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Is There Any Way to Emotionally Prepare for Parenthood?
This guide was originally published on May 23, 2019 in NYT Parenting. While the adage that “nothing can prepare you for parenthood” is mostly true, there are some things you can do to get into the right headspace before you have kids. Preparing mentally and emotionally during pregnancy can reduce the risk of mood disorders (like postpartum anxiety and depression) and ease the transition to parenthood. There’s a shift in identity that comes with becoming a parent and letting go of Instagram-glossy notions of the perfect pregnancy or birth can help immensely with this monumental life change. ... Overestimate recovery time.
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Everyone is Watching ‘Contagion’ Right Now. A Psychologist Explains Why It’s Healthier to Watch That Than the News.
One of the most puzzling phenomenons to happen during the coronavirus is the sudden popularity of Steven Soderbergh's "Contagion." The 2011 thriller mirrors with uncanny realistic scenarios what's going on right now as it depicts a world that is struck by a global pandemic. ... "It makes us feel we're not alone, and there's a resolution to these stories so we can express our anxiety that way," Dr. Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Center, told Insider. "Whether it's zombie movies or 'Contagion,' any thriller ramps up a lot of anxiety and fear that then gets resolved by the end." ... "Movies are now that steady presence for us," she said.
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Yes, Even Introverts Can Be Lonely Right Now
APS Member/Author: Adam Grant As an introvert, I thought I was immune to loneliness. I’ve been working remotely as long as I’ve been working. I enjoy the comfort of writing at home, the efficiency of not commuting and the freedom from interruptions by extroverted colleagues. But in my first year of graduate school, I was struggling to get my papers accepted by journals — and to feel accepted by my new classmates. In the middle of the cold, gray Michigan winter, my roommates went home for the holidays, and I felt completely isolated. ... It’s often said that extroverts get their energy from people, while introverts are energized by solitude. The data show that’s a myth.
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COVID-19: Related Resources for the Psychological Science Community
APS is curating a collection of guidance and tools from around the web that are related to the psychological, social, and behavioral impacts of COVID-19
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APS Backgrounder Series: Psychological Science and COVID-19: Pandemic Effects on Marriage and Relationships
Expert commentary from Paula Pietromonaco on close relationships during pandemics. [April 24, 2020]
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‘A New Greatest Generation’: How Our Natural Resilience May Surprise Us
Anxiety, fear, and anguish are coursing through the world as we witness mounting numbers of sick people and deaths, frontline caregivers fighting for their patients’ lives with inadequate resources, and an unprecedented economic crisis that’s touching everyone and shattering the livelihoods of many. We’re all feeling it to some degree, and for those most directly and traumatically affected, the mental and emotional consequences will be severe and long-lasting, psychologists fear. ... People tend to be as resilient as they need to be, says Thomas Rodebaugh, PhD, director of clinical training in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.
