When the pandemic first began, many experts feared that even people who managed to avoid the virus would suffer from unprecedented levels of loneliness. What would happen when millions of people were told to stay at home and distance themselves from friends and loved ones? Two years of research later, experts have found that loneliness levels were already dire enough to pose a threat to mental and physical health.

Only The Lonely

Across the U.S. and European populations, the differences in loneliness before and after the Pandemic are small.Researchers found about a 5% increase in loneliness in the period immediately following the outbreak, but these differences do not mean anything clinically at all because the increases were so small.

Pandemic Blues

<ul><li>More people are feeling comfortable talking about mental health and the role that loneliness can play in mental health disorders.</li><li>Researchers who study loneliness say that it hasn't always received the kind of attention it deserves as a major threat to health.</li><li>Primary care doctors and therapists don't regularly screen their patients for signs of loneliness.</li><li>Japan followed the U.K. in appointing its first Minister of Loneliness in 2021.</li><li>WHO is considering creating a high-level commission to address social connection, isolation, and loneliness.</li></ul>

More People Are Now Talking About Mental Health Disorders

<ul><li>Research has found loneliness can significantly increase the risk of early death.</li><li>In part, that's because it's linked to a striking number of disorders.</li><li>Loneliness has also been linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, and other chronic illnesses.</li></ul>

How Loneliness Affects Health

Reducing loneliness is not just increasing the number of people a person sees, but making more fulfilling social connections.Seek out relationships with others who are really "your people".Get busy to distract yourself and enrich your life-like getting out in nature, taking up a creative hobby, or meditating.Nurture existing relationships, including with people you might overlook. For example, people become less lonely after doing small acts of kindness for their neighbour.

Reducing Loneliness

The pandemic made Americans slightly more lonely—but loneliness levels were already dire. Here’s how to address it in your own life.

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Mindfulness

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Health

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Mental Health

Loneliness Is a Public Health Emergency. Here's What Helps, According to Experts

Doomscrolling or doomsurfing, are new words used to describe the tendency to continue to surf or scroll through bad news, even though that news is saddening, disheartening, or depressing, <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/doomsurfing-doomscrolling-words-were-watching">Merriam-Webster</a> says.
While doomscrolling existed—in practice, if not in name—before the pandemic hit, Merriam-Webster points out that it’s really taken hold lately. It’s not just about the virus, though: People can doomscroll through the news about racial injustice, or the unemployment rate. Basically, if the news is bad or depressing, you can doomscroll it.

Defining Doomscrolling

Doomscrolling can really challenge the way you see the world. People are drawn to doomscrolling because they feel like they have a sense of being able to control any of that bad news. But doomscrolling does not create control and only makes you miserable. The overall impact doomscrolling has on people can vary, but typically, it can make you feel extra anxious, depressed, and isolated.

A Gloomy Outlook

First, identify if you are doomscrolling: That habit you’ve formed of cruising through COVID-19 news online as soon as you get up? Doomscrolling. Your desire to stay up to date on every piece of info about how schools across the country are struggling to reopen? Also doomscrolling.Experts recommend limiting the amount of time you spend on your devices. So, maybe you put aside 15 minutes for you to cruise social media but, when the time is up, you put your phone down and don’t do it again for the rest of the day. And, if even that makes you feel stressed, don’t do it.

How To Stop Doomscrolling

Train yourself to see the positive in things. Start looking for at least three positive things a day, even if it’s as minor as thinking that your coffee was particularly tasty this morning.You can step things up by trying to do more nice things for people.You can't avoid how intense things are right now, but doomscrolling on the regular isn’t doing your physical or <a href="https://www.health.com/condition/mental-health-conditions">mental health</a> any favours—and it's definitely not helping your loved ones or society at large.

Forming A New Habit To Offset Doomscrolling

What is doomscrolling? New term describes tendency to scroll through and seek out bad news that is saddening, disheartening, or depressing. What you need to know about why we do it, and how to stop the habit.

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Society, Arts & Culture

There's a Reason You Can't Stop Looking at Bad News—Here's How to Stop

Understanding why people believe and share things that are false is an important part of addressing the spread of misinformation on social media.
A new study from MIT Sloan researchers takes a look at the role of digital literacy — familiarity with basic concepts related to the internet and social media — with mixed results. Digital literacy is associated with more discerning judgement about what’s true and false, but it doesn’t seem to predict whether the person is more or less likely to share false information on social media.

Sharing False Information: The Literacy Factor

Measuring digital literacy might be useful for identifying social media users who are vulnerable to believing misinformation, but not useful for identifying those who are likely to spread that information.
Other takeaways include the potential impact of shifting users’ attention to accuracy to reduce misinformation, and the suggestion that education aimed at reducing misinformation should focus more generally on procedural news knowledge.

Focusing On Accuracy

According to new research, digital literacy is an important factor in identifying misinformation — but it doesn’t stop people from spreading it.

When drawing up a legal contract to protect confidentiality, using the appropriate legal document is essential. Two documents are used to protect confidentiality: <ol><li>The confidentiality agreement. It is a legal tool that binds one or more parties to nondisclosure of confidential or proprietary information. It is suitable for collaborations.</li><li>The nondisclosure agreement (NDA). It is a type of confidentiality agreement used when there's a one-way exchange of confidential information.</li></ol>

Choosing the correct confidentiality document

<ul><li>Inventors use NDAs before formally protecting their rights with a patent application.</li><li>A business might require new employees to sign NDAs to protect confidential business information and trade secrets - for example, award-winning food recipes, proprietary software code and algorithms, unique fabrication processes, protecting client contact lists and service fees.</li></ul>

When to use NDAs

Confidentiality agreements are typically used at the start of a joint venture or other business where both parties exchange confidential information. An example of a confidentiality agreement is between an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and a supplier. Both parties disclose information that could be harmful if leaked.

When to use confidentiality agreements

Nondisclosure agreements and confidentiality agreements are both useful in protecting important information. Find out which you should use and when.

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Cybersecurity

Confidentiality agreement vs NDA | The JotForm Blog

It causes the brain to process data in several senses simultaneously. For example, people with synesthesia may hear sounds while seeing them as colourful swirls.
About 1 in 2,000 people experience synesthesia. The condition is more common in artists, writers and musicians. (about 20 to 25 percent of these professions have the condition.)

Synesthesia: seeing sounds

According to Psychology Today, over 60 types of synesthesia have been reported. The most common type is grapheme-colour synesthesia - when letters or numbers seem to be coloured on a page or visualised as coloured. Other types include:<ul><li>Smelling certain scents when hearing certain sounds.</li><li>Seeing music as colours.</li><li>Tasting words.</li><li>Feeling certain textures cause certain emotions.</li><li>Feeling that time has a physical characteristic.</li><li>Seeing a particular colour when feeling pain.</li></ul>

Types of synesthesia

<ul><li>Research by Simon Baron-Cohen suggests that synesthesia results from an overabundance of neural connections.</li><li>Peter Grossenbacher thinks it happens when single-sense areas of the brain get feedback from multisensory regions and not from a usual single-sense area.</li><li>Daphne Maurer proposed that everyone has these connections, but not everyone uses them.</li></ul>

Proposed causes for Synesthesia

People with synesthesia often experience the following:<ul><li>Involuntarily experience their perceptions</li><li>Have a perception that is the same each time.</li><li>Have a generic perception, such as seeing a shape in response to a specific smell.</li><li>Remember the secondary synesthetic perception better than the primary perception.</li><li>Have emotional reactions linked to their perceptions, such as a pleasurable feeling.</li></ul>

Synesthesia diagnosis

Synesthesia is a neurological condition that causes the brain to process data in the form of several senses at once; for example, hearing sounds while also seeing them as colorful swirls.

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Personal Development

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Science & Nature

What Is Synesthesia?

Neuroscientists focus on the brain and its impact on behaviour and cognitive functions. They study the nervous system's cellular, functional, behavioural, evolutionary, computational, molecular, cellular, and medical aspects.
Neuroscience is an interdisciplinary science. It works closely with mathematics, linguistics, engineering, computer science, chemistry, philosophy, psychology, and medicine.

Neuroscience and Neuroscientists

Neuroscience affects all human functions, but it also assists in a better understanding of common conditions such as Down syndrome, Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), ADHD, addiction, brain tumours, immune system disorders like multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease.
Understanding the neurological factors can facilitate in developing medications and other strategies to treat and prevent these conditions.

The importance of neuroscience

<ul>
<li>The ancient Greeks first tried to understand the role of the brain and to explain neural disorders. Aristotle thought the brain was a blood-cooling mechanism.</li>
<li>French physician Pierre Paul Broca (1824-1880) concluded that different parts of the brain had specific functions.</li>
<li>In 1873 Italian physician Gamillo Golgi used silver chromate salt to detect neurons.</li>
<li>Spanish pathologist Santiago Ramón y Cajal hypothesised that neurons are independent nerve cell units.</li>
<li>Since the 1950s, scientific development enabled neuroscientists to study the nervous system more in-depth.</li>
</ul>

History of neuroscience

<ul>
<li>Affective neuroscience. How neurons behave in relation to emotions.</li>
<li>Behavioural neuroscience.</li>
<li>Clinical neuroscience. Disorders of the nervous system.</li>
<li>Cognitive neuroscience. How the brain forms thoughts.</li>
<li>Computational neuroscience.</li>
<li>Cultural neuroscience.</li>
<li>Developmental neuroscience. How the brain and the nervous system grow and change.</li>
<li>Molecular and cellular neuroscience.</li>
<li>Neuroengineering.</li>
<li>Neuroimaging.</li>
<li>Neuroinformatics.</li>
<li>Neurolinguistics.</li>
<li>Neurophysiology. How the brain and its function relate to different parts of the body.</li>
</ul>

Major neuroscience branches

Neuroscience is the study of how the nervous system develops, its structure, and what it does. The nervous system affects all parts of the human body, and neuroscientists may work in neurochemisty, neurophysiology, or neuropsychology, among others. Find out more about what neuroscience is and what it involves.

Neuroscience: Overview, history, major branches

<ul>
<li>Neurogenesis - is the process of which new neurons/brain cells grow in the brain;</li>
<li>Neuroplasticity - refers to the existing neurons and the new neurons grow and form different connections with each other. It shapes who we are.</li>
</ul>

Neurogenesis vs Neuroplasticity

Brain cells get destroyed when we experience high levels of chronic inflammation. This mainly happens due to chronic stress, unhealthy eating habits (eating too much processed sugar, meat, and refined carbs), and not getting enough rest.
When we have an inflamed brain, it leads to brain fog, anxiety, depression, and low energy; and in the long run, it may cause cognitive decline and other diseases.

How brain cells get destroyed

Neurogenesis happens in two parts of the brain: the hippocampus and the olfactory bulb. The former is responsible for emotional health and memory function while the latter is associated with smell.
In order to stay mentally sharp and emotionally balanced, we need to develop habits that promote neurogenesis: having a healthy diet, getting consistently good sleep, and regular exercise. Your diet needs to consist of omega-3 fatty acids, phytonutrients, B vitamins, zinc, and magnesium.

How new brain cells are grown

The neurotrophin BDNF is a type of protein that helps with the brain cells' growth and survival.
In order to boost its production, a diet with consistent omega-3 fatty acids and flavonoids are great boosters. Moreover, anti-inflammatory spices such as turmeric, rosemary, and ginger are important as well.

The chemical that plays a role in neuroplasticity

A psychiatrist and a neurologist give tips on how to stay mentally sharp through food and lifestyle habits. Check out their top tips.

Want to Stay Mentally Sharp? Here's How, According to a Psychiatrist and a Neurologist

<ol>
<li>Schedule an actual lunch break. Even though we're working from home it doesn't mean that we have to sit in our chairs the entire day working. It is important to have time for yourself.</li>
<li>Move away from your work area and have a change in environment. Set the table where you can eat peacefully and not think about work for the next 30 minutes or so.</li>
<li>Start behaving like you're actually going to work. Sometimes, it can be less stressful and even motivating to think that you're reporting to the office.</li>
</ol>

Taking A Proper Luch Break: Steps To Improve Your State of Well-Being

Since we've been deprived of socialization and have been away from people for as long as we can remember it's important to try and reach out to people. 
Taking a break away from your workstation and having lunch maybe at the park or just by the balcony of your place and someone to talk to on the phone can recharge our batteries and possibly make us more focused and creative for the rest of the day.

Mindful Pause For Lunch

Having close proximity to food will increase the chances of developing a habit called "unconscious eating" where an individual will eat without giving it much thought and ignore the physiological cues that are being given to us while eating a meal.
When we do not pay attention to the cues being alerted to us regarding satiety we tend to eat quickly and don't feel full or satisfied from what we've eaten. Moreover, having easier access to food can also lead to higher calorie consumption.

Unconscious Eating

The psychological and nutritional effects of eating lunch at your desk have been compounded by the global pandemic.

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Productivity

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Time Management

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Teamwork

Why You Should Never Eat Lunch At Your Desk (Especially At Home)

<ul>
<li>When we experience a stressful event, different hormones like adrenaline and cortisol are released inside our body, resulting in a fight-or-flight response, and may experience volatility, extreme emotions and brain shutdowns.</li>
<li>Long-term stress has been linked with all kinds of problems related to physical and mental health.</li>
<li>Our community, the support we get from family, friends and relatives tend to factor in our response towards a stressful situation.</li>
</ul>

Our Response To Stress

Mature adults have developed their coping skills and are not as reactive and stressful all the time as the young population, which are yet to understand steadfastness, resilience or the benefits of a calm mind.
When a person has successfully managed challenging situations, new problems are not reacted with panic as our past experiences give us strength and self-efficacy.

Resilience And Coping Skills

Right action comes when we take proactive steps to remedy a problematic situation, tapping into the things that are possible and can be controlled.
<ul>
<li>A person with an external locus of control blames others and acts like a hopeless victim.</li>
<li>A person who has an internal locus of control is able to move into positive action and cope up with the situation at hand.</li>
</ul>

Our Locus Of Control

A person with underlying and invisible mental health issues is likely to get triggered by any event.
Like the straw that broke a camel’s back, a person’s current mindset and problems can project a new problem in a distorted way, making even a small event feel overwhelming. This leads to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem.

Positive Mental Health

Our personality and upbringing play a major role in how we handle a stressful situation.
First responders, firefighters and surgeons have different skill sets and mental strength, apart from the professional training that they have undergone, leading to better handling of pressure situations.

Dealing With Stress: Each One Of Us Is Different

<ol>
<li>Take care of yourself by practising mindfulness meditation, yoga, or deep breathing.</li>
<li>Focus on what you are able to control, and regulate it, like watching less news.</li>
<li>Ask for support from family or a therapist.</li>
<li>Help others and listen to their problems, creating a reciprocating feeling of empathy and understanding.</li>
<li>Understand that we are all different yet the same, and learn to live in harmony.</li>
</ol>

How To Improve Your Coping Skills

Overcoming obstacles in the past helps you better cope in the present.

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Communication

Why People Cope with Life Events So Differently

<ul><li>Try to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day;</li><li>Avoid sleeping in, even on weekends;</li><li>Limit naps to 15 to 20 minutes in the early afternoon;</li><li>Fight after-dinner drowsiness. If you get sleepy way before your bedtime, get off the couch and do something mildly stimulating.</li></ul>

Keep in sync with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle

Is a naturally occurring hormone controlled by light exposure that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Your brain secretes more melatonin when it’s dark, making you sleepy, and less when it’s light, making you more alert. However, many aspects of modern life can alter your body’s production of melatonin and shift your circadian rhythm

Melatonin

During the day:<ul><li>Expose yourself to bright sunlight in the morning. </li><li>Spend more time outside during daylight. </li><li>Let as much natural light into your home or workspace as possible.</li></ul>At night:<ul><li>Avoid bright screens within 1-2 hours of your bedtime.</li><li>Say no to late-night television.</li><li>Don’t read with backlit devices. </li><li>When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark.</li><li>Keep the lights down if you get up during the night.</li></ul>

Influence exposure to ligh

<ul><li>People who exercise regularly sleep better at night and feel less sleepy during the day. </li><li>The more vigorously you exercise, the more powerful the sleep benefits. But even light exercise improves sleep quality.</li><li>It can take several months of regular activity before you experience the full sleep-promoting effects. </li><li>Try to finish moderate to vigorous workouts at least three hours before bedtime.</li></ul>

Effects of exercising on sleep

<ul><li>Limit caffeine and nicotine.</li><li>Avoid big meals at night (within 2 hours of bed).</li><li>Avoid alcohol before bed.</li><li>Avoid drinking too many liquids in the evening.</li><li>Cut back on sugary foods and refined carbs.</li></ul>

Be smart about what you eat and drink

If you need a bedtime snack, try:<ul><li>Half of a turkey sandwich</li><li>A small bowl of whole-grain, low-sugar cereal</li><li>Milk or yogurt</li><li>A banana</li></ul>

Nighttime snacks help you sleep

<ul><li>Deep breathing. Close your eyes and take deep, slow breaths, making each breath even deeper than the last.</li><li>Progressive muscle relaxation. Starting with your toes, tense all the muscles as tightly as you can, then completely relax. Work your way up to the top of your head.</li><li>Visualizing a peaceful, restful place. Close your eyes and imagine a place that’s calming and peaceful. Concentrate on how relaxed this place makes you feel.</li></ul>

Relaxation techniques for better sleep

<ul><li>Keep noise down. Earplugs may help.</li><li>Keep your room cool (around 65° F /18° C).</li><li>Make sure your bed is comfortable. </li><li>Reserve your bed for sleeping and sex. No TV or working in bed - it will be easier to wind down when the brain associates the bedrom with just that. </li></ul>

 Improve your sleep environment

<ul><li>Try not to stress over your inability to fall asleep again.</li><li>Make relaxation your goal, not sleep.</li><li>If you’ve been awake for more than 15 minutes, get out of bed and do a quiet, non-stimulating activity.</li><li>Postpone worrying and brainstorming.</li></ul>

Ways to get back to sleep

How to Sleep Better Simple Steps to Getting a Good Night's Sleep Sleeping well directly affects your mental and physical health and the quality of your waking life. Fall short and it can take a serious toll on your daytime energy, productivity, emotional balance,

Loneliness Is a Public Health Emergency. Here's What Helps, According to Experts

There's a Reason You Can't Stop Looking at Bad News—Here's How to Stop

According to new research, digital literacy is an important factor in identifying misinformation — but it doesn’t stop people from spreading it.

Confidentiality agreement vs NDA | The JotForm Blog

What Is Synesthesia?

Lauren W.