9 Ways to be Happy in the Next 30 Minutes
There are mornings when we rush out of bed in a vague fog. Days that seem to spiral progressively down the drain. But sometimes, all we need to do is stop. Take a breath. And re-discover ourselves in the moment. "Being happier doesn't have to be a long-term ambition," Gretchen Rubin states. "You can start right now." She suggests that little things, like taking a walk outside, doing a good deed, r... posted on Jun 30 2010, 38,261 reads

Life Without Worry
It keeps us up at night. Weighs our shoulders down. Hangs over us in clouds of doubt and furrowed eyebrows. Worry. There's nothing appealing about it, yet many of us find our minds entangled in self-doubt, uncertainty, and grappling with unknowns. But for Akaya Windwood, worry is a thing of the past. A few years ago, after her sister was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Windwood made the decisio... posted on Jun 25 2010, 9,488 reads

Moral Life of Babies
Not long ago, Paul Bloom watched a 1-year-old boy take justice into his own hands. On a quest to discover the nature of morality, Bloom and his fellow researchers are exploring the moral lives of babies for the answer. While it may seem like babies are helpless, ignorant, and undisciplined, recent studies at Yale University's Infant Cognition Center indicates that, even in the first year of life, ... posted on Jun 02 2010, 2,749 reads

Clean Hands, Clear Mind
How many times have you heard the expression - maybe you've used it yourself: I'm going to wash my hands of something. Could there be more to the metaphor than meets the eye? Could washing your hands have some tangible effect on your thoughts? A study out recently in the journal Science suggests that the answer is yes, that hand washing can actually change your thinking. The author of the study, M... posted on May 27 2010, 5,213 reads

The Mother's Cure
It's a situation every mother has been through: Your child is stressed out or upset, but she's at school or summer camp--too far away to give her a hug. That doesn't mean she can't be comforted, though. According to a new study, talking on the phone with Mom is nearly as good as getting a hug for helping stressed kids calm down. At least for young girls, talking on the phone with their mothers red... posted on May 16 2010, 2,044 reads

8 Ways to Sleep Better
If sleep has plunged to the bottom of your to-do list, you're not alone. Although the National Sleep Foundation recommends getting seven to nine hours of sleep a night, the average American logs only 6 hours and 40 minutes. But before turning to over-the-counter medications, Karen Asp recommends eight natural remedies that can soothe anxieties and help you get a good night's sleep. She introduces ... posted on May 13 2010, 10,370 reads

Join the Laughter Club
In one of the world's most challenging economies, two women are setting up laughter clubs to help people cope with the strains of daily life. Last year, a unity government halted the collapse of Zimbabwe's economy - which left the Zimbabwe dollar almost worthless - by allowing the use of foreign currency. How does one respond to such hardship? "You've got to laugh more," says one man at a recent w... posted on May 08 2010, 2,609 reads

'Green' Exercise Boosts Mental Health
Ever feel happier when you enter a park or nature setting? Just five minutes of exercise in a 'green space' such as a park can boost mental health, researchers say. In the latest analysis, UK researchers looked at evidence from 1,250 people in 10 studies and found fast improvements in mood and self-esteem. Study leader Jules Pretty of Essex University suggests, "Employers, for example, could encou... posted on May 07 2010, 3,513 reads

Learn in your Dreams
Napping after learning something new could help you commit it to memory- as long as you dream, scientist say. They found that people who dream about a new task perform it better on waking than those who don't sleep or dream. Volunteers who napped after learning the layout of a 3D computer maze found their way through the real-life maze quicker than those who didn't. "Every day we are gathering and... posted on Apr 30 2010, 3,791 reads

In Pursuit of Silence: How noise really is killing us
For most Americans, silence is rare. Traffic and airplane noise fill major cities. Cellphone conversations have taken over parks, buzzing electronics have invaded homes and each store has its own carefully shaped "sonic environment." In his new book, "In Pursuit of Silence: Listening for Meaning in a World of Noise," George Prochnik argues that noise poses a real threat to our cardiovascular syst... posted on Apr 28 2010, 5,091 reads