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All human beings are born with a capacity for empathy, but ultimately, empathy is a learned behavior —much like language. Just as language improves our communication ability, empathy improves our ability to connect emotionally with others. Empathy strengthens friendships, encourages intimacy, and makes great teams. It helps us remain accountable and support others. What is empathy, though? If you’re a trauma-informed leader who hopes to become a better team member, the answer to that...

By Ari Shapiro, Megan Lim, and Christopher Intagliata, Illustration: guoya/Getty Images, National Public Radio, January 15, 2023 Happiness can be hard to quantify, because it can mean something different to everyone. But let's say you could change one thing in your life to become a happier person, like your income, a job, your relationships or your health. What would make the biggest difference? That's the question that Dr. Robert Waldinger has been investigating for decades as the director...

By The Science of Happiness podcast, Greater Good Magazine, January 19, 2023 When did you last take a moment to really look up at the sky? Shifting your gaze upward can help us be more creative, it improves our capacity to focus - and it’s a gateway to awe. Episode summary: Natalie didn’t spend much time finding shapes in the clouds as a small kid. And when she got older, looking up was even worse for her. Natalie spent time in jail, where she spent most of her days indoors under harsh...

By Amanda Morris, Photo: Getty Images, The Washington Post, January 23, 2023 Practicing mindfulness to relieve anxiety can be just as effective as medication, new research shows. A recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry showed that people who received eight weeks of mindfulness-based interventions experienced a decrease in anxiety that matched those who were prescribed escitalopram, a common anti-anxiety medication that is often prescribed under the brand name Lexapro. A seven-point scale...

By Kaytee Gillis, Photo: Pixabay, Psychology Today, December 27, 2023 Many of us are ready for 2022 to be over. We are nearing what is hopefully the end of a pandemic—travel is resuming again, and fear of catching COVID had been replaced by the almost-forgotten FOMO (fear of missing out). Many start the new year with unattainable goals and unrealistic expectations, fearful of staining the black canvas before them. Then as the colder weather approaches, we look back on everything we did not...

Please join Children's Health in Focus president and CEO Arturo Brito on Thursday, February 23 at 2pm ET for a conversation with national experts about the effects of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) on the physical and mental health of children, as well as ways they can be prevented and mitigated. Join Dr. Jeffrey Holzberg, Director of Clinical Research, and Early Childhood Advocate with Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc. and Dave Ellis, a nationally recognized expert on Adverse...

By Victoria Law, Photo: Erik McGregor/Lightrocket/Getty Images, Truthout, January 25, 2023 In 2008, Robert Suttle’s life was upended. The 30-year-old had been working as an assistant law clerk at the Second Circuit Court of Appeal in Shreveport, Louisiana, when police arrested him in front of his colleagues. A former partner had accused him of not disclosing his HIV status and, in Louisiana, that constituted a felony charge of intentional exposure to the AIDS virus. It didn’t matter that...

By Erika DuBose, The Black Wall Street Times, January 26, 2023 All military veterans experiencing suicid e crises are now eligible for free emergency medical care. Veterans need not be enrolled in VA programs to receive care. Additionally, vets do not have to go to a VA clinic for suicide mental health treatment. The new program to support veterans includes private facilities. The VA will announce the new plan on Friday. In addition to emergency treatment, vets can receive 30 days of...

By Antonio Harvey, The Observer, January 24, 2023 The California Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board (RIPA Board) released its annual report on policing in December. It revealed that People “perceived as Black were searched at 2.2 times the rate of people” appearing as White. Additionally, law enforcement officers in the state searched a total of 6,622 more people perceived as Black than those perceived as White, the report states. Also of note, those perceived to be Black...

By Christina Sáez, Photo: Kirill Balobanov/ Unsplash, MedicalXpress, January 23, 2023 In 2021 alone, it is estimated that one billion children around the world experienced some kind of violence or neglect, ranging from sexual to physical or emotional abuse. Such experiences during childhood represent a significant risk to children's physical and mental health and shorten their life expectancy. In this regard, an international study in which the UOC has participated provides, for the first...

By The HOPE Team, 1/26/23, https://positiveexperience.org/category/blog/ Recent news has focused on the U.S. hitting its debt ceiling , which makes it harder for the federal government to meet financial obligations. The discussion often turns to whether Congress will make changes to Medicare and Social Security in response. Although the political landscape around this issue can be polarizing, one thing is certain, supporting children and families and promoting access to positive childhood...

Sharpen's evidence-based 5 hour Mental Health Literacy course improves resiliency and mental health literacy for participants ages 14 and up.