News Above the Noise: Week of January 8, 2023
1. How To Cope After Witnessing Trauma
Everyone saw the collision, the collapse, the CPR, and the shock on players' faces during the NFL matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after a tackle and received CPR for about 10 minutes before being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. Experts say the trauma from witnessing such a terrifying situation can linger for the fellow players, game attendees and viewers watching at home—and it’s critical for them to process it before it festers. Learn more here about what psychologists say can help.
2. For Better Health This Year, Keep It Simple
The belief that success is best achieved through struggle dates back centuries, but the science of behavior change shows just the opposite. Studies show that we usually fail when we rely solely on willpower and motivation to develop new habits. However, when we eliminate or reduce the struggle—known as “friction” by scientists—we are far more likely to succeed. Read here about three ways you can remove this friction and make changes that will last.
3. How To Manage the Post-Holiday Blues
The holiday season can be a joyful and relaxing time for many, but once the festivities wind down, feelings of sadness and disappointment can creep in. Though the post-holiday blues aren’t uncommon, it’s important to pay attention to how long those feelings last. Experts advise connecting with friends and family, scheduling activities in advance, and maintaining healthy habits to help manage or prevent them. Read more about the post-holiday blues, what can trigger them, how to manage them, and when it might be something more serious by clicking here.
4. Why Talking to Strangers Is Good for Your Mental Health
Social connection in our daily lives has proven to be important for our overall well-being, but these interactions come in different forms. New research on “relational diversity,” meaning the variety of social interaction types someone has over the course of the day, suggests the more we can broaden this in our own lives, the better. This means connecting with friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors—as well as talking to strangers. Click here to read what experts say can help us get started.
5. There Is a Case for Optimism in 2023
Though 2022 brought major events that caused the world to worry, especially the war in Ukraine, we shouldn’t close out this past year on a note of gloom. Even the smaller stories contained positive lessons. Besides, the challenges we’ll continue to face in the new year, including the preservation of democracy and the restoration of global peace, aren’t new. We’ve faced them before, and we can face them again. To hear more about a case for optimism in 2023, click here.
Editor's Note: Every week, The Sunday Paper's team of journalists sifts through the news to make sense of what's happening in the world and provide hope for your week to come. We find what Rises Above the Noise and do our best to highlight what we think matters. If you’d like to read more in-depth, please note that while we do our best to feature articles that are not behind a paywall, some of the news pieces we recommend require their own subscriptions beyond our control.
