships at Home, Study Finds
Teenagers who have close, secure relationships with their families are more likely to extend empathy to their peers, according to a new study. More specifically, when teens feel safe, supported by and connected to parents or other adult caregivers, they are better equipped to pass the empathy they receive on to others."I don't think teens in particular like being told what to do, and I don't think it's going to work to tell teens they should empathize with other people," said Jessica Stern, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow in the department of psychology at the University of Virginia.
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The Case for Scheduling Everything
Before the pandemic emptied offices and turned dining tables into desks, getting a midday haircut or heading out for 5 p.m. therapy could involve a bit of clandestine choreography: clearing one’s schedule of meetings, finding a friend to cover, then slipping out while the boss was away. That dance came to a halt in March 2020. And in the absence of commutes and face-to-face conferences, some white-collar workers began defining their own hours, sneaking in grocery runs, medical appointments and naps between job tasks. Many others found those blocks of reclaimed time quickly filled by new responsibilities, like child care and nursing sick relatives back to health.
