Wellbeing in lockdown
Everyday mental health is a more pressing issue than ever. Those of you who have been following Mindapples’ activities during the COVID-19 pandemic will know we’ve been putting more of our material into the public domain to get people talking about we can all do to look after our minds. (Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, […]
Continue reading
Drink water! What dehydration does to your mind
We all know water is good for us, and it’s certainly easy to get hold of it, but we don’t often stop to think about how beneficial it can be, not just for our physical health, but for our minds too. Recent research shows that dehydration not only affects our physical wellbeing, but also our […]
Continue reading
Why taking care of our feelings matters
“Positive emotions are worth cultivating, not just as end states in themselves but also as a means to achieving psychological growth and improved well-being over time” – Barbara L. Fredrickson Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions, 2001 According to recent psychological research, the experience of positive emotions such as joy, interest, contentment and love, not only […]
Continue reading
Why having fun is good for you
We all know that leisure time makes us feel good, but now scientific evidence shows that taking time out and engaging in activities you enjoy really does lead to both psychological and physical wellbeing. It’s a well-established fact that physically healthy actions such as eating well and getting enough sleep make us feel better, it […]
Continue reading
The missing middle of modern meditation
I have a lot of conversations about meditation. And over the last few years, as the mainstream interest in meditation has grown and I’ve met more and more people wanting to learn the practice and the theory of meditation – and in particular mindfulness-based meditation – the supply to satisfy the demand of that interest […]
Continue reading
A brief history of mindfulness
Hang out around mental health circles either side of the Atlantic at the moment and soon enough you’ll hear someone talking about mindfulness. And here in the UK, the status of mindfulness as official flavour of the psychotherapist’s month was secured this year when the Mental Health Foundation launched its Be Mindful project. With its […]
Continue reading Exercise Builds a Calmer Brain
We’ve known for a long time that exercise reduces stress … but new research on rats described in The New York Times is showing that exercise actually builds calmer brains. “It looks more and more like the positive stress of exercise prepares cells and structures and pathways within the brain so that they’re more equipped to […]
Continue reading A curious mind is an active mind
Curiosity means being open to the unfamiliar, and to whatever emotions may result, then arguably any strategy for achieving happiness – for guaranteeing happy feelings, rather than sad ones – is intrinsically incurious. Train yourself to be curious and seek the unfamiliar.
Continue reading Get well in the garden
We’ve always known that fresh air does you good, but now it seems that getting up close and personal with gardening can improve your overall well being. Studies from the University of Bristol indicate that simply touching “friendly bacteria” in soil may alter behaviour in a way similar to that of taking antidepressants. Meanwhile, research […]
Continue reading Sing your way to happiness
Singing is not only fun, it offers an antitode to stress, illness and depression. “When you sing, you breathe in a different way so you use more of your total lung volume. This means there’s a tendency to increase the airflow so your blood is more oxygenated. When that happens, you are more alert. Singing […]
Continue reading