Edited by Jill Wright,
I am becoming ever more fond of the New York Times' Smarter Living section, which bills itself as offering "stories that help you understand the world - and make the most of it".Recently, for instance, its contribution to increasing its readers' understanding of the world extended to an article advocating doing nothing. A couple of years ago, it recommended an even...
Edited by Jill Wright,
This post is from one of Psychology Melbourne's psychologists, Natalie-Mai Holmes.Phobias are much more common than you probably think. No fewer than 11 per cent of Australians are thought to suffer from an extreme, irrational and frequently debilitating fear of something that most people consider harmless.Fear is a natural response to real danger, stopping us from doing risky things and...
Edited by Jill Wright,
Since the earliest social networking websites appeared in 1994, the world has seen an enormous surge of participation in social media. Sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Instagram are the most popular, with a combined five billion active users every month. Their influence on society has been immense and it is likely to increase.There are both positive and negative aspects. Instagram...
Edited by Jill Wright,
If success means keeping your head above water in all aspects of daily life, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to achieve. Left to juggle the demands of work, family, social life, personal life, exercise, one’s Facebook profile etc., all while perhaps studying or having a second job, many of us struggle. It might not be easy, but it is possible to keep...
Addressing the taboo topic of suicide is a difficult and sensitive undertaking for anyone. When such a disturbance takes place in the life of your child’s close friend and classmate for example, you would naturally want to be supportive without causing additional upset when they’re exposed to the grieving process at such a young and vulnerable age.With suicide being the...
Edited by Jill Wright,
Managed to catch some of an interesting piece on ABC Radio National's Life Matters yesterday on working from home, in which Bond University's Dr Libby Sander discussed the impact of working from home. Depending on aspects of your personality - whether you're disciplined or have an irresistible craving for (a) Netflix or (b) the contents of your refrigerator for instance -...
Edited by Jill Wright,
Over the years, I've found the Lifehacker website a great resource, mostly for the intelligent application of technology. It turns out, though, that they also have some good advice on how to maintain good physical health, which just happens to be equally good for mental health too. And their advice on the free self-care you should be doing right now...
Edited by Jill Wright,
The New Year has begun, Christmas and 2018 is behind us; and with it comes a brand new, and yet familiar sense of motivation and good intentions: perhaps exercising more, eating healthier, saving instead of spending or even aiming for better communication with our partner. Thinking back to January last year, you may remember giving yourself a similar pep talk...
Edited by Jill Wright,
Teachers tend to flag children who are hyperactive and restless and/or easily distracted in the classroom environment. Often these children suffer from ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). ADHD affects about 5% of children and can persist into adulthood. According to the American Psychiatric Association in 2013, as many as one in 40 adults would be diagnosed with ADHD if they...
Back in the late 1980s, when psychologist Dr Francine Shapiro first developed the theory that simple, guided eye movements could help the victims of traumatic experience process lingering thoughts that could cause flashbacks, terrifying nightmares and prolonged anxiety, it’s fair to say that her idea was not universally embraced. It wasn’t until 2013, after dozens of successful studies, that the...