Stress
Investigating the links between stress, emotional management, and cognitive performance. Research evaluates evidence-based interventions to stabilize the nervous system and manage anxiety.
Level 1
videoMedCircle: mental health interviews with psychiatrists & psychologists
Mental health interviews with world-class psychiatrists & psychologists, providing mental health advice packed with actionable takeaways and clear explanations of…
Walking is the simplest way to lose fat and keep it off
Walking works for fat loss because most people can do it every day without pain or fear. It builds a…
videoUnderstanding women’s menstrual cycles: how hormones impact mood and behavior
A menstrual cycle typically lasts 28-32 days, this varies among women.Day 1 is the first day of bleeding, lasting 3-7…
Physical activity reduces the risk of developing depression
A meta-analysis of 49 studies involving over 266,000 participants found that higher levels of physical activity significantly reduce the risk…
The ideal free time would be 2 to 5 hours/day
As an individual’s free time increases, so does that person’s sense of well-being – but only up to a point.…
Level 2
Chronic stress alters the brain, but recovery is possible
Chronic stress can alter memory, fear, mood, and sleep circuits in the brain. That matters because these changes can raise anxiety and cognitive strain, but the evidence does not show permanent damage in everyone.
Venting does not calm you down, but rethinking the situation does
Lowering arousal, not venting, is key to anger management New research from Ohio State University, published in Clinical Psychology Review,…
videoHow exercise, sauna, and cold exposure may slow aging
The importance of exercise and adversity mimetics in activating longevity pathways. David Sinclair explains how vigorous exercise, intermittent fasting, and…
Renting can accelerate aging more than obesity and smoking
Living as a tenant accelerates biological aging more than being obese, unemployed, or a former smoker, according to recent research.…
Hugs alleviate pain, anxiety, and depression
Touch interventions show consistent health benefits A large-scale systematic review and meta-analysis of 137 studies reveals that touch interventions, such…
Love and health: how affection shapes stress biology
Affection does not rewrite DNA, but supportive relationships can soften stress responses, influence cortisol, and shape some patterns of gene expression.
Level 3
Fixing one gene’s activity reversed anxiety signs in mice
Researchers identified regular-firing neurons in the centrolateral amygdala that drive anxiety behaviors. Normalizing GRIK4 gene dosage in basolateral amygdala pyramidal cells reversed anxiety, depression, and social deficits in mice overexpressing the gene, suggesting a targeted treatment approach for anxiety disorders.
Amygdala circuit tweak clears anxiety signs in mice
A May 2025 iScience mouse study (online 13 May 2025; print issue 20 June 2025) reports that normalizing Grik4 in basolateral amygdala pyramidal cells reversed anxiety-like behavior, depression-like behavior, and social deficits in a transgenic model, while object recognition stayed impaired. In non-transgenic mice that were already highly anxious on screening, the same approach yielded only partial relief of anxiety-like behavior on the elevated plus maze, not a broad reversal across domains. The work is preclinical and does not establish a human treatment.
Childhood trauma linked to smaller hippocampus after romantic breakups
A new study links romantic breakups to smaller hippocampal brain volume in adults with childhood trauma, showing how early adversity heightens stress sensitivity.
Lucid dreaming: induction methods, benefits, and scientific research
Lucid dreaming is a phenomenon where the dreamer becomes aware they are dreaming and may even gain control over the…
Scientists find brain network twice as large in depressed people
Scientists have discovered that the salience network, a set of brain regions that decides what you focus on and how…
A single gene variant may explain why some people feel more anxious than others
Researchers have identified a gene variant, ADRB1, that may contribute to increased anxiety levels. This variant affects the brain’s adrenergic…