What are Allergies
Allergies occur when your immune system reacts to a foreign substance such as pollen, bee venom or pet dander. Your immune system produces substances known as antibodies. Some of these antibodies protect you from unwanted invaders that could make you sick or cause an infection. When you have allergies, your immune system makes antibodies that identify your particular allergen as something harmful...
5 Steps to Launching a New Life
Is there a decision you’re putting off, or a change in your life that you want to make but you’re feeling too angsty to make it happen? Do you keep asking everyone for advice that leaves you more confused than ever about what, if anything, you ought to do? Maybe it’s time to declare your independence. I’m not suggesting you go off the grid in a hideout on a mountain. But sometimes, you’ve got to...
5 Reasons Some People Will Never Say 'I'm Sorry
I’m sorry is one of the first things we learn to say as children, yet some adults refuse to apologize even when they’re clearly in the wrong. The question is: Why? Elton John wasn’t kidding: Sorry does seem to be the hardest word. Some people find it so hard to apologize that getting them to admit to even the smallest wrongdoing involves a major battle—often, a fruitless one. Although we might...
Science Points to the Single Most Valuable Personality Trait
Research is pointing to conscientiousness as the one-trait-to-rule-them-all in terms of future success, both career-wise and personal. “It would actually be nice if there were some negative things that went along with conscientiousness,” Roberts told me. “But at this point it’s emerging as one of the primary dimensions of successful functioning across the lifespan. It really goes cradle to grave...
5 Rules for Getting Along with Anyone
There are times when you want to lash out at someone who makes your life miserable. Perhaps a work colleague or your closest intimate partner is being, for lack of a better word, mean. You feel attacked, outraged, and misunderstood. Worse, you feel that you've hit a brick wall and are not being heard or taken seriously. Italian psychologist Francesca D’Errico and philosopher Isabella Poggi (2014...
3 Steps to Avoiding Passive-Aggressive Behavior
When I walked into the small gym in our apartment building at 7:30 Monday morning, there was a yoga mat and foam roller lying in the open space where I planned to do my workout. Mary [not her real name] was running on the treadmill. “Hi Mary. Is this yoga mat yours?” I asked. “Yes,” she replied. “I’ll use it soon.” So instead I began my workout in a small space squeezed between two posts. Forty...
5 Reasons You Think Your Partner Is Hotter Than They Are
Have you ever had a friend tell you about a gorgeous person they started seeing, only to meet the new partner in person and be thoroughly underwhelmed? Chalk it up to one of my favorite findings on how beauty plays out in romantic relationships: positive illusions. Positive illusions—an inflated, unfounded optimism, particularly around one’s own circumstances and abilities—exist well beyond the...
7 Daily Habits That Will Increase Your Mental Strength
If you’re feeling worn down, beat up or stressed out by the rigors of life, you’re not alone. Life is hard, and reaching your full potential amid life’s inevitable challenges is even harder. During the course of my career as a licensed clinical social worker, college psychology instructor and psychotherapist, I’ve seen firsthand that building mental strength is the key to navigating whatever life...
