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How to stop being a pessimist — by the happiness expert who knows

How to stop being a pessimist — by the happiness expert who knows

Times17 hours ago
D o you wish you were a sunnier sort, but find yourself regularly fearing disaster in graphic, convincing detail? A new study from scientists at Kobe University in Japan has found that most optimists think alike, whereas pessimists are far more unique in their gloomy predictions. In scans, when optimists were asked to imagine future scenarios, the same areas of their brains lit up. Pessimists displayed a far more diverse range of brain activity, suggesting that they could more vividly imagine a wider sweep of worst-case scenarios.
There's a strong case for wanting to work on one's optimism. 'People who are more optimistic tend to have better physical and mental health,' says Kate Oliver, a chartered psychologist and the co-author of Rise and Shine: How to Transform Your Life, Morning by Morning. Even though there's a degree of mutual causation (good health will likely make you more optimistic, for example), she says: 'Optimists tend to live longer than pessimists, have lower rates of depression and better cardiovascular health because their stress levels are lower.'
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How to make friends in later life and how it impacts health and wellbeing
How to make friends in later life and how it impacts health and wellbeing

BreakingNews.ie

time7 hours ago

  • BreakingNews.ie

How to make friends in later life and how it impacts health and wellbeing

As International Friendship Day approaches, it serves as a reminder of the importance of friendships at all ages and stages of life. Naturally however, as time goes on it can be harder to make and maintain friendships due to being at different stages of life, lack of confidence or other factors. For the older generation, it can be an isolating time if friendships aren't maintained. However, we spoke with experts who explain the importance of friendships at all ages, the impact it can have on health and how to create long-lasting connections. Advertisement What impacts can friendship have on the older generation? Jenny Lippiatt, strategic programme manager in the health team at Age UK, says that friendship for all generations is of high importance. 'There's a lot of evidence to suggest that having social connections is really good for your mental and physical health.' Psychotherapist Kirsten Antoncich says the impacts of friendship are huge for the older generation. 'I think one of the first things is that friendships are incredibly protective against isolation and low mood,' she says. 'Being connected in a friendship and being listened to brings a wave of really positive chemicals to the brain. 'Friendship and connections can also bring a sense of purpose, which we know is essential for warding off low mood and depression in later life. We also know it improves cognitive health so the more friendships somebody has, it's linked to things like better cognitive performance and a slow cognitive decline.' Friendships can help with cognitive benefits Anton adds that friendships also reduce stress and enhance moods. 'They are also linked to increased physical activity and better memory,' she says. Advertisement Lippiatt says: 'For older people in particular, getting out of the house and moving around if you can is really beneficial for things like balance and mobility too. If you are unable to move around less, even having connections online or inside your own home have significant mental health benefits too.' What impacts can lack of friendships have? Lippiatt says that lack of friendships can lead to loneliness, and this is where you don't have good social connections, which can be a problem for mental and physical health. 'Lonely older people are 25 per cent more likely to develop dementia,' Lippiatt says. 'It can also contribute to psychological distress, loss of wellbeing, confidence and this can subsequently lead to depression, anxiety and increased stress. Physical health can also be affected because if we don't have the social connections or reasons to leave the house, it can impact our motivation to take care of ourselves and potentially lead to unhealthy behaviours.' Anton adds: 'We also know that a sense of social isolation can be linked to a loss of purpose which can then be linked to low mood which is incredibly prevalent in that group and population already.' Advertisement How can the older generation build and maintain friendships? 'There are significant moments at certain ages that mean it's quite easy to lose friendships,' Lippiatt says. 'For example, you might retire and often work is the space to meet people and socially interact, or bereavement occurs, which is part and parcel of the older age group. Therefore it is important to maintain friendships that you already have, whether that's online or in person. 'Finding hobbies that either you previously liked or are new to you is another really good way to meet new people. Perhaps you want to go with a friend to a physical activity class such as arts and craft, music or simply going for a walk. All of these hobbies can generate friendships and are a good way to maintain them too. 'There are also often spaces within different communities for older people, where there are lots of social activities around different hobbies or just spaces to go where you can have a chat and a coffee with someone. There are also chat and tea groups within the community, so it's really a good idea to have a look in your local community at what is going on,' says Lippiatt. 'If you're religious, there often is a really good way to meet people through the church. It can be hard when you're older and you may have lost some confidence to go out and try new things, but the people that run them are very kind, open and welcoming. If you are keen to do something, you might want to take a friend along or a family member to make you feel more confident or secure.' Advertisement Anton adds: 'Look around you and look at your neighbourhood too. Connect back with your neighbours as we have really lost a bit of a sense of that due to the pandemic. You are absolutely not alone and you're likely to meet somebody who's had a similar experience to you that's also looking for a friendship.' 'I also want to remind people to normalise loneliness. It's one of the most common conditions in the younger generation too. We're not so set up as a society anymore for friendships, and I want people who are maybe feeling lonely to not feel shame at that and to not feel frightened to reach out.'

I'm a psychotherapist who treats A-list celebrities - can you guess the psychological problem they ALL suffer from?
I'm a psychotherapist who treats A-list celebrities - can you guess the psychological problem they ALL suffer from?

Daily Mail​

time10 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

I'm a psychotherapist who treats A-list celebrities - can you guess the psychological problem they ALL suffer from?

Celebrities' mental health challenges are often caused by a troubled relationship with their parents, according to a psychotherapist who has a number of A-list clients. The condition they all have in common is known as attachment trauma, according to Dr Sarah Boss, a psychotherapist who runs luxury rehab retreats. This trauma—which is caused by an unhealthy relationship with a parent—can then lead to substance abuse, isolation and trust issues. Speaking to the MailOnline Dr Boss said: 'Attachment trauma is definitely something that we see over represented in celebrity clients. 'This is because they often come from highly successful families, so they are being looked after by people on payroll rather than their parents—it's not a good start in life. 'For first generation celebrities, they often have histories of harsh parenting, but this is not necessarily a healthy relationship. 'Out of this hardship can often breed creativity but it also presents challenges with forming long term relationships. 'To live a balanced life you need to be able to self regulate emotions but this can be hard with underlying attachment trauma—patients with this issue often feel pressured or abused by those around them and constantly question who their real friends are.' She explains that while 'normal' people often suffer from this it is heightened by the celebrity lifestyle. 'Life as a celebrity requires more self regulation than what working in an office will require,' says Dr Boss. 'It lacks structure and higher highs, like being on stage, but also the lows of isolation while touring for example.' The psychotherapist also says that her celebrity clients often struggle to form enduring relationships. 'For friends and partners of celebrities, it is hard to be part of someone's life when everything you do with them is photographed or written about,' says Dr Boss. 'For the celebrity, this leads to a reliance on superficial friends—over time this leads to a feeling of being used and mistrust of others. 'Part of the problem is that they have often lost their fundamental development years rising to fame, so they have not been able to build strong relationships that they are able to keep.' The combination of attachment trauma, pressure and isolation means that Dr Boss sees a number of celebrity clients who suffer from substance abuse. 'Substance abuse is a real issue for our clients, who are readily exposed to it, and are trying to self medicate the problems they are dealing with,' says Dr Boss. 'For younger clients we are seeing more now who are abusing drugs like ketamine, while for adult patients it is often an unhealthy relationship with alcohol.' The psychotherapist explains that she treated a 46-year-old Hollywood actor who had multiple mental health issues which led to serious substance abuse. She said: 'He had severe alcoholism and was abusing cocaine and sleep medication. He used to drink several bottles of wine a day. 'He would use cocaine to wake up, and sleep sedatives to go to bed. He was completely reliant on substances for survival. They were a coping strategy for underlying emotional issues.' The actor's substance abuse began to impact his work as an actor, said Dr Boss. 'He had terrible anxiety on film sets, and very bad social anxiety at big Hollywood parties. He was struggling with the constant judgment over social media and online,' she revealed. 'The pressure was too much. He started withdrawing more and more from the public world, and his social network. 'His wife left him, and his children eventually were the ones who insisted on treatment.' The American star was then treated at Dr Boss's luxury treatment clinic The Balance. 'He had unaddressed childhood trauma, and needed to learn how to regulate his nervous system without substances. 'After his detox, he had intensive psychotherapy, somatic experiencing, and engaged with mindfulness activities like yoga. 'He joined a relapse prevention group, he made amends with his loved ones, and gained closure so he could move forward with his life. He was in after-care for several months, and remains sober to this day.' She explains that broadly her celebrity clients suffer from the same issues no matter what sector they are in, however a couple face different challenges. 'For sports stars we often see that they have lost the ability to intuitively eat, which can lead to eating disorders or an unhealthy relationship with food,' says Dr Boss. 'While we often see young musicians and actors who struggle who feel they have lost a part of themselves with the fame that has come, this leads to frustration and other mental health challenges.' While the psychotherapist also revealed that she is now seeing stars as young as 13, with social media to blame according to Dr Boss. She is calling on people to be kinder online to celebrities. 'There is a real lack of empathy towards celebrities, and social media has given everyone a voice to contribute,' says Dr Boss.

China calls for global AI cooperation days after Trump administration unveils low-regulation strategy
China calls for global AI cooperation days after Trump administration unveils low-regulation strategy

The Guardian

time11 hours ago

  • The Guardian

China calls for global AI cooperation days after Trump administration unveils low-regulation strategy

Chinese premier Li Qiang has proposed establishing an organisation to foster global cooperation on artificial intelligence, calling on countries to coordinate on the development and security of the fast-evolving technology, days after the US unveiled plans to deregulate the industry. Speaking at the annual World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, Li called AI a new engine for growth, adding that governance is fragmented and emphasising the need for more coordination between countries to form a globally recognised framework for AI. Li warned Saturday that artificial intelligence development must be weighed against the security risks, saying global consensus was urgently needed. His remarks came just days after US president Donald Trump unveiled an aggressive low-regulation strategy aimed at cementing US dominance in the fast-moving field. One executive order targeted what the White House described as 'woke' artificial intelligence models. Opening the World AI Conference, Li emphasised the need for governance and open-source development. 'The risks and challenges brought by artificial intelligence have drawn widespread attention … How to find a balance between development and security urgently requires further consensus from the entire society,' the premier said. Li said China would 'actively promote' the development of open-source AI, adding Beijing was willing to share advances with other countries, particularly developing ones in the global south. The three-day event brings together industry leaders and policymakers at a time of escalating technological competition between China and the United States – the world's two largest economies – with AI emerging as a key battleground. Washington has imposed export restrictions on advanced technology to China, including the most high-end AI chips made by companies such as Nvidia and chipmaking equipment, citing concerns that the technology could enhance China's military capabilities. Li did not name the United States in his speech, but he warned that AI could become an 'exclusive game' for a few countries and companies, and said challenges included an insufficient supply of AI chips and restrictions on talent exchange. At a time when AI is being integrated across virtually all industries, its uses have raised major ethical questions, from the spread of misinformation to its impact on employment, or the potential loss of technological control. Earlier this week, news companies were warned of a 'devastating impact' on online audiences as search results are replaced by AI summaries, after a new study claimed it caused up to 80% fewer clickthroughs. The World AI Conference is an annual government-sponsored event in Shanghai that typically attracts major industry players, government officials, researchers and investors. Saturday's speakers included Anne Bouverot, the French president's special envoy for AI, computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton, known as 'the godfather of AI', and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has in past years regularly appeared at the opening ceremony both in-person and via video, did not speak this year. The exhibition features predominantly Chinese companies, including tech companies Huawei and Alibaba and startups such as humanoid robot maker Unitree. Western participants include Tesla, Alphabet and Amazon. With Reuters and Agence France-Presse

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