Research shows that the pandemic took a toll on our overall well-being and left many of us drained. Here are seven simple steps to get you thriving again. With vaccination rates on the rise, hope is in the air. But after a year of trauma, isolation and grief, how long will it take before life finally — finally — feels good? Post-pandemic, the answer to that question may be in your own hands. A growing body of research shows that there are simple steps you can take to recharge your emotional...

What the Pandemic Is Doing to Our Brains These changes are not just a product of our imaginations. “It’s all real,” says Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Carleton University Dr. Kim Hellemans, who studies the effects of stress on the brain. “Lack of social interaction, more work happening, always on the screen. All of these things are contributing to a loss of your normal cognitive functioning. We’re all overwhelmed .” An abundance of research has shown that the stress of isolation...

FEBRUARY 23, 2021 Stanford researchers identify four causes for ‘Zoom fatigue’ and their simple fixes It’s not just Zoom. Popular video chat platforms have design flaws that exhaust the human mind and body. But there are easy ways to mitigate their effects. acebook Twitter Email BY VIGNESH RAMACHANDRAN Even as more people are logging onto popular video chat platforms to connect with colleagues, family and friends during the COVID-19 pandemic, Stanford researchers have a warning for you:...

by Mike Allen --- Apr 24, 2021 📸 : Heather Rousseau The worried man on the phone asked Anne Marie Green whether he could safely make himself a ham sandwich. The call had come in on the 211 line during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under a contract with the Virginia Department of Social Services, the Council of Community Services in Roanoke runs Virginia 211, a helpline that refers callers to health and human service agencies that can meet their needs. Administrative staff,...

Dana G Smith Health and science writer • PhD in 🧠 • Words in Scientific American, STAT, The Atlantic, The Guardian • Award-winning Covid-19 coverage for Elemental Mar 9, 2021 S andro Galea, MD, is a physician and epidemiologist who knows trauma: He has studied people’s mental health in the aftermath of, among other earth-shattering events, 9/11, hurricanes, and civil unrest. In March and April 2020, the Boston University School of Public Health dean conducted one of the first mental health...

It’s been more than a year since the COVID-19 pandemic changed life as we knew it. Many families across the country have been living in “survival mode.” Tweens and teens continue to experience a range of emotions , including sadness, anger, and fear. If left unresolved, these feelings can take a toll on health and well-being. When it comes to teens’ emotional and mental health, they are experiencing a crisis, says Dr. Edith Bracho-Sanchez , a primary care pediatrician and assistant professor...

By Adam Grant Published April 19, 2021 Updated April 22, 2021, 11:18 a.m. ET At first, I didn’t recognize the symptoms that we all had in common. Friends mentioned that they were having trouble concentrating. Colleagues reported that even with vaccines on the horizon, they weren’t excited about 2021. A family member was staying up late to watch “National Treasure ” again even though she knows the movie by heart. And instead of bouncing out of bed at 6 a.m., I was lying there until 7, playing...

PACESCONNECTION COMMUNITIES ACES IN YOUTH SERVICES BLOG THESE CAJETA DRIZZLES REPRESENT SCARS: 'SAD GIRL CREAMERY' SERVES ICE CREAM WITH A SIDE OF MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS [LATACO.COM] By Janette Villafan, L.A. Taco, April 5, 2021 Ice cream served with a side of mental health awareness. This is the concept behind Sad Girl Creamery , a Latina-owned ice cream pop-up that was seven years in the making opened by SueEllen Mancini. “I’ve been wanting to start this for a long time. I definitely...

Using somatics to explore trauma can help make authentic connection and collectivity more possible. In 2009, my beloved movement comrade Malkia Cyril invited me to a course called Somatics and Social Justice being offered by a group called Generative Somatics. “The word somatics comes from the Greek root soma, which means ‘the living organism in its wholeness.’ It is the best word we have in English to understand human beings as an integrated mind/body/spirit, and as social, relational...

When we find ourselves in a rut , it becomes easier to focus on what’s wrong and minimize what’s right. This gratitude practice is designed to change that; its aim is to amplify the experience of optimism . Hundreds of studies show that this simple shift leads to enhanced mood, better relationships, and even enhanced physical health. A 10-Minute Gratitude Practice to Notice, Shift, and Rewire To read Nate Klemp's article, and access the 10-minute gratitude practice, please click here.

“ Trauma always happens within a context, and so does healing. To understand the impact of trauma means being acutely sensitive to the environment—to the conditions under which people grew up, to how they live today, and to the journeys they have taken along the way .” Creating an environment that exudes calm, safety, and compassion is a goal of trauma-informed systems. It is a profound paradigm shift in knowledge, perspective, attitudes and skills that continues to deepen and unfold over...

A fierce Indigenous woman is now the caretaker of the nation’s public lands and waters for the first time in U.S. history. Deb Haaland was confirmed as the nation’s 54th Secretary of the Interior in a 51-40 vote Monday, making her the first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency. Republican Sens. Susan Collins, Lindsey Graham, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan broke from party lines to vote to confirm Haaland, a notable choice given other Republican senators publicly saying she was not the...