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Buddha’s Brain: The neuroscience of happiness
Just coming across the title of this book (full title: ‘Buddha’s Brain: The practical neuroscience of happiness, love & wisdom’) co-authored by neuropsychologist and meditation teacher Rick Hanson and neurologist Richard Mendius was enough to spark my interest. Even though I am an atheist, Buddha has fascinated me since I was eight years old and first visited Thailand. As a psychiatrist, I am interested in spirituality and the mind, as well as neuroscience and the brain, or perhaps I am a psychiatrist because of these interests. And then there’s happiness, a topic that interests me on a both personal and professional level, a topic that I’ve been reading and writing…
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Counting my blessings: End-of-year reflection
In my post ‘10 tips for better mental health & wellbeing (part 2)’, I wrote that positive thinking and gratitude can help improve our mental health and wellbeing. To help create a more positive mindset, I use a simple yet effective strategy: reflection and gratitude. At the end of each day, I spend some time noting the positive things that happened on that day. I often advise people to do the same by identifying and writing down three positive things about that day. This can enhance positive thinking and help us focus on the positive aspects of our everyday lives, rather than dwell on our shortcomings. As this year is…