In our fast-paced lives it can be tough to find time to research diet choices, meet with a personal trainer, and even maintain a normal sleep schedule. Luckily, technology is finding ways to help us with clever, easy-to-use apps for smartphones and tablets. Here are some of the most popular health apps that you should know about.

Sometimes hitting the gym and eating healthy food isn’t enough to jump-start the road to self-improvement. Techniques to benefit the mind are often overlooked because disciplining the brain is less tangible and requires challenging ourselves in unique ways. Here are some surprising ways to achieve better mental health.

There likely is little doubt in your mind that yoga is good for your physique, considering the various sculpted celebrities shown toting yoga mats in every tabloid. The benefits of yoga, however, transcend the tight tush and defined shoulders. Here are 15 surprising ways that yoga can improve your life.

Self-confidence is one piece of the happiness pie and is essential in a healthy personality. Low self-confidence is a major contributor to depression because it influences how you view yourself and your ability to accomplish goals and interact with others. Here are a few small changes to your daily routine that can help boost confidence.

Stress is a common feeder of depression and most people find their thinking becomes more negative when they feel under stress. Negative thinking taps into negative memories and feeds negative thoughts about yourself and your future. Negative thinking alone can be debilitating and because of this it is worth considering some strategies to prevent negative thoughts from taking control.

Between 50-80 percent of our happiness may be predetermined by our DNA, but the other 20-50 percent is left up to us (set point theory of happiness; Brickman & Campbell). Whether or not you suffer from clinical depression or a mood disorder, the stress and strains of everyday life can leave you feeling anything but happy. But there are things you can do to take charge. Here are 12 simple ways to increase your happiness.

Everyone possesses the ability to be creative, but for certain individuals, imaginative thinking comes more easily. Some research, in fact, suggests that people who suffer from bipolar disorder tend to be the most creative. But there are ways for anyone to get out of a creative rut. Here are 12-research-based suggestions:

That uncontrollable contagious giggle is doing much more than elevating your mood. Humor has a huge impact on many areas of our health. Here are a few ways our minds, bodies, and souls improve with hilarity.

There was a time when people spent most of their lives out of doors but today fewer than 10 percent of us see very much natural daylight, particularly during the winter months. Dark days, long nights and gloomy weather can result in a form of seasonal depression. Whether you call it the winter blues, winter depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), this form of natural light deficiency is officially recognized as a medical condition affecting millions of people every year.

Holiday shopping may seem a passionless exercise, especially with all the accompanying commercialization. But the important thing to realize is that giving transcends the physical act of exchange and the spending of money. What truly matters is the personal sensitivity involved and the underlying act of generosity. New studies attest to the health benefits of giving; both for the recipient as well the giver. Here are the ways you can benefit:

Could you be at risk of becoming depressed? Clinical depression typically occurs in teens and young adults, but it can strike at any age. And while we don’t know exactly what causes depression, medical professionals have identified certain factors that increase the risk. Here are the key ones to be aware of.

Depression affects people in a whole variety of ways but changes in activity are a common feature. In this Sharepost I’ve outlined six of the most common changes in behavior associated with depression.

By imitating nature’s forms, scientists have been engineering new devices to help keep us healthier. Here are some ways the unmatched efficiency of nature has been copied to advance medicine.

When you suffer from symptoms of depression it is can be easy to dismiss what is happening as temporary or just a minor setback. Some people might be afraid to seek help due to anxiety in acknowledging that there may be a problem. Others may fear stigma of what their family or friends may think or even perceive depression as some sort of weakness. Still others may worry that they do not have the time or money to devote to therapy or they may be afraid that a doctor will push medications on them that they do not want. For whatever reason, some people who suffer from depression will not get help or treatment because they feel it is a risk to do so. But here’s the thing. In many circumstances it is more of a risk to not get help.

New research has emerged linking optimism to improved cardiovascular health, reduced risk of stroke, and even swift financial recovery. But what about those who tend toward the pessimistic side? While we may not have much control over the events that happen to us, we do have control over our attitude. Here are some ways to nurture a more optimistic outlook on life.

We all experience “down” days where we don’t feel like our usual selves. Research has shown that the brain chemical serotonin is the usual culprit behind our ‘ups and downs.’ Depending on the frequency and severity of low moods, serotonin reuptake inhibitors, (SSRIs) such as Zoloft and Prozac, may be prescribed to increase serotonin levels in the brain. But what about the hidden things that get you down? Here are some fairly common mood killers and how to conquer them.

February is just about upon us and this is frequently a time when Seasonal Affective Disorder or (SAD) is most prevalent. There have been a lot of questions about the affectiveness and logisitcs surrounding light therapy to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder. In this sharepost I'd like to address some of the Frequently Asked Questions regarding light box therapy as a course of treatment for SAD.

Anger, to an extent, is a completely normal emotion. But if your anger becomes disruptive to your job, personal relationships, or health, your entire quality of life could quickly decline. Here are some small steps towards controlling your anger and becoming a happier person.

Recovering from depression isn’t easy but there comes a point when people start to emerge from the black hole of despondency. Now is the time to move forward, so here are a few ideas to consider:

Spring has finally arrived, and with it usually comes an improved mood and newfound energy to shape up your home. But it’s just as important to devote some energy to your own mental well being. Why not tidy up your psyche this spring and unclutter your mental mess. Here’s how:

In 2008, for the first time, most of the world’s population became urban—more than half of the planet’s residents now live in cities. And projections show that this migration will only accelerate, that by 2050 the overall urban population will increase 72 percent, from 3.6 billion to 6.3 billion. As cities become bigger and more populated, there will be a greater need to make sure that don’t lose the natural elements that can boost the physical and mental health of city dwellers. Here are seven ways urban areas are keeping green.