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Yoga may ease symptoms of depression, according to new research

According to the analysis, the more yoga sessions a person did each week, the less they struggled with depressive symptoms.

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  • Depressive disorders are the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting over 340 million people.
  • According to a new study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, yoga sessions may be able to ease depressive symptoms in people with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
  • Mindfulness, meditation, and breathing control techniques are all things that have been proven effective in reducing depressive symptoms. Traditional yoga practices typically include a combination of these things and therefore may actually have more of a positive impact.
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The mental and physical health benefits of ecotherapy

There are countless studies that prove ecotherapy (often referred to as nature therapy) is beneficial for your physical and mental health.

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  • What was once considered a simple practice and ideology about the benefits of nature has been proven in multiple studies to positively impact our physical and mental health.
  • Some of the benefits of spending time in nature can be: a boost in killer-cells that fight off viruses, an ability to maintain focus and improvement in mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and other mood disorders.
  • To explain the all-encompassing benefits of nature, the Japanese have coined the term "shinrin yoku", which translates to "forest bathing."
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Why is Gen X more stressed than other generations?

A Penn State study finds today's middle-aged are experiencing much higher stress levels than 30 years ago.

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  • A study based at Penn State found the middle-aged are much more stressed than other age groups.
  • While most generations average a 2 percent increase in stress levels from 1990, those aged 45-64 show a 19 percent uptick.
  • The reasons include concern for their children, fears of unemployment, and a deluge of information.
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Attending religious service once a week found to lower risk of suicide and other "deaths of despair"

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  • A study of nearly 100,000 health care workers found that those who attend weekly religious services are less likely to die from a "death of despair."
  • The Harvard researchers note that women are considerably less likely to die such a death than men.
  • Community support seems to be a major reason for helping people grapple with existential distress.
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Think of mental disorders as the mind’s ‘sticky tendencies’

Some hold that mental disorders are brain diseases. Others argue that they're social constructs used to medicalise aberrant behaviour.

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What exactly are mental disorders?
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