Sometimes we compare our lives with others around us to gauge how we're doing. This is no big deal, but when you combine this with a lot of time on Facebook, you may feel depressed. That's what researchers at the University of Houston discovered. After using Facebook, those users who spent more time online felt more symptoms of depression. Facebook doesn't cause depression, but comparison behavior can leave you feeling in the dumps. One survey found that nearly 70 percent of Facebook users felt…

This year, over 100 college students on spring break were arrested in Daytona Beach, Florida, in the first two weeks of March. Alcohol abuse figured prominently. One drunken student died after falling from the top of a parking garage in Panama City, Florida. Over 1,800 college students ages 18 to 24 die each year from alcohol-related injuries. Many young people are unaware of the symptoms of alcohol poisoning that can lead to death. What many college partiers don't know is that alcohol…

Personal well-being naturally declines in the senior years, but new research demonstrates that you can beat it back and slow it down. The key is remaining socially oriented and involved by leading a socially active life and prioritizing social goals. These behaviors are directly associated with better late-life decline, and a later onset of terminal decline. Research shows the opposite is also true (good research tries to show the inverse relationship): avoiding social prioritizing and not…

It is a myth that alcoholics do not seek help on their own. Like other illnesses, a sense of urgency usually drives the decision. It happens every day by accurate information about the illness arriving in combination with some adverse incident related to alcohol. If you are thinking, "that sounds like me," your next step is an assessment by an experienced professional. Try your employee assistance program or an addiction medicine physician, whom you can find in your area by visiting the…

Controlled deep breathing is standard in stress management training, and knowing why it works can have you doing it more often. One reason deep, slow breaths work so well is brain physiology. When you deep breathe, you use a different part of your brain to control your chest muscles instead of the part of your brain experiencing the "fight or flight" reaction to stress: the amygdala. Your awareness of what's going on with your body improves instantly. This calms you in addition to the…

As you declutter your life, you'll have more time and space to discover your priorities and your passions. Start decluttering these four areas of your life to make positive, long-term changes:

1. Your schedule.

Learning to say "no" is essential to changing your life for the better. Start saying no to activities that aren't important to you or you dread doing. I can't stress this enough. You are either using your time to build the life of your dreams or to build someone's else's dreams...it's…

A regular physical activity routine such as brisk walking helps to --

• Control body weight.
• Improve mood and symptoms of depression and anxiety.
• Reduce high cholesterol and blood pressure.
• Keep bones and muscles strong.
• Reduce risk of diseases like heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.
• Increase your life expectancy.

You just need to:

1. Get started. Get a comfortable pair of walking shoes and then keep your shoes at work or in the car. Start slowly to avoid stiff…

"Much of what we think will improve our wellbeing is either misguided or just plain wrong." So begins the new book, "Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements," by Tom Rath and Jim Harter, Ph.D. 

As Harter and Rath discovered - through thorough review of decades of scientific research and a comprehensive global study of more than 150 countries, which gave them insights into the wellbeing of more than 98 percent of the world's population - most people don't know what's good for them.

Most of us…

Discourteous and rude behaviors, such as making derogatory remarks, ignoring co-workers, and using condescending tone, are examples of incivility at work. These behaviors have grown worse in the past ten years. Being victimized by uncivil behavior places you at risk of "paying it forward" - that is, also participating in these behaviors. The earlier in the day incivility occurs, the more likely it is passed along. Incivility causes victims to lose attention at work and expend emotional energy,…