Author Archives: Kaylee Mai

The 20-5-3 Rule

This Prevention article outlines Dr. Rachel Hopman’s, a neuroscientist at Northeastern University, new 20-5-3 rule for spending time outside. Generally, it is 20 minutes outside for three days a week. 5 hours each month you should spend in nature. 3 days you should spend off the grid each year. The article discusses the mental health …

How Wearing Face Masks Can Impact Children’s Ability to Read Emotions

A telltale sign of our ongoing pandemic are the masks everyone must now don to protect themselves. But in addition to preventing the spread of the virus, these masks may also be affecting our children in ways that adults don’t see. Children often look for emotional cues from their parents to interpret situations. This communication …

Here’s How You Can Overcome Your Insomnia

This HealthEssentials article interviews Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer, DO, MS, about understanding insomnia and what one can do to improve their sleeping habits. She goes through the types, causes, and symptoms of insomnia before providing insight concerning sleep aids, recommending a small dosage for a short period of time. With more than 40 million Americans suffering from …

The Pandemic Wall

Recently, it feels like a lot of us have been hitting a wall. It’s normal to be feeling burnt out with everything that’s happened since the pandemic first started. There is a scientific explanation for this: as the article explains, when we experience a stressful event, our system activates its fight-or-flight response. Typically, the brain …

Another Disease Called Loneliness

In a Scientific American article, researchers discuss the effects that social isolation has had on the population. Statistics suggest that even prior to the pandemic, poor social health was an issue for many people, with 79 percent of Gen Zers, 71 percent of millennials and 50 percent of baby boomers reporting a feeling of loneliness. …

Insomnia: Restoring Restful Sleep

For many people, sleep is an elusive thing. This Harvard Medical School paper goes through the science of normal sleep and then dives into the body’s internal clock and insomnia. About 10% of American adults experience chronic insomnia and experience not only restless nights but also dangerous daytime symptoms: drowsiness, impaired concentration, and depression. The …

New Year Blues

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and the “New Year’s Blues” continue to affect many people this time of year, with an estimated average of 10 million people reporting symptoms. When seasonal depression coincides with the holiday period, it’s often exacerbated by feelings of tension, uncertainty, social conflict, changed sleep patterns, and increased alcohol consumption. This year …