Mindfulness has its critics. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, or MBCT was first developed by Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn from the University of Massachusetts Medical School. MBCT has been embraced by hundreds of thousands of people around the world, but some people are unconvinced. However, a new study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry found that MBCT can help [...]
If you look back at your life, does the person you are seem pretty much the same — older, and maybe a little wiser — or do you see significant change over the years? It is a truism — at least in Western cultures — that people don’t change, or at least not that much. [...]
For a number of years, scientists have studied brain and genetic abnormalities alongside crime. This work has produced some exciting findings, and some which have been used to argue for leniency in the justice system. We now know that certain genetic variations, such as monoamine oxidase, are linked to violent behaviour. The question is can [...]
If you have a tendency to put things off, you’re not alone. It has been estimated that around 20 percent of adults procrastinate, and around half of all students do. Unfortunately procrastination has negative effects. These include poorer performance and increased stress, as well as mental and physical health impacts. People procrastinate for different reasons. [...]
Over the last few years, more and more businesses have taught mindfulness meditation to their employees, or encouraged their workers to learn how to incorporate the practice into their daily routine. You might think that any business that uses mindfulness is probably some kind of hippy-dippy fly-by-night selling knitted yoghurt and handwoven cheese! You’d be [...]
An Irish election has just past, and an American election is looming, but have you ever considered how exactly you decide who to vote for? Now, presumably you’ll say that you vote for a candidate based on his or her platform, promises, political party affiliation and other such rational criteria. However that is not the whole [...]
Is conflict frequent in your life? Imagine this scenario: You are driving to work and your car stalls at the red light. Behind you impatient drivers start honking. How do you feel? Here’s another one: You’re giving a presentation at work, and Joe from accounts disputes your figures. You’ve gone over them carefully, but he’s [...]
Are you a religious person? Perhaps you attend mass every week and pray daily. Maybe you prefer the term “spiritual” because you believe in a higher power, but you’re not an adherent of any particular religion. Then again, you could be someone who has lost their faith — or someone who never had any to [...]
Sometimes a stressful day can make you feel like you are going crazy. Maybe you’re not wrong to feel that way… The hormone cortisol is released in response to stress, and researchers at James Cook University in Australia have found a link between levels of cortisol and psychosis. Zoltan Sarnyai, an associate professor at JCU, [...]
A leader needs clear thinking, and mindfulness can help you achieve that. It's a tool, and a smart leader doesn't leave a useful tool in the box. Some people have the idea that mindfulness meditation is simply about emptying your mind. And if you are someone who is attached to the image of yourself as a thinker, [...]
