How to become the calm after the storm

by on ·Inspiration

Adversity is a reality that all people must face, because the world is full of challenges that we cannot predict nor avoid.

No matter how dark truth may be, adversity can have more than one function: Not only can it create obstacles but it can also serve as a tremendous catalyst for growth. Resilience means turning tragedy into transcendence, and realizing strengths and talents you never knew existed. Tragedy and adversity does not have to knock you to the ground, but if it does, you don’t have to stay there. We can allow it to elevate us instead. Rather than getting stuck on “the ground” or in the slumps of our problems, resilience tells us to keep moving but how exactly does one become resilient?

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The story of Elvis Summers’ Homes for the Homeless

by on ·Inspiration

When faced with the reality of homelessness, most people prefer to look away.

In California, where the homeless population has become a very visible issue, and despite all of the promises made by legislators to try and help them, it seems that nothing is truly done for them, and they are left to fend for themselves. Most people would not stir themselves to do anything for the homeless. Most people are not Elvis Summer.

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Here’s something you didn’t know you could inherit

by on ·Psychology

It’s one thing to for a person to endure a brutal disaster and try to deal with the pain afterwards for the rest of their life, but what about the possibility of that pain being transferred to their offspring?

It seems odd. But it turns out that genetics not only pass physical and personality traits, but trauma as well. This phenomenon, referred to as inherited trauma, first came to light with the descendants of Holocaust survivors being checked into clinics showing signs of PTSD, despite not having experienced the events that their parents did. Further studies about inherited trauma have managed to show that the possibility of biologically inheriting problems such as PTSD is not impossible, at least.

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We Should Start Taking Virtual Reality Seriously

by on ·Technology

The thing that makes virtual reality (VR) so interesting isn’t the technology — it’s the capability for longevity that it possesses.

Seriously.

We’ve all seen technological advancements that were groundbreaking in the moment, but didn’t really become a commodity in everyone’s lives (remember the 3D TV?) When something new in technology becomes a useful and accessible commodity, it’s made a significant impact on our lives. VR is hot and new right now, and it’s planning to stay for a while. The implications of VR are countless and important.
Just take a look at how it’s been put to use already:
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Are mental health apps the future or far from it?

by on ·Psychology

The invention of the smartphone has caused a drastic change in society and now smartphone apps have even moved on to mental health field as a viable market.

It seems too good to be true. People who struggle with mental disorders of varying degrees can find help in the comfort of their own home, with only their phones.

Medical professionals have been known to make use of smartphones since their rise, finding them to be a helpful way to stay on top of tasks, appointments and even keep track of client information. Now there are numerous mental health apps that promise some kind of comfort or assistance, but are they appropriate for use without the medical degree?

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Study finds that ADHD is correlated with specific personality traits

by on ·Psychology

Everyone knows something about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

We know that ADHD affects a sizeable portion of the global population (the ADHD Institute estimates 5.3-7.1% of children and adolescents and 3.4% of adults), and that the disorder is more prevalent in males. Symptoms include difficulty paying attention, disorganization, jumping from one activity to the next, impatience, and impulsivity. We know that the inattentive form of ADHD, as opposed to the hyperactive-impulsive form, was formerly known as ADD but it was recently lumped into the broader category of ADHD, more or less hanging the term “ADD” out to dry.

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How stress eats you in more ways than one

by on ·Psychology

We all know the sinking feeling of dread when we realize we might have put everything off to the last minute and are now left feeling bombarded by all the tasks left to be completed.

We might be running around frantically doing a little bit of everything or we might be micromanaging each thing accordingly until everything is done. Everyone reacts differently to stress.  You may be better at dealing with stress in the workplace but much worse at handling stress at home, or perhaps it’s the other way around.  Perhaps, you rarely get stressed or maybe you feel like you’re constantly overwhelmed. Because stress is so universal and felt by everyone, an important question to ask is just how does stress affect our mental and physical health?

Stress is an evolutionary trait.

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What if procrastination had an upside?

by on ·Psychology

“I’ll do it tomorrow.”

We’ve all said this at one point or another, whether referencing laundry, cleaning, studying or paying mind to an important work project. Procrastination is a difficult habit to break, and a tricky urge to fight. And a lot of us battle it often—Twenty percent of people describe themselves as chronic procrastinators, meaning procrastination, for them, is a lifestyle.

Whether we procrastinate all the time, or every once in awhile, we know it can have negative effects on our productivity, and hold us back from getting many things done. So, when all’s said and done, we tend to berate ourselves for engaging in this behavior. Procrastination is seen as a dominantly negative behavior, so it appears to deserve punishment. But, wait, are we sure that there aren’t any benefits to procrastination? Is it actually a completely negative tendency?

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Can pets actually make us happier?

by on ·Psychology

Some people may think you’re crazy if you talk to your animals. Even though many pet-owners talk to their pets, involve them in group activities and even treat them as part of the family, we all know that they aren’t like your best friend Tim or Kylie. Or.. What if they are? Even though they don’t speak human, research shows that pets can fulfill social needs similarly to their human counterparts. Allen R. McConnell, a professor of Psychology at Miami University, conducted some lab experiments that show that pets can help everyday people feel happier with themselves and their lives.

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Why your messy room could be a good thing

by on ·Psychology
I’ve always had the kind of room that’s slightly messy, enough to be permissible in the eyes of a guest, but also enough to bring my mother grief when she visits.

When I’m slammed with work, my room gradually decays into a pile of bed sheets, laundry, coffee cups, and papers; All physical manifestations of my psychological state, and my room points to one thing: Stress.

What’s cool about rooms is that they say more about us than we think they do, and surprisingly, there’s a whole academic discipline dedicated to exploring the relationship between people and their places. The discipline ranges from urban planning to philosophy, collectively comprising place theory or environmental psychology.

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