Positive thinking

Rhi Willmot, Bangor University   Exercise has been found to reduce stress , increase positive mood , decrease anxiety and alleviate depression . But you may not know that the emotional well-being associated with exercise is also linked to key attributes that can help us while we work. One of the most established of well-being frameworks ( PERMA ) states that of the many ways to experience happiness, five areas are most important: positive emotions, mental engagement, strong relationships, meaning in life and accomplishing goals. At face value, achieving all five may seem a colossal task. But many activities from tennis to triathlons, squash to swimming, can help us clinch all five at once. Evidence suggests that, as a result, we are more likely to avoid job burnout , sleep more easily and be more engaged at work. 1. Positive emotions The “runner’s high” is at the peak of positive emotion. While this euphoric feeling is most typically linked to pounding the pav...

   Christopher Boyce, University of Stirling After nine years of interest rates below 1%, it seems imminent that the Bank of England will announce a rise before long. As pay growth picks up and inflation hits its 2% target, a rate rise would – it is argued – ward off potential risks of inflation in the medium term. But another factor to bear in mind is that a rate rise could also have serious repercussions for people’s mental health. A large portion of the UK population have high, possibly unsustainable, levels of debt and a higher interest rate is likely to increase the burden of repaying some of that debt. It will therefore likely increase their levels of mental distress. In recent research that colleagues and I published in the Journal of Affective Disorders , we explored how Bank of England interest rate changes from 1995 to 2008 influenced people’s mental health. What we found is that for each 1% increase in interest rates, there was a 2.6% increas...

Jo Brewis, University of Leicester ; Andrea Davies, University of Leicester ; Jesse Matheson, University of Leicester , and Vanessa Beck, University of Bristol Menopause , when periods stop for good, is a normal stage in every woman’s reproductive life. The symptoms usually begin in a woman’s forties, with the average age of menopause itself being 51. Experiences differ from woman to woman. Some report sailing through transition, others are pleased to no longer menstruate or be able to fall pregnant, or just embrace getting older. Symptoms also vary. Some are probably familiar – like unpredictable periods or heavy bleeding, hot flushes, night sweats, poor sleep and emotional outbursts. Others are less well known, including growth or loss of body hair, clumsiness, pins and needles and moments of forgetfulness or poor concentration. About 25% of women have very debilitating symptoms. When we consider that most women in the UK now work outside of the home, and that e...