It’s pretty obvious that babies need love, but did you know that their actual physical and biological growth requires love? Research shows that the early growth of at least one part of the brain (the orbitofrontal cortex – behind the orbits of the eyes) is almost wholly dependent upon the environment an infant is born […]
love
5 More Things I’ve learned from my Dog
Oscar is 18 months old today. We’ve had him since he was 8 weeks old and he’s completely changed our lives. Dogs have a habit of doing that. I have learned so much from him in just that short time, some of which I’ve written about in previous blogs. I feel like I’m always learning […]
7 Ways that Love is Good for Your Health
Love feels good. I think we’d all agree on that. But it also has some surprising health benefits. Here’s a list of 7 of them: 1) Love is good for your heart I think we all expect this. Biologically, love produces the hormone ‘oxytocin’. It’s why it’s often referred to as the ‘Love Hormone’ […]
Moving from vulnerability to confidence
Many of us are afraid to be ourselves – to admit how we feel: that we get scared, that we feel insecure, that we are often consumed by self-doubt. As an author, the more books I wrote, the more I felt a pressure to maintain the expectations of people who read my books and came […]
5 Reasons Why Good Relationships are Healthy
We all know how enjoyable it is to have happy times with friends and family. These times are also good for our health. Here’s 5 reasons why: 1) They’re good for the heart Positive experiences with friends and family produce the hormone oxytocin. Research shows that oxytocin helps to lower blood pressure and also […]
Did you know you’re a chemist?
Yes, you are a chemist! As you think, you shape the chemistry of your brain and blood, you shape the chemistry of your relationships, and you also shape the chemistry of your life. I have a PhD in chemistry and was once a professional chemist. I trained in how to build molecules and found myself […]
The 5 Side-Effects of Kindness
**Repost** When we think of side effects the first thing that springs to mind are the side effects of drugs. But who’d have thought that kindness could have side effects too? Well, it does! And positive ones at that. 1) Kindness Makes us Happier When we do something kind for someone else, we feel good. […]
Don’t forget the wisdom of the elderly
I often meet elderly people as I walk my dog, Oscar, in the morning. There was one truly lovely gentleman I met recently. He was getting out of his car and his son was helping him to the house. Oscar wanted to say hello, as he does to almost everyone. I often have to hold […]
How my dog being attacked reminded me to live in the moment
I have learned a lot by watching my dog, well puppy. He’s a 9-month old golden Labrador called Oscar. Among other things, as I wrote in a previous blog, I’ve learned to play more and also that I’m worthy of being loved. A few days ago Oscar was attacked by an aggressive dog. It clamped […]
Fifty Shades of Pink
Are we wired to be kind? Absolutely! Although I think some would disagree. It seems that the business model that’s operated for the past hundred years or so has been based on ‘survival of the fittest’, with the idea that humans are inherently selfish. But I would say the concept has been widely misunderstood. The […]