These fragrant mood-boosters have been lifting my spirits – and my complexion – over the past few weeks ‘There’s science behind the feelgood factor of fragrance’ It’s fair to say that many of us have extra time on our hands at the moment – however much the siren call of the laptop seems to entice … Read more
SCIENCE CURED by Jeffrey Rediger (Penguin £16.99, 400 pp) When Jeffrey Rediger, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School, began writing this compelling book about illness and wellness, he can hardly have imagined that it would have been published in the middle of a catastrophic pandemic. Rediger offers many clinically documented examples of people stricken with … Read more
Gardening is ‘good for the soul’: Digging, weeding and planting improve happiness and ’emotional wellbeing’ even more than physical exercise or eating out, study finds Volunteers reported on their emotional wellbeing while doing different activities The Princeton University study had people cycle, eat out, walk and do gardening They found gardening for vegetables is more … Read more
Smiling really DOES make you happier: Study finds expressing happiness influences the brain to generate positive feelings For decades, researchers have studied how acting happy could influence happiness A team at the University of Tennessee has analyzed 50 years of data on the subject They found there is a clear connection between acting happy and … Read more
There are, in all our lives, little things that go unnoticed. Things that we deem either insignificant or that we take for granted. Few of us make it a habit to embrace and celebrate these small joys, but if ever there were a time to start doing it, then it is now. As I write, … Read more
Taking acetaminophen – sold under the brand name Tylenol – may make it harder for us to feel happy for other people, new research suggests. The common drug belongs to a group of analgesics that relieves pain – though we aren’t really sure why. Previous research confirmed that when acetaminophen is helping us feel less … Read more
Elizabeth Day: The happiness formula we need right now By Elizabeth Day for You Magazine Published: 00:02 BST, 29 March 2020 | Updated: 00:02 BST, 29 March 2020 Hair: Fabio Nogueira. Make-up: Ruby Hammer. Styling: Holly Elgeti. Blouse, Lisou. Trousers, Roland Mouret. Jewellery, Alighieri. Netflix, Getty images I wasn’t sure what to write this week. … Read more