Your DNA harmed by stress?

It's true. Research is suggesting your DNA may be harmed by stress. It may even be passed to your offspring. 

Chronic stress may harm DNA  http://www.apa.org/monitor/2014/10/chronic-stress.aspx

Vocabulary increases as parents name visible objects

Today's post is dedicated to my second grade teacher, who sent home a report card to my mother indicating that, although I had great potential, I was a talker in the classroom.

The word filled me with dread.  I'll never forget wondering what the consequences would be if I continued to be a talker and became an abject failure in my education.  Of course, I did not know the word "abject" back then, but a new study may indicate that the reason I do know the word "abject" now is because I was a talker or — more accurately — because my parents were talkers and quite good at naming objects in the immediate environment to me when I was learning my words.

So to my beloved second grade teacher, who was very well-meaning and I'm sure just trying to manage an efficient classroom without interruptions, I would like to say that I have made two out of three careers (journalism and psychology) of being a talker, and I still enjoy being a talker very much.

But I do want to thank that teacher for being such a wonderful influence in so many other ways.

Best news yet: Mindfulness helps students

This is my favorite Psychology Matters post yet.

Mindulness was used with students without psychiatric problems and it helped them at exam time!!!

It truly speaks for itself. Please see the original item here.

Have a great weekend!

Just say no to BOTOX

BOTOX (TM) may not be your friend if you are trying to appear authentic, more attractive, highly intelligent, or sufficiently dominant.

This one speaks for itself.  The original article where I found the information was here.

So keep rockin' those crow's feet.

Exercise boosts creativity

I stumbled upon a delightful article detailing the exercise — and other — habits of creative people.  I do not want to spoil much of the fun of reading it.  You should do so, right away.

I also found this neat article suggesting that exercise enhances creativity, independently of its effects on mood.  So it is not just a mood lift that one may experience with exercise, but an increase in creative power and cognitive flexibility as well

Heart attack risk highest for those with depression

People with depression have a 55% increased risk of heart attack, according to new research available on the American Psychological Association's website.

Of more than 60,000 research hits on cardiovascular disease in PubMed research database, more than 35,000 of them cite psychosocial factors involved in the pathogenesis of the problem.  This has increased the amount of attention being paid to serious mental illness over the past several years.  Cognitive-behavioral interventions have shown promise in inoculating patients against the stresses that may arise in those predisposed to cardiovascular problems.

Research also suggests that optimism may be a preventative factor for cardiac illness. This appears to be in line with older research suggesting that cynical hostility — expecting the worst from others — was a well known risk factor.  Having great senses of meaning and hope in life is considered to be some of the best psychological protection against cardiovascular illness.

For more information, please see the article and video linked here.

Volunteerism for prevention of hypertension?

Higher levels of volunteerism were associated with a 40% reduction in the risk of hypertension, according to new research from Carnegie Mellon university that was published in an article on Science Daily.

The research followed 1,164 adults aged 51-91 from across the United States.  Results were collected in 2006 and 2010.  In 2006, the participants all had normal blood pressure levels.  The study collected data on volunteerism, various social and psychological factors, and blood pressure.

Those with more than 200 hours of volunteer work were at 40% less risk of hypertension.

The authors of the study have suggested that forming social connections through volunteer work may help ward off the stress that is believed to be one of the underlying causes of hypertension.

For more information on volunteering in your area, check out www.volunteer.gov.