Posts

Pregnant people and breastfeeding parents may have a lot of questions about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. They want to protect themselves but also need to protect their babies. A growing body of evidence addresses those concerns. Key Takeaways A growing body of research shows vaccinated parents can safely breastfeed their babies.The antibodies from the COVID-19 vaccine pass through the breast milk, but the vaccine itself does not.The CDC and ACOG recommend vaccination for pregnant and lactating people....

From fitness enthusiasts to competitive athletes, heart rate monitor watches (sometimes referred to as smartwatches) are a popular accessory. Most offer a comprehensive picture of your health, with stress, sleep, and heart rate data. Many heart rate monitor watches also track workout details or have GPS functions. Music streaming or longer battery life may be important features to consider, as well as sport-specific functions like tracking speed or distance if you plan to use the watch for more than just tracking heart rate....

If you spend your workday at a desk, you could likely benefit from adding more activity to your routine. Luckily, office-friendly fitness machines make it incredibly easy to do so. “The under-desk bike can benefit many people who have sedentary jobs,” Latoya Julce, certified personal trainer and instructor at 305 Fitness, says. These compact bikes slide under your desk, so you can pedal while you work. “I wouldn’t say it’s a true fitness routine, but more of an extra way to ensure movement while working a desk job,” Julce says....

Recently, one of the most buzzed-about social media influencers hasn’t made their mark through typical avenues such as great fashion hauls or informative mental health talks. No, instead, they’ve erupted the internet with dehumanizing misogyny. Key Takeaways Andrew Tate is a misogynistic influencer who gained awareness in late summer 2022.He has subsequently been banned by many major social media sites.Misogyny can hurt people of all genders, not just those it directly attacks....

Medela deserves major credit for bottle innovation with the introduction of the Calma bottle. Lots of bottles try to mimic the human body to make bottle feeding more like breastfeeding, but Calma gets much closer to the real deal than most. The main difference between this and other bottles is the nipple. The first thing you’ll notice is that the nipple is completely open on the top. The nipple itself isn’t the part that requires suction to make the bottle work....

A conditioned taste aversion involves the avoidance of a certain food following a period of illness after consuming that food. These aversions are a great example of how classical conditioning can result in changes in behavior, even after only one incidence of feeling ill. What Is Conditioned Taste Aversion? Have you ever gotten ill after eating something and later found that just the thought of that food made you feel a bit queasy?...

The age in which tweens develop romantic interests in other people varies tremendously from child to child. Some kids may start expressing interest in having a boyfriend or girlfriend as early as age 10 while others are 12 or 13 before they show any interest. The key is for parents to remember that the tween years are a time of transition. Not only are they maturing physically, emotionally, and socially but they also are starting to develop a sense of self....

What Is Cross-Cultural Psychology? Cross-cultural psychology is a branch of psychology that looks at how cultural factors influence human behavior. While many aspects of human thought and behavior are universal, cultural differences can lead to often surprising differences in how people think, feel, and act. Some cultures, for example, might stress individualism and the importance of personal autonomy. Other cultures may place a higher value on collectivism and cooperation among members of the group....

Self-regulation is the ability to control one’s behavior, emotions, and thoughts in the pursuit of long-term goals. More specifically, emotional self-regulation refers to the ability to manage disruptive emotions and impulses—in other words, to think before acting. Self-regulation also involves the ability to rebound from disappointment and to act in a way consistent with your values. It is one of the five key components of emotional intelligence. This article discusses how self-regulation develops and the important impact it can have....

While love is all around us in pop songs, books, television shows, and reality tv, not everyone wants to fall in love. There are a wide variety of reasons why you might want to avoid falling for someone. You might not have time for love, fear getting hurt, or simply enjoy the freedom of being unattached. Using cognitive and behavioral strategies to alter the intensity of love is known as love regulation....

While it’s easy to blame rioters for destroying property, causing violence, and spreading chaos, doing so diminishes the fact that a riot is a complex and deeply-rooted form of civil unrest, which often results from numerous factors. In other words, a riot is often a symptom of a larger, underlying problem—not the problem itself. When protests broke out across the United States in the spring of 2020, news outlets showed individuals breaking into retail stores and stealing items, lighting police cars on fire, and breaking glass....

Even though I literally wrote the book on mental strength (well, four books actually), I don’t always feel mentally strong. There are plenty of days (and times throughout any given day) when I doubt myself, give in to temptation or let my emotions cloud my judgment. Here are 10 things I like to do when I don’t feel mentally strong. Fortunately, I know every time I don’t feel mentally strong is an opportunity to sharpen my skills....

This is especially true right after birth, when they’re soaking through multiple outfits a day—with pee, poop, spit-up, you name it—and feeding endlessly on demand. But what about you, Mom, what do you need? Although your postpartum list might be slightly shorter than your baby’s, there are still several items that can make those initial post-birth days a tad more comfortable. Everything may hurt after you give birth, and life with a newborn is tough enough as it is....

Allison Holker Boss is literally that—a boss. A boss mama, a boss dancer, a boss TV host, and a boss wife. You probably remember seeing her as a contestant on “So You Think You Can Dance” or as a professional dancer on “Dancing With The Stars.” More recently, you may know her from her viral TikTok and YouTube videos—where she shares dance-based workouts, innovative choreography, and grooving with her family....

Migraines are tough for anyone to deal with. When you’re breastfeeding, they can be especially challenging and stressful, as you’re taking care of a baby while dealing with pain and other symptoms. Plus, it’s common to worry if treatment will be safe for your baby. However, there are migraine medications that are safe to use during breastfeeding. While most medications pass into breast milk, that doesn’t always mean you can’t take them....

Do you feel anxious in a yellow room? Does the color blue make you feel calm and relaxed? Artists and interior designers have long believed that color can dramatically affect moods, feelings, and emotions. “Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions,” the artist Pablo Picasso once remarked. Color is a powerful communication tool and can be used to signal action, influence mood, and even influence physiological reactions. Certain colors have been associated with physiological changes, including increased blood pressure, increased metabolism, and eyestrain....

The COVID-19 pandemic has touched every aspect of our lives, and with that, contributed to stress in each of them, from personal relationships and parenting to work and the other hassles of daily life. But through our own resilience and the efficacy of vaccines, this summer has seen us adapt and take steps toward a sense of normalcy. For the August edition of the Verywell Mind Mental Health Tracker, Amy Morin, LCSW, Editor-in-Chief discusses the struggles of those who have dealt with job loss and other financial stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic....

From isolation to grief, the pandemic has taken a tremendous toll on everyone’s mental health. In response to the mental turmoil, there’s one coping mechanism consistently recommended: therapy. While therapy can do wonders for a person’s mental health, the cost and wait times can create painful barriers to care, leaving people to fend for their well-being without additional support. Key Takeaways CVS Health has begun offering mental health counseling in select stores nationwide....

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in America, and has tragically risen by 35% in the past twenty years. Depression and other mood disorders are the primary causes of suicide, but many people are not aware of the strong links between drugs and alcohol use and suicide. Read on for what to know about the connection between substance usage and suicide, in what ways using drugs and alcohol increases your risk—and most importantly, how to get help for both your substance use issues and mental health concerns....

Karen Horney (pronounced HORN-eye) was a psychoanalyst and theorist who suggested that people possess a number of neurotic needs that play a role in driving behavior. In her 1942 book “Self-Analysis,” Horney outlined her theory of neurosis, describing different types of neurotic behavior as a result of overusing coping strategies to deal with basic anxiety. This article discusses Horney’s theory of neurotic needs, including those for power, prestige, and affection. It also covers the three broad categories of needs in her theory....