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Υπάρχουν μέρες που η ιδέα μιας εξόδου δεν μας ενθουσιάζει καθόλου. Προτιμάμε τον καναπέ, ένα ήσυχο βράδυ στο σπίτι και λιγότερα ερεθίσματα. Αυτό μπορεί να είναι απλώς μια φυσιολογική ανάγκη για ξεκούραση ή ένας τρόπος να προσαρμοστούμε σε μια πιο ήρεμη περίοδο της καθημερινότητας. Η διάθεση για περισσότερο χρόνο στο σπίτι μπορεί να επηρεάζεται από πολλούς παράγοντες: το επίπεδο ενέργειας, τον ύπνο, τον καιρό, το φως της ημέρας, το πόσο γεμάτη ήταν η εβδομάδα αλλά και το πόση κοινωνική επαφή είχαμε ήδη. Δεν σημαίνει απαραίτητα ότι «δεν θέλουμε ανθρώπους» Η ανάγκη για χρόνο μόνοι μας δεν είναι το ίδιο πράγμα με την κοινωνική απομόνωση. Μετά από μια απαιτητική ημέρα ή μια περίοδο με πολλές υποχρεώσεις, το σπίτι μπορεί να λειτουργεί ως ένας πιο ήσυχος χώρος όπου μειώνονται τα ερεθίσματα και μπορούμε να ξεκουραστούμε. Το πόση κοινωνική επαφή θέλουμε διαφέρει σημαντικά από άνθρωπο σε άνθρωπο και μπορεί να αλλάζει ακόμη και μέσα στην ίδια εβδομάδα. Επομένως, μια βραδιά στο σπίτι δεν χρειάζετα...
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There are days when going out simply does not appeal to us. We would rather stay home, have a quiet evening and deal with fewer demands and stimuli. That can be nothing more than a normal need for rest or a way of slowing down after a busy period. Our desire to spend more time at home can be influenced by many factors, including energy levels, sleep, weather, daylight, how demanding our week has been and how much social contact we have already had. It does not necessarily mean we want to avoid people Wanting some time alone is not the same as social isolation. After a demanding day or a period filled with responsibilities, home can provide a quieter environment where we can decompress. How much social interaction we want varies considerably between people and can even change from one day to the next. So, choosing a quiet night at home does not automatically mean that something is wrong. What does the season have to do with it? As autumn approaches, daylight gradually decreases and the ...
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The change of season does not make our body switch from one state to another overnight. But changes in daylight, temperature, daily routines and activity can influence some of our normal biological rhythms. As summer gives way to autumn, daylight gradually decreases and the pattern of natural light changes. This can interact with the circadian rhythm — the internal timing system that helps regulate sleep and wakefulness. Light and darkness are among the most important environmental signals that help keep this system synchronized. Light helps set our internal clock Our brain uses the cycle of light and darkness as a cue for when it is daytime and when it is time to prepare for sleep. Natural light affects the timing of the circadian system and is linked to the release of melatonin, a hormone involved in regulating the sleep-wake cycle. As daylight patterns change, some people may notice small differences in when they feel sleepy, when they wake up or how easily they adapt to a new daily...
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For many men, the working day is spent mostly in front of a computer. A few hours at a desk can easily become most of the day sitting, especially when commuting by car, spending time in front of screens and relaxing on the sofa after work are added to the routine. Even when regular exercise is part of a man's lifestyle, the rest of the day still matters. Movement is not only about the workout. It is also about everything we do from the moment we get up until the end of the day. Exercise is not the only form of movement When we think about physical activity, we often think about the gym, running or sports. In reality, physical activity includes much more: walking, cycling, active transportation, household tasks and physical activity related to work. For a man who works at a desk, this means that there are opportunities to move outside his scheduled workout. Walking part of the commute, taking the stairs or taking a short break from the desk can all add movement to an otherwise seden...
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One minute on a clock is always one minute. Yet we do not always experience it in the same way. When we are waiting for something, feeling bored or constantly checking the time, a few minutes can feel painfully slow. But when we are absorbed in a conversation, an activity or something we enjoy, we may suddenly realise that hours have passed. Time itself is not actually changing speed. What changes is the way our brain experiences it. Time perception is influenced by attention, emotions, arousal, motivation and memory. Why does time feel slower when we are waiting? When we are waiting for something, our attention can become focused on the passage of time itself. A minute spent waiting can feel much longer than a minute spent doing something engaging. The more closely we monitor the clock, the more aware we may become of each passing moment. Attention is one of the important factors that can influence our perception of duration. That is why the familiar feeling that “watching the clock m...
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Ένα λεπτό στο ρολόι είναι πάντα ένα λεπτό. Κι όμως, δεν το βιώνουμε πάντα με τον ίδιο τρόπο. Όταν περιμένουμε κάτι, βαριόμαστε ή κοιτάμε συνεχώς την ώρα, μπορεί να νιώθουμε ότι τα λεπτά περνούν βασανιστικά αργά. Αντίθετα, όταν είμαστε απορροφημένοι σε μια συζήτηση, μια δραστηριότητα ή κάτι που μας ευχαριστεί, μπορεί ξαφνικά να συνειδητοποιήσουμε ότι πέρασαν ώρες. Ο χρόνος δεν αλλάζει πραγματικά ταχύτητα. Αλλάζει ο τρόπος με τον οποίο ο εγκέφαλός μας τον αντιλαμβάνεται. Η αντίληψη του χρόνου επηρεάζεται από την προσοχή, τα συναισθήματα, τη διέγερση, τα κίνητρα και τη μνήμη. Όταν περιμένουμε, γιατί ο χρόνος φαίνεται πιο αργός; Όταν περιμένουμε κάτι, η προσοχή μας μπορεί να στραφεί περισσότερο στην ίδια την πάροδο του χρόνου. Ένα λεπτό αναμονής μπορεί να μας φαίνεται πολύ μεγαλύτερο από ένα λεπτό στο οποίο είμαστε απασχολημένοι. Όσο περισσότερο παρατηρούμε την ώρα, τόσο περισσότερο «μετράμε» νοητικά την πάροδό της. Η προσοχή αποτελεί έναν από τους σημαντικούς παράγοντες που επηρεάζουν την...
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Something drops on the floor. A door suddenly slams. Someone honks unexpectedly beside us. Before we have time to work out what happened, we may blink, flinch or feel our whole body jump for a moment. This is the startle response — a rapid, involuntary reaction to an unexpected and intense stimulus. Why do we jump when we hear a loud sound? The brain does not need to wait for a conscious decision before reacting. Auditory information can activate neural circuits involved in the startle response extremely quickly. The reaction commonly includes an eye blink and brief contractions of muscles in different parts of the body. In other words, the body can begin reacting before we have fully worked out what we have heard. What happens to our heart and breathing? The response is not limited to the muscles. The startle reflex can be accompanied by temporary changes in heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. In an experimental study in humans, a sudden loud sound produced a short-lived increas...
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