All posts tagged: study

A smile can lighten up your day

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A cheerful heart is good medicine,    but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22 NIV) According to a study conducted by researchers at Stanford University simply smiling for a photo or selfie can actually improve your mood. The researchers came to this conclusion after studying 3,878 people from 19 countries. They were broken up into three groups. Half of them looked at images of things like kittens and puppies and the other half looked at blank screens. As they were looking at the images or blank screens, one group was told to put a pen in their mouth to mimic smiling. The second group was told to copy the smile of a photo of smiling actors and the third group was asked to use their hands, to physically pull up the corner of the mouths and cheeks to mimic a smile. The researchers found that those who copied the smile of the actors or pushed the corners of their mouths were significantly happier than those who didn’t. The study entitled, The Many Smiles Collaboration, …

Study: Isolation makes us more vulnerable to Covid

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A new study by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University says that the lockdown and isolation prescribed as the cure for the Coronavirus may instead be making us more vulnerable to the virus. The researchers state that studies have shown that stress make people more susceptible to the flu and other respiratory problem. Similarly, the stress associated with avoiding family and friends may be making us more vulnerable to Covid. Study Finds writes: In other words, the stress one battles from avoiding friends and family and staying home all the time is making them more susceptible to respiratory viruses. This phenomenon hasn’t been proved regarding COVID-19 specifically, but such a relationship has been seen with cold and flu viruses. “We know little about why some of the people exposed to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, are more likely to develop the disease than others. However, our research on psychological factors that predict susceptibility to other respiratory viruses may provide clues to help identify factors that matter for COVID-19,” comments Sheldon Cohen, the Robert E. Doherty Professor of Psychology at …