Imagine you’re coming home from work at the end of a long day. You feel tired and distracted, and you might be looking forward to an evening of relaxing on the couch—but you also know you need to put dinner on the table, care for children or pets, and complete household tasks. In situations like this, during the hustle and bustle of everyday life with our families, how much compassion do couples express? A recent study sought to test out this question—and found that expressions of compassion are surprisingly common, but the patterns behind when we express compassion are somewhat unexpected. Ho ..read more

For the first time, the United States has been classified as a “backsliding democracy” in a global assessment of democratic societies by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, an intergovernmental research group. One key reason the report cites is the continuing popularity among Republicans of false allegations of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. But according to the organization’s secretary general, perhaps the “most concerning” aspect of American democracy is “runaway polarization.” One year after the January 6 Capitol riot, Americans’ pe ..read more

Loneliness is on the rise around the world, with almost a quarter of people aged 15 or older reporting being very or fairly lonely. This is disturbing news, as loneliness has been tied to all kinds of problems, including higher stress, poorer sleep, and reduced cognitive and physical health. While young adults aged 19-29 appeared to be the largest group of lonely people in the Gallup poll, they are certainly not alone. Adults in midlife are also suffering from loneliness, especially in the United States. In fact, according to a new study, they may be just as bad off as other age groups—and muc ..read more

What am I going to do with my life? What really matters to me? How will I leave my mark? These questions can fill us with hope, inspiration, and direction when we have some sense of what the answers may be. If we don’t, they can fill us with confusion, frustration, and irritation. Leading a life of purpose, or making an enduring commitment to contributing to the broader world in personally meaningful ways, is associated with a range of benefits, including better physical health, enhanced psychological well-being, superior academic achievement, and enriched social connections. Despite these adv ..read more

Finding ways to bend tasks toward your strengths and passions can make you happier, more productive and find more meaning in your life—no matter your job ..read more

Even as suicide rates around the world have been dropping in recent years, they have been rising for at least one demographic group, both inside and outside of the United States: Pacific Islanders, which is a U.S. Census term that refers to people of Fijian, Guamanian, Hawaiian, Northern Mariana Islander, Palauan, Samoan, Tahitian, and Tongan origins. Why? That’s what a recent study aimed to explore. Previous research has tended to group Pacific Islanders with Asian Americans. For their study, Elizabeth Cutrer-Párraga and her colleagues zeroed in on the barriers to Pacific Islanders seeking me ..read more

The headlines are everywhere: Americans have fewer close friends and spend more time online. Men, in particular, are suffering the consequences of not feeling seen and connected; many lack relationships of mutual vulnerability and authenticity. Working families are exhausted and overwhelmed–trying to duct tape all kinds of solutions to systemic problems like the childcare crisis and the creep of work expectations into non-work hours. Young people are struggling mightily. It’s enough to make you want to put a blanket over your head and never leave the house. But, in fact, you should do the oppo ..read more

Thirteen year-old Alita told me she knew there was something wrong with her—something that made her “less than.” She felt that, somehow, she was “marked” and deeply unacceptable—even ugly—inside. She was sure everyone else could see what was so blatantly wrong with her, but for the life of her, she couldn’t put her finger on what it was, what made her this way, or what she could do about it. All she knew was that she was not quite like everyone else. This is all too often how teens feel. Different, alone, apart, unworthy, and undeserving. Like they don’t “belong”—anywhere, to anything or anyon ..read more

In 2014, Tau Kappa Epsilon at Arizona State University threw a controversial Martin Luther King Jr. Day party—where students served watermelon, wore oversized basketball jerseys, flashed gang signs, and wore Blackface makeup—that resulted in the fraternity being permanently suspended. A decade later, racially charged events are still making the news, many far more severe than racist fraternity misbehaviors. The tragic case of Breonna Taylor in 2020 became a national rallying cry when the young Black woman was fatally shot by police in her Louisville home—a grim testament to the ongoing plague ..read more

Accepting difficult feelings like anger or irritation can help us keep our cool, feel better overall, and find calm on the other side ..read more