Back pain is a common complaint that many individuals experience at some point in their lives. As a physiotherapist, I often encounter patients who wonder if their back pain will simply go away with rest. While rest can be beneficial in certain cases, it is essential to understand that the resolution of back pain varies depending on several factors. In this article, we will explore the role of rest in managing back pain and provide insights into when further intervention may be necessary.
[Read more…]Does Being Materialistic Reduce Your Happiness?
It might seem obvious, right?
Especially to someone like yourself, who actually takes an interest in the study of happiness.
You might think, “of course materialism does not make us happy!”.
What fascinates me, however, is that even though we all agree on this, why does society seem to still drive towards materialistic goals?
Why is most, if not all, success defined by materialistic achievements.
Is there something we’re missing, something we have not yet taken into account with regards to our knowledge of how to develop and culture true happiness?
Let’s have a look.
The Power of Gratitude: 10 Little-Known Yet Powerful Effects of Gratitude
You’ve heard it before.
I know you have:
“Always live with an attitude of gratitude.”
Few people, however, really know the power of gratitude.
Nearly everyone knows the importance of it, but few people consider its benefits convincing enough to actually make gratitude a regular practice, as they would with washing their hair or cleaning the home, for example.
Fortunately, we live in a world of unprecedented scientific evidence to match the perennial wisdom we’ve all intuitively known throughout our lives, shedding a new light on the importance of being thankful for what we have.
I remember how much I had heard and read about gratitude before I made it an integral part of my life.
It all seemed to make sense and generally seemed to be the right thing to do. But I finally came to realize it’s much more than that.
I can say with absolute confidence that it’s not just a feel-good practice or a virtue to be cultivated.
It will change everything in your life for the better. And it will do so immediately.
So let’s dig in.
Hedonic Treadmill: What It Is and How to Overcome It
If you are serious about understanding and mastering the art of happiness, which I’ve come to learn and respect that you are, the hedonic treadmill is a topic that you must absolutely be aware of.
If you haven’t heard of the term ‘hedonic treadmill’ before, this article aims to present exactly – from the ground up – what it is and why it is important.
Essentially, it’s the notion that human happiness adapts to our experience, i.e. our increase or decrease in happiness after an event eventually returns to a ‘happiness set point’ because we psychologically adapt to that new experience, whatever it may be.
The purpose of this article is to provide a deep understanding of the principles, not only of the term known as ‘hedonic treadmill’ but the notion of happiness being adaptable and the inherent underlying reasons why this may be. [Read more…]
Why Trash Pickers in Leon are Happier Than You
It’s always, always worth questioning assumptions.
They’re built into our society and embedded into the human psyche more than is healthy and taking the time to step back and ask ‘is that really true?’ is an essential step to take if we’re to move forward as a flourishing species.
A fascinating study looked at the levels of happiness amongst a group of people deemed by their surroundings, as well as ours, to work in a trade of disgust and low class. The members of this study live under persistent cultural stigma.
They are trash pickers. They live in extreme poverty, sometimes not having enough to meet the basic human needs.
The surprise? They aren’t unhappy. Quite the opposite. And the reason why is most definitely a wake up call. [Read more…]
6 Incredibly Inspiring Videos To Keep Your Spirits High
Here are 6 phenomenally created videos I’ve stumbled across over the past year or so.
I decided to create this post as a sort of reference page if you ever have a day where you feel like giving up, lose all hope or just need a lift.
Of course these inspiring videos are not the end all and be all. But every little helps.
I hope it proves useful.
1. “Why Do We Fall”