For Great Sex, IUDs Beat the Pill
Recent research indicates that intrauterine devices (IUDs) outperform oral contraceptive pills in preserving sexual function. A Brazilian study found pill users experience reduced arousal, more pain, and higher anxiety compared with IUD users. U.S. surveys echo these findings, showing 22% of pill users report sexual problems versus 14% of non‑pill users. The evidence suggests women experiencing diminished intimacy should consider alternative contraception, such as IUDs, which appear less likely to impair sexual satisfaction.
The Emotional Aftershock of a Close Call in the Mountains
Annie Mueller, Ph.D., outlines the psychological fallout of a mountain near‑miss, emphasizing that even without physical injury the event can trigger intense emotional reactions. She catalogs common feelings—shame, disappointment, relief, depression, fear, irritability—and advises athletes to give themselves time and...
New Study Sheds Light on the Mechanisms Behind Declining Relationship Satisfaction Among New Parents
A new analysis of the German Family Panel shows that relationship satisfaction consistently falls after couples become parents, affecting both men and women. The decline is driven primarily by rising conflict and a loss of emotional intimacy and appreciation, while...
GLP-1s Don't Work for Everyone: Why, and What to Do?
GLP‑1 receptor agonists have become a cornerstone of modern weight‑loss therapy, yet roughly 20% of patients fail to achieve meaningful reductions. A recent review proposes pairing a GLP‑1 drug with the naltrexone‑bupropion combo (Contrave) to address this gap, leveraging complementary...
When Healing Becomes Harm
Jessica Koehler, a psychologist, recounts her transition from using PUVA phototherapy for psoriasis to a melanoma diagnosis that upended her relationship with sunlight. She describes how the cancer shattered her core assumptions, introduced existential fear, and left lasting surgical scars that...
3 Tips From Bryan Johnson on Lowering Your Heart Rate
Bryan Johnson, the tech entrepreneur turned longevity advocate, outlines three practical ways to lower resting heart rate, a metric he says is closely tied to lifespan. He recommends consistent aerobic exercise, daily breath‑work or meditation, and optimizing sleep and nutrition...
Why Your 'Normal' Lab Results May Not Be Optimal for Longevity, According to a Doctor
Doctor Daniel Ghiyam warns that standard lab reference ranges are based on average, often unhealthy, populations, meaning a result can be "normal" yet sub‑optimal for longevity. He cites vitamin D, where 20 ng/mL meets bone‑health guidelines but 40‑80 ng/mL offers stronger immune...
A Daily Mindfulness Habit Can Improve Your Memory for Future Plans
A week-long mindfulness meditation program significantly improved participants' time‑based prospective memory when they could not rely on an external clock, achieving a 52% success rate versus 28% for controls. The advantage vanished in an unrestricted condition where both groups hit...
Downward-Facing Dog Might Be the Ultimate Yoga Pose. Here’s Why.
The Downward‑Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) remains a core yoga asana, blending inversion, arm balance, forward bend, and restorative benefits in a single posture. It creates a continuous line of force from the hands through the shoulders, spine, and sitting bones, promoting...
Lower Back Pain After Riding? Try These 7 Fixes
Cyclists frequently experience lower‑back pain, often traced to bike fit, weak core muscles, and hip imbalances, according to Dr. Matthew Silvis of Penn State Hershey Medical Group. Adjusting stem length, saddle position, and handlebar height can eliminate excessive stretch and...
Most Founders Are Managing Stress. Here’s How to Actually Resolve It.
Entrepreneur contributors highlight bilateral stimulation—a natural left‑right brain rhythm—as a rapid method for founders to resolve, not just manage, stress. The technique, demonstrated by a founder tapping alternating arms, lowered heart rate and eased tension within seconds, contrasting with traditional...
5 Ways to Help Make Meditation a Daily Habit
The article outlines five practical tactics for turning meditation into a daily habit, emphasizing short sessions, habit stacking, consistent timing, accountability, and integrating mindfulness into everyday activities. Research cited shows frequency of practice drives stress reduction more than total minutes....
Why It Is Never Too Late To Change Your Personality (M)
Research shows personality is not fixed by age; individuals can alter core traits throughout adulthood. Dr. Jeremy Dean explains that deep, purposeful engagement—such as setting specific goals and practicing new behaviors—triggers measurable change. Longitudinal studies reveal that even seniors who...
Over 50? Here’s How to Decide If an E-Bike Is Right for You
The article examines whether seasoned cyclists over 50 should adopt e‑bikes, weighing recovery benefits, pain mitigation, and social inclusion against the risk of reduced training stimulus. Experts agree that age‑related slower recovery and consistency challenges make pedal‑assist appealing, especially for...
5 Books That Can Help You Navigate Stressful Times
A new feature article lists five books that help readers cope with stress, emphasizing the therapeutic power of fiction and memoir. The piece cites research linking reading to increased empathy and well‑being, and includes expert commentary from a Georgetown psychiatry...
Selma Blair Designed Pajamas for Better Sleep—Do They Work?
Actress Selma Blair has partnered with sleepwear brand Mersey to launch a 14‑piece collection designed to enhance rest and self‑care. The line includes the reversible Molly Bedcoat, cotton and satin pajama sets, and other lounge pieces featuring luxe fabrics and...
New Study Highlights Benefits of Workplace Injury Prevention Technology
A new National Safety Council study of over 400 frontline workers across manufacturing, construction, health care and transportation finds that nearly 70% experience musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) symptoms. The research shows that technologies such as exoskeletons, robots, wearable sensors and computer‑vision...
Can Dark Showering Really Improve Your Sleep?
Dark showering, a growing wellness trend, involves turning off bathroom lights—or using only dim candles—during an evening shower to create a low‑stimulus environment. Proponents cite Ayurvedic Snāna practices and modern sleep science, noting that warm water (104‑108.5°F) followed by cooling...
How to Upgrade Cancer Support at No Additional Cost
The CancerBuddy app provides free, employer‑linked peer support and care‑navigation for employees facing cancer or caring for a loved one. By mimicking dating‑app filters, users can connect by diagnosis, symptoms, demographics, and even by workplace, creating instant community ties. The...
The Role of Ergonomics in Preventing Soft Tissue Injuries for Construction Pros Behind the Desk
Construction firms are extending safety protocols from the jobsite to the office, recognizing that estimators, designers and managers face a growing risk of soft‑tissue injuries caused by poor ergonomics. The article outlines how repetitive mouse clicks, static postures and inadequate...
The 1-for-4 Rule: How to Stop Coming Home From Trips Already Behind
Frequent travelers often return to work feeling behind, as inboxes and task lists swell during their absence. The article introduces the “1‑for‑4” rule, recommending one dedicated catch‑up day for every four days away to process emails, update tasks, and plan...
Opal Collection Rolls Out Tammy Fender In-Room Spa Amenities
Opal Collection is launching the Essential Collection, a plant‑based, spa‑quality in‑room amenity line created with holistic skincare veteran Tammy Fender. The line—shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion and a cleansing bar—will be stocked across most of Opal’s 31 luxury hotels and...
Weight Loss Drugs: What Athletes Need to Know About GLP-1s
GLP‑1 agonists such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide have surged in popularity for weight loss, prompting off‑label use among athletes. While the World Anti‑Doping Agency currently permits GLP‑1s, it is actively monitoring the class to decide if future bans...
From Insight to Intervention: Why Over-the-Counter Digital Therapeutics (ODTx) Are the Next Step for LLMs and Wearables
Over‑the‑counter digital therapeutics (ODTx) are emerging as a regulated, consumer‑accessible bridge between data‑rich wearables, AI‑driven language models and clinically proven treatment. Unlike wellness apps, ODTx are classified as software‑as‑a‑medical‑device and must secure FDA authorization, allowing them to make evidence‑based therapeutic...
Is Cycling Really Good Cardio? The Data Reveals It’s Better Than You Think.
The Bicycling Show’s latest episode confirms that cycling provides cardio benefits on par with running and swimming, while delivering a lower‑impact workout for joints. Experts explain how sustained riding improves VO2 max, lung capacity, and heart‑rate variability, making it an...
These 6 Lower Back Exercises Can Help Stave Off Injury
The article outlines six lower‑back exercises—plank, stability‑ball extensions, pikes, reverse leg raises, glute bridges, and locust pose—designed to strengthen the core muscles that support running mechanics. It explains how weak hips, glutes, or hamstrings shift load to the lower back,...
Teva Launches “Home Ground” Online Resource for People Living with Schizophrenia and Their Care Partners
Teva Pharmaceuticals has launched Home Ground, a free online community for people living with schizophrenia and their care partners. The platform, built with input from patients and caregivers, offers symptom‑tracking worksheets, emotional‑wellness videos, independent‑living toolkits, physical‑health checklists, and both virtual...
Scientists Think They Could Design Entire Cities That Heal Your Brain
Scientists at the University of Cambridge are pioneering neuroarchitecture, showing that nature‑based, biophilic design can dampen neuroinflammation and lower stress as measured by a 32‑channel qEEG. A follow‑up study linked such environments to increased hippocampal neurogenesis, a key driver of...
Psychology Suggests You Will Always Push Away Good Things if Your Subconscious Mind Doesn’t Believe You Deserve Them — and...
Many people unknowingly self‑sabotage, pushing away promotions, relationships, and other positive experiences because their subconscious doubts they deserve success. The article uses personal anecdotes and research linking low self‑esteem to protective, self‑defeating behaviors. It explains how the brain treats success...
Why Forgiving Ourselves Feels So Hard—And What Helps
A recent study of 80 U.S. adults examined why some people can forgive themselves after a mistake while others remain trapped in guilt. Participants described personal failures ranging from caregiving lapses to relationship betrayals, revealing that rumination and self‑condemnation hinder...
When You’re Overwhelmed, You Don’t Need a New System. You Need a Reset.
The author recounts a two‑day cabin retreat in Wimberley, Texas, where total disconnection and fasting cleared mental fog and revealed a precise work focus. This experience led to the insight that overwhelm is rooted in loss of control, not merely...
How to Get Over Your Group Run Anxiety
Group run anxiety—fear of running with strangers—holds many potential participants back, but experts say the benefits outweigh the discomfort. Coaches Joslyn Thompson Rule and Dan Fitzgerald highlight how club runs foster belonging, boost self‑efficacy, and accelerate goal achievement. Scientific studies confirm...
Can Cash and Therapy Work in Conflict Settings?
A cluster randomised trial in Ethiopia’s Amhara and Oromia regions tested cash transfers, a five‑session group therapy (gPM+), and their combination on 3,055 low‑income adults with mild‑to‑moderate depression. Cash alone generated significant gains in assets, savings and income‑generating time, while...
![[Industry News] Games for Change and Tencent Games Expand Raising Good Gamers with New Programme to Help Families Navigate Positive...](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://mcvuk.com/wp-content/uploads/games.webp)
[Industry News] Games for Change and Tencent Games Expand Raising Good Gamers with New Programme to Help Families Navigate Positive...
Games for Change and Tencent Games have unveiled an expanded Raising Good Gamers programme aimed at helping families navigate video‑game play. The initiative is anchored by a new white paper that synthesizes research from 15 countries and seven languages, offering...
Psychology Says People Who Randomly Cringe at Past Memories Have a Level of Self-Awareness that Most People Never Develop —...
The article explains that cringing at past memories is a hallmark of self‑awareness and emotional intelligence, not a mental flaw. It cites research showing involuntary negative memories serve evolutionary social‑learning functions and that vivid recollection indicates advanced cognitive processing. The...
Psychology Says People Who Stay Calm Under Pressure Aren’t Suppressing Their Emotions — They’ve Built a Relationship with Discomfort that...
A large Stanford study shows that how people regulate emotions matters more than whether they feel them. Reappraisal—reframing stress before it peaks—outperforms suppression, which merely masks the response, across health, relationship, and performance outcomes. Calm under pressure stems from a...
How Can We Be More Resilient? Humans Are Really Bad at Realising that We Can Bounce Back and Learn From...
Grace Lordan, LSE associate professor and author of *Think Big*, explains that resilience is a learnable, replenishable skill that helps individuals cope with adversity, from minor slights to major setbacks. She stresses the importance of recognizing and processing emotions before reframing...
Phytochemical Blend Holds Promise for Exercise Recovery: Study
A randomized, double‑blind trial funded by VDF FutureCeuticals tested a 300 mg phytochemical blend—calcium fructoborate, turmeric (≥95% curcuminoids) and pomegranate (≥40% punicalagins)—against placebo in 24 active adults. Participants performed 150 drop jumps to induce muscle damage and were monitored for up...
Everyone's Invited | How One Business Made Their Office Design so Alluring No-One Wants to WFH
Commercial, a business‑transformation partner, unveiled a new office built around inclusivity, featuring low‑stimulation work zones, pet‑ and child‑friendly spaces, abundant plants, and natural light. Managing Director Simone Hindmarch says the design removes barriers for neurodiverse and varied working styles, fostering...
Indonesian Food Makers Must Apply Colour-Graded Sugar, Fat Content Labels
Indonesia’s health ministry will mandate a traffic‑light “nutri‑level” label for foods high in salt, sugar or fat, with red stickers for unhealthy products and green for healthier options. Companies must affix the colour‑coded stickers themselves after testing in government labs,...
Doing This Throughout Life May Cut Alzheimer’s Risk by 38%
Researchers tracking 1,939 older adults over eight years found that individuals with the highest lifelong cognitive enrichment experienced a 38% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and a 36% lower risk of mild cognitive impairment. The top 10% of participants delayed...
Q&A: Vicarious Trauma as a Psychosocial Hazard
Vicarious trauma is emerging as a recognized psychosocial hazard, especially for professionals who regularly encounter others' suffering. Mental‑health experts warn that many employers still underestimate exposure and rely on generic wellness measures that fall short. The Q&A outlines prevalence across...
Behavioral Design Project Aims to Reduce Benzodiazepine Overuse
A collaborative project between the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and Badalona Serveis Assistencials (BSA) is launching a behavioural‑design pilot to curb long‑term benzodiazepine use in primary‑care. The three‑month intervention, beginning in April at the CAP Martí i Julià centre,...
Aligning Exercise Timing with Body Clock Chronotype Could Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk
A randomized trial of 150 middle‑aged adults with cardiometabolic risk found that exercising in sync with one’s chronotype dramatically amplified health gains. Participants who timed brisk walking to their natural morning or evening preference saw systolic blood pressure drop 10.8 mm Hg,...
$1 Million Gift Advances Healthy Aging Research at OTU
Ontario Tech University has received a $1 million CAD (≈$740,000 USD) donation from the Sienna for Seniors Foundation to launch the Sienna Senior Living Research Centre for Healthy Aging and Happiness. The centre will pursue applied, human‑centred research across three pillars: enhancing...
Individual versus Group-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Physical Activity, Functional, Psychosocial and Health Outcomes
A new meta‑analysis of 71 studies comparing individual and group‑based physical activity (PA) interventions found that group formats deliver a modest, statistically non‑significant advantage for overall activity, psychosocial, and health outcomes, but a significant benefit for functional measures after outlier...
Don't Feel Like Exercising? Maybe It's the Wrong Time of Day for You
A new Open Heart study of 134 Pakistani adults in their 40s and 50s with heart‑risk factors found that aligning exercise with an individual’s chronotype—morning for larks, evening for owls—produces larger gains in blood pressure, aerobic capacity, metabolic markers and...
Spotify Rolls Out Government Vaping Education Campaign
Spotify has teamed with the Australian Government to launch the third phase of its anti‑vaping initiative, titled “Buddy Up – Make a Pact to Quit Together.” The new phase shifts focus from education to a community‑driven model that encourages peers...
New Dads Like Me Want to Do Fatherhood Differently. Where’s Our Support? | Zac Seidler
Zac Seidler, a men’s health psychologist, highlights a growing desire among Australian fathers to redefine fatherhood, yet they face a stark lack of structural support. A Movember Institute survey of 1,216 dads found that two‑fifths reject the way they were raised,...
This Mediterranean‑style Diet Is Linked to a Slower Loss of Brain Volume as We Age
A recent analysis of the Framingham Heart Study found that seniors who closely follow the Mind diet – a hybrid of Mediterranean and DASH eating patterns – retain more grey‑matter and experience slower overall brain‑volume loss. The diet emphasizes vegetables,...