Health Tips Article

Considering this is the era of fact sharing and how people like 'quick bites' of information, I thought I'll compile some of the psychology facts that are almost never talked about. These are, well, not facts. These are robust research findings that are close to being facts. Truth be told, it's hard to call research a 'fact' in science. Because the evidence just keeps growing and it keeps changing the shape of information. More research adds a context. It adds limitations and generalizations. The line between solid evidence & facts is blurry. Nay, we don't really know where to draw it. Call me a skeptic. Scientific information has to be understood in a certain way. Perhaps I'll write on that someday, or you could just ask me in the comments section:) For all practical purposes, the contents of this article are research insights . We will use the term 'fact' loosely but in a more serious sense than most of the random, wrong, and unfalsifiable ...

Humans boast of psychological maturity, an ability that makes them stand apart from other species. This includes the ability to control our impulses and urges. But, some people have difficulty controlling their impulses and can’t resist the urge to do something harmful. These people are said to suffer from a psychological disorder known as Impulse control disorder. Impulse control disorders (ICDs) are common psychiatric conditions characterized by urges and behaviors that are excessive and harmful to oneself (or others). The affected individuals typically report significant impairment in social and occupational functioning. There are legal and financial difficulties as well depending on the nature of ICD.  Some popular ICD’s include addictions to alcohol or drugs, eating disorders, compulsive gambling, paraphilias (abnormal sexual behaviors), trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling), kleptomania (compulsive stealing), pyromania (repeated fire setting), and intermittent explosi...

It IS common knowledge that sleep is important. We know it, we all know it. Pretty well. But we consider the option of burning the candle from both ends way too many times. Let us play a drinking game. If you don't drink, do 10 one hand pushups.* Never have I ever compromised sleep to study more and then wake up early to further compromise sleep just so I can study more. Drink.  Never have I ever stayed up 4 hours past bedtime to complete a project/presentation and then rush to office in barely awake and in the twilight zone. Drink more. Never have I ever routinely compromised sleep and wonder what the reason for lower productivity is. Sigh. Save your liver.  Cheers if you are drunk by now. I would be.  The point I am making is that the typical human being often compromises sleep. Sometimes, there is pressure to finish something and only then you can rest. But many times, it is a self-imposed compromise. This is when it gets ugly for your memory.  Say you are in...

Leaving all anecdotes aside, let us look at the scientific evidence. Considering the value of this question in our day-to-day lives, I’ll summarize music psychology research here. Research has given us quite a few valuable insights into how music affects our minds and behavioral output. One example is: Listening to slightly distracting music in the background which makes you rethink your thoughts could actually promote your creative thinking! The truth is that people do listen to music while working or learning. The questions we need to ask are: Is music detrimental to work?  Is music a creativity booster?  Is music good for learning & productivity?  Are certain types of songs better for work? Is listening to music in the workplace a smart choice? Let us find out. The effect of background music on work quality, productivity, learning, and creativity Here are 10 research findings on the role of music in creativity & productivity. Each point summarizes one academic ...

1 in 3 adults doesn't sleep enough. That's what the Center for disease control (CDC) said back in 2016 . I can only imagine it getting worse today. We know sleep is important. An abundance of research-based evidence exists that sleep is better for a myriad of aspects of being human. The lack of sleep has detrimental effects on us. Poor sleep: Deteriorates physical health Deteriorates mental health Compromises cognitive function Compromises daily functioning and relationships (a quick search in google scholar will show how vast the research is for the points mentioned above) Even though we know that a good night's sleep adds significant value to our lives, sometimes we can't sleep. We don't get sleep even if we are exhausted.  The question then emerges - how do we get some nice healthy, relaxing, cozy sleep?  In this post, I'll describe 7 ways to get a good night's sleep. These are research-based tips so you can rely on them.  How to get sleep faster? If you ...