Mental Health
Here you can read the latest news and research studies covering mental health. This is also the place to find out about different strategies on how you can reduce stress and boost happiness, and many other ways to look after your mental wellbeing.
Here's how to overcome social anxiety and get that conversation going
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM So, you’ve been invited to a social gathering with strangers for the first time in a long time. You want to attend but feel that knot of anxiety in the back of your throat. One way to ease this feeling is to prepare in advance by thinking about potential Read More...
3 ways content creators can make social media more constructive
According to a recently released Wall Street Journal report, 32 percent of teen girls report that Instagram makes them feel worse when they feel bad about their bodies. Although social media can have detrimental effects on everyone’s self-image, this phenomenon is particularly damaging for young Read More...
How to support a loved one with cancer, according to a cancer survivor
Being diagnosed with cancer is a scary experience. Even though many people develop cancer in their lifetime, it doesn’t make it any easier when you or someone you love is diagnosed for the first time. Unfortunately, there isn’t a definitive “right way” to support your loved ones through Read More...
5 Reasons why we wake up in the middle of the night (and what to do about it)
According to sleep expert Shelby Harris, PsyD, “everyone wakes up five to seven times per night between finishing complete sleep cycles. Each awakening is extremely brief in nature, and we fall right back asleep with amnesia for it.” However, even though this is how it’s supposed to be, Read More...
Online platform is the first fully virtual treatment option for eating disorders
An estimated 30 million Americans struggle with an eating disorder, yet many patients are reluctant to admit they have an issue and even more hesitant to seek treatment due to stigmas surrounding mental health care. After a spike in eating disorders during the pandemic, psychiatrist Dr. Wendy Read More...
Struggling with climate anxiety? Climate scientists have some tips
As the effects of climate change become more apparent in our day to day lives, increasing numbers of people are experiencing climate anxiety, and the issue is rampant among the planet’s youngest generations. A recent survey of 10,000 young people found that three quarters think the future of the Read More...
Students in Illinois will soon be able to take up to 5 mental health days
Even before the pandemic, instances of mental health crises among teens were on the rise, making classrooms a focal point for addressing mental health challenges. That’s why Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill this summer that allows students to take up to five excused mental health Read More...
Gut Instincts—Health and the microbiome
“Our body teaches us that health lies in balance and harmony, rather than in conflict and fighting.” - Ilchi Lee BY Amelia Buckley Whether choosing a sandwich option for lunch or accepting a new job offer, we’re all familiar with gut instincts. Although the term “gut instinct” only Read More...
Researchers successfully use deep brain stimulation to treat depression
Deep brain stimulation, or DBS, is a technique used to manage Parkinson’s disease and certain types of seizures, but now, researchers have successfully used it to treat depression for the first time. Scientists from the University of California, San Francisco, published a study detailing how they Read More...
3 ways that exercise changes the very structure of the brain
You probably know that exercise boosts brain function, but did you know that exercise can literally change the structure of our brains? Although these structural changes may not be visible to us, they can help us protect and preserve brain health and function throughout our Read More...