Doomscrolling: What Is It and Why It’s Harmful

Mia Barnes 10/02/2023

We get it — juggling careers, families and personal well-being can be overwhelming. In today’s digital age, we’re constantly bombarded with information. Imagine you’re just scrolling through your phone and all you see are bad news, stories, scary headlines and negative posts. That’s what you can call “doomscrolling” or “doomsurfing.” Doomscrolling messes with your emotions by making you anxious, stressed and even helpless due to the constant exposure to bad news. It can desensitize you, making you care less about real-world problems and lead to feelings of sadness. It’s time to break free from this cycle and start enjoying a more positive online experience. What is Doomscrolling? Doomscrolling or doomsurfing is the habit of endlessly scrolling through negative or distressing news and social media posts.…

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Categories: Subscriber Content, Wellness & Personal Growth

Tags: self-care, Trending, wellness

Mia Barnes

How to Build Good Habits

Habits have been described as repeated actions that arise from some kind of internal or external trigger (Robbins & Costa, 2017). Often, these habits exist in particular contexts. For example, Billy might have a habit of smoking a cigarette when he drinks alcohol. Sharon might have a habit of brushing her teeth before bed. And Mark might have a habit of biting his nails when he’s nervous. Habits—both good and bad—are closely related to our goals. Since habits are just things we do regularly, they can contribute to —or deter us from—achieving the things we want to achieve. That’s why building good habits—and perhaps getting rid of some bad ones—is so important for building the lives we want to lead. So what are some good…

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Institute Editorial Team 01/15/2023

woman looking up at sky thinking, showing mental performance

Mental performance and you: 10 things you need to know

Our mental performance, how we think, analyze, and perceive the world, influences how we work, tackle challenges, relate to others, manage stress and more. Where we choose to put our focus has a tremendous impact on how we feel and perform in our day-to-day lives. Julie Jones, Mental Performance Coach and Institute instructor, specializes in helping people boost their mental game, and in teaching them how mental training, positivity and self-awareness can help us do better in our jobs, our personal lives, as leaders, as athletes, and as members of the community. As a former Division I softball coach, Julie specializes in training athletes in mental performance techniques. The same brain strategies that can help a softball player improve her swing can help us all…

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Institute Editorial Team 08/02/2021

How To Recognize and Handle Burnout

What Is Burnout? Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that comes from stress exposure (Schaufeli & Greenglass, 2001). Generally, the stress that leads to burnout is consistent and ongoing for an extended period. A single stressful event usually isn’t enough to cause burnout. When you are burned out you may feel constantly exhausted or anxious and on edge. You may feel irritable and angry. You may feel like you are living in a fog and unable to think clearly. You may be unable to relax or get to sleep. Burnout Syndrome Burnout syndrome was first formally defined in the 1970s to describe a collection of symptoms often seen in people working as medical professionals, teachers, social workers, and others in helping…

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Institute Editorial Team 03/08/2023

5 Ways Your Body Carries Stress and How to Relieve It

Most people who experience negative and unwanted emotions try to push them away. You may experience fear, sadness, hurt and irritation throughout your life, but instead of acknowledging these emotions, you might ignore and deny them. Storing unwanted feelings can result in aches and pains. This is not always the case, but there are bodily reactions to stress. These emotions can manifest their way into areas of the body and create tension. How Your Emotions Get Stuck Research supports the idea that mental and emotional well-being impacts physical health. An excellent example is being afraid and having your fight-flight or freeze response kick in. Your body generates a physical reaction due to fear. We are constantly taking in information, which is processed in our autonomic…

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Mia Barnes 02/10/2023