IN THIS ISSUE

Find Your Happy Place this Winter!
In today’s issue of Mindanflex.news you will learn how to deal with Negative Emotions proactively, deal with fear, manage stress and overcome worries.
We also introduce you to simple Mindset Tools and how to use them effectively. You will be able to shift the way you think about problems and the way you perceive and respond to your emotions. Here's a quick review of this week's issue:
👉 Did you know that practicing Mindfulness every day can train your brain to dissolve Fear, Stress and Anxiety? Find the latest Harvard research
👉 Does anxiety get worse in winter? As the days get shorter, some people tend to find their anxiety heightens. So if you are someone that feels more anxious or down as the year passes by, what can you do to help yourself? We have answers!
👉 How your family, friends and even strangers contribute to the structure and function of your brain? Have you ever thought, that people’s words and actions can shape your brain? Neuroscientist, Lisa Feldman Barrett explains how.
👉 Let’s not waste our energy on panic! Explore five expert-vetted ways on how to put an end to stress and take back control.
👉 Learn why the practice of writing about what you’re thankful for benefits your mental and physical health. Feeling blue? Explore Gratitude Journaling During Times of Uncertainty
👉 What social distancing does to a fish brain? Have you recently wondered how social-distancing and self-isolation may be affecting your brain? Find the new research.
This Christmas we want to wish you lots of smiles and all the light in the world. From our bubble to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy, safe and healthy holiday season! Treat your body with all the love and care that it deserves. May peace, love, and prosperity follow you always.
HEALTH & WELLNESS

Practicing Mindfulness Every Day Can Train Your Brain to Dissolve Fear, According to New Harvard Research | by Nate Klemp, PHD | Inc.com
When you practice mindfulness, it's like you're changing the channel on the TV screen of the mind, from the traumatic memories that hold your fear in place to what's happening right now: the sounds of birds outside your window, the sensations in your belly, or the texture of each inhale and exhale. Want to know more?

Four Habits for a Happier Winter | by Liz Bapasola | Thriveglobal.com
As we enter the winter months in the midst of the pandemic, the less hours of daylight and colder weather on top of social distancing and mask wearing could take a serious toll on your happiness and wellbeing. Find out four habits for a happier winter, and these habits only take 5 minutes a day!
MINDSET

People’s words and actions can actually shape your brain — a neuroscientist explains how | by Lisa Feldman Barrett PhD | Ideas.ted.com
We humans are a social species. We live in groups. We take care of one another. We build civilizations. Did you know that your family, friends and even strangers contribute to the structure and function of your brain and help it keep your body humming along? If not -you must read this article.
STRESS & ANXIETY

5 science-backed ways to stop Covid-19 pandemic stress right now | The American Institute of Stress
Pressure-cooked brains also don’t work well, sending less blood flow to such frontal-lobe executive functions as creativity, compassion, and emotional regulation. Those are the cognitive functions we need in order to manage uncertainty, take productive action, and remain hopeful. But there are ways to short-circuit feelings of panic and helplessness, even in a pandemic.
Here are five expert-vetted ways on how to put an end to stress and take back control.

Here’s why you get gloomy in the winter — and what you can do about it | By Mary Halton | Ideas.ted.com
With the arrival of winter, many of us experience Seasonal Affective Disorder — which bears the appropriate acronym of SAD — and can bring on a depressed mood, loss of interest in things that you normally enjoy, and changes in sleep and appetite. Why does winter make us SAD? Read article and watch the video.
EMOTIONAL WELLBEING

Feeling Blue? Gratitude Journaling During Times of Uncertainty | By Andrea Rice | Yoga Journal
Anyone can benefit from leaning on a gratitude practice, particularly as the world prepares to celebrate the holiday season in self-isolation as the COVID-19 pandemic keeps friends, families, and loved ones apart. Gratitude can help foster feelings of well-being, offering comfort during times of unsteadiness and uncertainty and even solace within the solitude.
Learn why the practice of writing about what you’re thankful for benefits your mental and physical health.
SCIENCE

What social distancing does to a fish brain? | By Max-Planck-Gesellschaft | Science Daily
Have you recently wondered how social-distancing and self-isolation may be affecting your brain? An international research team led by Erin Schuman from the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research discovered a brain molecule that functions as a "thermometer" for the presence of others in an animal's environment.