New research shows that being kind to others impacts genes in a way that reduces inflammation. The post Kindness in the Blood: how helping others reduces inflammation appeared first on David R Hamilton PHD.| David R Hamilton PHD
When we offer a compliment, studies show that we hugely underestimate how good it can make a person feel. The post “I like your hair” – The Surprising Science of Compliments appeared first on David R Hamilton PHD.| David R Hamilton PHD
Music doesn’t just touch one part of the brain – it lights up billions of neurons across many connected regions. This allows a few notes to access memory circuits that contain an entire package: tune, words, and the experiences tied to them.| David R Hamilton PHD
When you achieve even the smallest of goals, your brain releases dopamine - the “motivation molecule.” The small achievement not only feels good but also primes your brain to want to do more. The post Why Small Wins Matter More Than You Think appeared first on David R Hamilton PHD.| David R Hamilton PHD
When you think about the opposite of stress, what comes to mind? Peace? Calm? Relaxation? These are really just the absence of stress, not its opposite. The post The Opposite of Stress? It’s Not What You Think appeared first on David R Hamilton PHD.| David R Hamilton PHD
Image: iStock The Science of Goal Setting Set Goals Your Brain Will Help You Achieve This week’s Better You, Backed by Science is about goal| David R Hamilton PHD
Because the brain encodes new experiences in rich detail and routines as faint traces, we get the sense of time skipping by in-between our key moments and experiences. The post How to Slow Time and Make Life Feel Richer appeared first on David R Hamilton PHD.| David R Hamilton PHD
Imagining exercise can actually make you stronger – AND it doesn’t matter how old you are. I say this because most previous studies have focused on younger people. But the youngest person in this study was 68.| David R Hamilton PHD
Writer & bestselling author of 11 books, columnist, public and corporate speaker, and kindness scientist.| David R Hamilton PHD
The Pain-Relief Technique You Can Do With Your Eyes Closed This week’s Better You, Backed by Science is about reducing pain – using nothing but your mind. In a fascinating brand new study, people with painful knee arthritis got just as much relief from visualising treatment as from actually receiving it – and the “real” treatment involved ultrasound,… The post The Pain-Relief Technique You Can Do With Your Eyes Closed appeared first on David R Hamilton PHD.| David R Hamilton PHD
The Gratitude Trick that Boosts Mood and Sleep This week’s Better You, Backed by Science email is about gratitude – and how it can boost your mood and help you sleep better. We all know how it feels when someone thanks us for something we’ve done. It’s warm. It lifts us. It can even turn a bad… The post The Gratitude Trick that Boosts Mood and Sleep appeared first on David R Hamilton PHD.| David R Hamilton PHD
image: iStock The focus of this week’s Better You, Backed by Science is a science-backed way to boost your mood and energy without even having| David R Hamilton PHD
1. Kindness counteracts stress Physiologically, kindness is the opposite of stress. It soothes stress-related regions of the brain and brings calming effects throughout the body.| David R Hamilton PHD
A daily practice to support your heart, brain, and immune system There’s a lot of buzz around the vagus nerve these days, but many people still| David R Hamilton PHD
Sign up below to receive my weekly 'Better You, Backed by Science' email. Read the latest one below. It's a weekly tip, grounded in science, to help you| David R Hamilton PHD
When we think of heroes, our minds often leap to grand gestures—leaping into burning buildings, scaling mountains, delivering dramatic speeches that shift the course of history.| David R Hamilton PHD
Have you ever thought about how incredibly vast and intriguing the universe is? It's like this endless ocean of mysteries, right? Each star a little pinprick of light in a massive cosmic tapestry.| David R Hamilton PHD