A new study shows that interactions with therapy dogs lowered the stress hormone cortisol in children ages 8 and 9, in both mainstream and special education needs schools in the UK.

Petting and interacting with a dog can enhance happiness and reduce stress, loneliness, and negative emotions.

The weather is warming up and being outside is beneficial to your mental and physical well-being. Make a plan to spend some time in natural settings.

You are likely to improve your well-being if you embrace the practice of listing your goals, crafting strategies and an action plan to achieve each goal, and persisting through the inevitable challenges that arise.

This research supports the need to train for, and accept in, all people a balance of communal and agentic personality traits to promote individual well-being, maximize human potential, and solve the world’s wicked problems.

Overwork increases your risk of cardiovascular disease. Increased release of stress hormones and unhealthy coping mechanisms may heighten this risk. Work-life balance is likely to lower stress and increase your capacity to eat healthfully, get sufficient exercise and sleep, and reduce alcohol consumption related to increased stress.

Now that Daylight Saving Time provides more light at the end of the day, it’s time to give the refreshing Dutch pastime, uitwaaien, a try!