According to the Office for National Statistics [https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/articles/coronaviruscovid19latestinsights/wellbeing#mental-health] , the number of adults in Britain with depression doubled during the pandemic. This is just one example of how the pandemic has taken its toll on people's mental health. UK therapists are seeing an increase in patients with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. There are

From yogis to Eastern philosophers to integrative psychiatrists more recently, many have heralded the relationship between the mind and the body. In a previous article, we looked at the research on the connection between gut health and mental health [https://augmentive.io/blog/how-your-gut-health-is-linked-to-your-mental-health] . This time we’re looking at another link that has recently made the headlines: that between the immune system and mental health. New research findings suggest that t

Cold water swimming is all the rage at the moment, and for good reason. Whether you’re interested in going for a dip or for a lengthy swim, there are great benefits to plunging yourself into that ice-cold body of water. Let’s take a quick look at the most recent craze and what the research has to say. Here in the UK, we see groups dedicated to cold water swimming gain popularity. Founder Liv set up Chilly Dippers [https://www.chillydippers.com/] while studying at the University of Edinburgh. L

At the height of the pandemic, we were only entitled to one walk per day. Back then, many of us rediscovered the joy of being out in nature. While we know, instinctively, that spending time in nature is good for us, we often underestimate the real extent to which it contributes to our wellbeing [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797611418527]. Chinese healers right up to many Western writers, including Henry David Thoreau [https://www.walden.org/quotation-category/nature-the-env

Alcohol is part of the fabric of our society. Here in the UK, 80% of us enjoy an alcoholic drink from time to time (although thanks to younger generations these numbers are now falling [https://alcoholchange.org.uk/alcohol-facts/fact-sheets/alcohol-statistics]). We drink at big life events and social occasions. We drink to unwind after a busy day at work or to celebrate the arrival of the weekend. What are the effects of alcohol on the brain? And what does consuming alcohol mean for our mental

Christmas is a time of celebration, yet seeing others surrounded by families and friends can often bring up feelings of loneliness and isolation, which may be even further heightened by the change in circumstances brought by the Omicron variant. According to data from the Office of National Statistics in 2017 [https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/articles/lonelinesswhatcharacteristicsandcircumstancesareassociatedwithfeelinglonely/2018-04-10] , 1 in 20 adults report fee