Mind & Mood Archive

Exercise, breathing techniques, and medication can help you manage stress as you get older.

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We all experience a little stress from time to time. It's not so hard to handle when we're young. But as we age, coping with stress isn't as easy anymore. "We tend to have less resilience to stress, and older adults often find that stress affects them differently now," says Dr. Michelle Dossett, an internal and integrative medicine specialist at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine.

Changes in response

What you should do

Just about every new parent has wrestled with the idea of whether to comfort a baby who cries during the night or whether to let him or her “cry it out.” A recent study adds more evidence to what researchers (and our own parents and grandparents) have long known: It’s okay to let your baby cry it out. It won’t harm them — and you’ll get a much better night’s sleep, too!

Dr. Michael Bierer explains the most common misconception about addiction and offers tips for recognizing if you might be developing an addiction.

Dr. Wynne Armand talks with Dr. Terry Schraeder about the increase in opiod addictions and shares prevention and treatment methods for those experiencing an addiction to prescription opioid medication.

Want to make a change but wondering how to stay motivated? Dr. Srini Pillay talks about the things that can impact personal motivation and the power of a sense of meaning to help you stick with your goals.

If you find yourself in a slump, Dr. Beth Frates shares what may be draining you and offers tips for getting more energy.

Men are often reluctant to seek therapy. After all, it involves asking for help and talking candidly about one’s emotions, two things that many men are eager to avoid. But men should know that there’s no need to “tough out” whatever they’re going through. There are plenty of professionals out there who are ready and willing to lend an ear.

Exercise helps keep the brain healthy by improving memory and problem solving, and may even reduce the risk of dementia. Dr. Alvaro Pascual-Leone advocates regular exercise as a treatment for all people and explains more about the benefits for the brain.

If you’ve looked up from your phone recently — or even if you haven’t! — you may have noticed that many children and teens are glued to their devices. While experts aren’t quite ready to call this an “addiction,” a new survey of parents and teens confirms that many of them suspect they’re too dependent on their devices. We’ve discussed the potential implications of this, plus suggested some “ground rules” for when to ignore those devices.