The value of cold water immersion
29th December 2023
The potential value of different forms of deliberate cold exposure is much in the news at the moment. For example Dr Michael Mosley has just completed a series of six short radio programmes on Cold Therapy. These include an Introduction and then they focus on Colder Room, Cold Recovery, Cold …
The 5 minute 'Health' read - Relationships: recent research (December)
20th December 2023
I read a fair amount of research and thought some people might be interested in recent studies that I've found helpful. I plan to write an approximately 1,200 word (5 minutes to read) blog post pretty much every week, highlighting helpful material that has emerged in the previous couple of …
The 5 minute 'Health Read; - Positive Psychology: recent research (December)
10th December 2023
I read a fair amount of research and thought some people might be interested in brief updates on recent studies that I've found helpful. I plan to write an approximately 1,200 word (5 minutes to read) blog post pretty (today's is a little longer!) much every week, highlighting helpful material …
The 5 minute 'Health' read - Lifestyle: recent research (December)
3rd December 2023
I read a fair amount of research and thought some people might be interested in recent studies that I've found helpful. I plan to write a blog post pretty much every week, highlighting helpful material that has emerged in the previous couple of months. I'll rotate through six topic areas …
A wide-angle assessment of emotional states
3rd June 2023
My all-time favorite topic in positive psychology is the study of positive emotions. I'm fascinated by how pleasant experiences, which can be so subtle and fleeting, can add up over time to change who we become. I'm especially excited these days about investigating how positive emotions change the very ways …
Vitality project - measurement issues
22nd May 2023
What gets measured, gets managed. Peter Drucker If one's going to put a good deal of effort into measuring and so better managing something, then it's important that what one is measuring is significant. The earlier (and first) blog post in this series - Background & importance of a three …
Background & importance of a three month vitality project
1st May 2023
Energy is an eternal delight. William Blake About every three months, I have a day's check-in with a dear friend. We've been doing this for two or three decades. It combines the joy of hanging out with a best friend while also helping us lead fuller, truer lives. As the …
Awe: how it's good for us, a self-assessment quiz and a series of 'awe-inspiring' exercises we can try.
25th February 2023
"“It’s a question of seeing so much clearer. Of doing to things what light does to them.” Eugene Guillevic I've been interested by 'Awe' recently ... partly inspired by the recent publication of Dacher Keltner's book Awe: The Transformative Power of Everyday Wonder. There is so much emerging material highlighting …
The association between vitamin D serum levels, supplementation, and suicide attempts and intentional self-harm
2nd February 2023
Another interesting recent study - The association between vitamin D serum levels, supplementation, and suicide attempts and intentional self-harm - with its abstract reading: "Objectives The purpose of this study is to determine the associations between Vitamin D supplementation, 25(OH) blood serum levels, suicide attempts, and intentional self-harm in a …
Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations
2nd February 2023
Sobering recent article - Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations. Its abstract reads: "Long COVID is an often debilitating illness that occurs in at least 10% of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. More than 200 symptoms have been identified with impacts on multiple organ systems. At …