Christina Bell, Registered Psychologist

How to sleep better and live longer by re-setting your body clock

This article is worth a read. It's about optimizing your health by eating, exercising, and sleeping in line with your circadiam rhytm (research-based).

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5780489/amp/How-sleep-better-live-longer-just-setting-body-clock.html?__twitter_impression=true&fbclid=IwAR2JG9SBHjvs-ybMuqBjbMn6pRxDQFVHTVbTR9djtuR--TA38evHXBAdZBM

The field of circadian biology — the study of the human body clock — is radically changing the way we understand how the body and the mind function. Here's how it can help you.

The BestMarriages Story

These two guys have been amazing mentors to me over the years in learning the Gottman Method couples therapy. They run amazing weekend intensives across western Canada and also provide marathon therapy in Langley.

https://www.gottman.com/blog/the-bestmarriages-story/?fbclid=IwAR153FjJ2Vdjb8sRTkpk4deETHYq0oEqk7ZNtop7yGLM1-KzRf7YgPV1fsg

gottman.com The story of how two regular guys built BestMarriages, one of the largest couples counseling centers in Canada.

The Brain Uses Sleep to Reduce DNA Damage

DNA damage can be caused by many processes including radiation, oxidative stress, and even neuronal activity. DNA repair systems within each cell correct this damage. The current work shows that during wakefulness, when chromosome dynamics are low, DNA damage consistently accumulates and can reach unsafe levels.

The role of sleep is to increase chromosome dynamics, and normalize the levels of DNA damage in each single neuron.

https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/the-brain-uses-sleep-to-reduce-dna-damage-316365?fbclid=IwAR2UnuV60bv5CO1BWE9CE4vtMqJfPjOZWKjTpH8mApI-QcgnOUJQFYcNf_c

technologynetworks.com In a new study, published today researchers reveal a novel and unexpected function of sleep that they believe could explain how sleep and sleep disturbances affect brain performance, aging and various brain disorders.

Neuroscience News and Research

A new study has found that dopamine — a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in our cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning — plays a direct role in the reward experience induced by music. The new findings have been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The Gottman Institute

Hip-hop star Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter talks with CNN's Van Jones about mental health, saying he was open to seeing a therapist and that the stigma attached to mental health issues was "ridiculous."

The Gottman Institute

There was strong consensus around the following four scenarios:
1. When someone shows compassion toward them in difficult times
2. When a child snuggles up to them
3. When their pets are happy to see them
4. When someone tells them "I love you"

BestMarriages.ca

A great read from Today's Parent featuring the wisdom of our very own Lawrence Stoyanowski! Check it out! 🙂

Our Favorite Books of 2018

So many books, so little time!

From When By Daniel H. Pink: “Whatever you do, do not let mundane tasks creep into your peak period. If you’re a boss, understand these…patterns and allow people to protect their peak,” he writes.

greatergood.berkeley.edu Greater Good's editors pick this year’s most thought-provoking, important, or useful nonfiction books on the science of a meaningful life.

What’s All This About Journaling?

If you’re distressed about something, Dr. Pennebaker advises, set aside three to four days to write for 15 to 20 minutes a day about it.

This in turn improves our immune system and our moods; we go to work feeling refreshed, perform better and socialize more. “There’s no single magic moment,” Dr. Pennebaker said. “But we know it works.”

nytimes.com One of the more effective acts of self-care is also, happily, one of the cheapest.

The Gottman Institute

Evidence keeps stacking up that yoga is a boon for both physical and mental health conditions.

The Gottman Institute

"What if all I want is a small, slow, simple life? What if I am most happy in the space of in between? Where calm lives. What if I am mediocre and choose to be at peace with that?"

There's more to life than being happy

A must-watch TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/emily_esfahani_smith_there_s_more_to_life_than_being_happy#t-679147

ted.com Our culture is obsessed with happiness, but what if there's a more fulfilling path? Happiness comes and goes, says writer Emily Esfahani Smith, but having meaning in life -- serving something beyond yourself and developing the best within you -- gives you something to hold onto. Learn more about the...

The Gottman Institute

According to psychologists, when kids are given the chance to help us, they feel like fully-fledged members of the family, learn to be independent, and avoid becoming too daunted by notions of responsibility.

Time on a therapist’s couch yields persistent personality changes

This is an interesting little article that looks at the changes that happen with therapy: A meta-analysis published recently in Psychological Bulletin reports that a variety of different therapeutic techniques result in positive changes to personality, especially when it comes to neuroticism, that last over a considerable period of time.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/08/meta-analysis-shows-psychotherapy-leads-to-long-term-personality-change/

arstechnica.com The biggest improvements are to neuroticism and extraversion.

Relationships Are Hard, But Why? | Stan Tatkin | TEDxKC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xKXLPuju8U

Relationships are hard. But what if it's not you or them or sex, money or even who picks up the socks. What if there is a far more primitive reason? In this ...

Sex, Porn & Manhood | Warren Binford | TEDxSalem

I recently heard this woman speak and she makes some great points about the impacts of pornography on men: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1vJilg7BAQ&feature=youtu.be

The impact of internet porn on developing brains. Interpretation for TEDxSalem 2017 was provided by student interns through a collaboration between Western O...

The Gottman Institute

A study shows that when kids learn to interact effectively with their peers and control their emotions, it can have an enormous impact on how their adult lives take shape.

The Gottman Institute

"I don't have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness—it's right in front of me if I'm paying attention and practicing gratitude."

Neuroscience News and Research

Interesting differences found between the brains of men and women.
(via Science)

The Gottman Institute

The person who is best suited to us is not the person who shares our every taste, but the person who can negotiate differences in taste intelligently.

Dr. Stefanie Carnes talks with Pat McMahon of Arizona Daily Mix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7Y_tTkYb-Y

Dr. Stefanie Carnes, clinical architect of Willow House at The Meadows, talks with Pat McMahon of Arizona Daily Mix about sex addiction and the problem of ch...

The Gottman Institute

Happy relationships don’t happen by accident. It takes two emotionally intelligent, loving people who are committed to being the best partners they can be.

The Gottman Institute

Research shows that early skin-to-skin contact leads to improved neurodevelopment, higher IQ, and lower rates of aggression.

It's Time To Stop The Stigma Around Couples Therapy

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/its-time-to-stop-the-stigma-around-couples-therapy_us_58cf5a96e4b0537abd957279

huffingtonpost.com By Margaret Rutherford, Ph.D. As a couples therapist, “We came in before there was a real problem” is music to my ears. This very wise couple...

Can We Transform the Ruins of SA Relational Wellness with Carol the Coach

I had the honour of being interviewed by Carol the Coach on helping couples in recovry from sex addiction
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sexhelpwithcarolthecoach/2017/03/14/can-we-transform-the-ruins-of-sa-relational-wellness-with-carol-the-coach

Carol the Coach interviews Christina Bell who has made it her mission to work with couples whose lives have been ravaged by sexual addiction. She has worked with a lot of couples with sex addiction and has developed a roadmap to help them through the first year. Tonight's show will teach couples wha...

How stress affects your brain - Madhumita Murgia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuyPuH9ojCE&t=1s

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-stress-affects-your-brain-madhumita-murgia Stress isn’t always a bad thing; it can be handy for a burst of ex...