Mindfully Healing

Why anxious people are agreeable, the supplement that reduces anxiety, dangers of anxiety drugs, the benefits of optimistic thinking and more… Ten new psychology studies reveal why some people are anxious, how to reduce anxiety and much more. 1. Why anxious people are too agreeable Disagreeing with others activates areas of the brain linked to anxiety in some people, new research finds. This helps to explain why some choose to agree all the time — it spares them psychological discomfort. Dr Juan Dominguez, one of the study’s authors, explained: “People

This is the closest PsyBlog gets to toilet humour. Do you hang your toilet roll with the end of the paper hanging ‘over’ or with the end hanging ‘under’? According to a survey by Dr Gilda Carle, ‘over’ people are more assertive. Assertive people are more likely to be in leadership roles and to have a take-charge attitude, says Dr Carle. Those hanging the roll ‘under’ are more likely to be submissive. Submissive people tend to be more agreeable, flexible and empathetic, says Dr Carle. To create the toilet paper

A walk around the park will work, but this could be more fun! A form of rock climbing called ‘bouldering’ is an effective treatment for depression symptoms, new research finds. Bouldering involves climbing walls or rocks to a moderate height with no ropes or harnesses. The study was inspired by German hospitals, some of which have started using climbing as a treatment for depression. People in the study — most of whom were new to rock climbing — were split into two groups. Those in the rock climbing group did

How to help people lose weight using this simple message. Women who receive messages of acceptance about their weight from their family and loved ones do best at maintaining or even losing weight, a new study finds. Those who received little reassurance about their weight from those that matter, though, put on an average of 4.5 pounds over three months. Professor Christine Logel, who led the study, said: “When we feel bad about our bodies, we often turn to loved ones — families, friends and romantic partners — for support

People who are particularly neurotic may benefit from this group of common foods — plus exercise. People who eat more fermented foods have lower social anxiety, a new study finds. The benefit is particularly noticeable amongst people who are highly neurotic. Neurotic people are prone to anxiety. Fermented foods that are a regular part of the Western diet include milk, cheese, yoghurt and bread. They typically contain probiotics, which are likely behind the benefit. Professor Matthew Hilimire, one of the study’s authors, said: “It is likely that the probiotics in

Every week almost one-quarter of Americans use this drug. Acetaminophen — commonly known as Tylenol in the US and paracetamol elsewhere — reduces people’s empathy for the pain of others, new research finds. Acetaminophen is an ingredient in over 600 different medications, including being the main constituent of Tylenol. The ubiquitous painkiller does not just kill pain, it also kills our fellow-feeling. Dr Dominik Mischkowski, the study’s first author, said: “These findings suggest other people’s pain doesn’t seem as big of a deal to you when you’ve taken acetaminophen. Acetaminophen

The video game that improves brain efficiency. Tetris — the retro block-puzzle-game — can increase the thickness of the cortex and brain efficiency, research finds. The study involved 26 adolescent girls playing Tetris for 30 minutes a day over a three-month period. They were compared to a control group. At the end, brain scans showed a thicker cerebral cortex in those who had been playing Tetris. The cortex is the area of the brain linked to higher functions such as memory, attention and planning. Dr Rex Jung, a neuropsychologist who

Dementia breaks down the brain’s ability to perform complex tasks, like this one. Being unable to understand sarcasm is an early warning sign of dementia, research finds. Deterioration in key parts of the brain in neuro-degenerative diseases causes people to have problems spotting insincere communication. Detecting lies and sarcasm is a relatively complex cognitive task. It requires being able to simulate the other person’s mind and inferring what they must mean. Those with dementia also find it hard to spot lies. Dr Katherine Rankin, who led the study, said: “These

Whether people widen or narrow their eyes gives you a huge amount of information about their emotions. When the eyes narrow it signals that someone is discriminating, research finds. This could mean they are angry, suspicious, aggressive or contemptuous. When the eyes widen, though, it means they are highly sensitive to the information they are receiving. This could mean their are interested, awe-struck or even feeling cowardly. The way the eyes move to communicate emotions is linked to how we actually use our eyes for vision. For example, narrowing our

Around one million people around the world take their own lives each year. Hopelessness and emotional pain are the two main reasons why people commit suicide, research finds. Common beliefs about suicide were not strongly supported by the study. People were less likely to mention the following reasons: Financial problems, as a cry for help, or to solve some kind of practical problem. Instead, it was more because the emotional pain they were in was unbearable and they felt that it would never go away. Professor David Klonsky, study co-author,