The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new era of how we interact and function in society. Our brains and behaviors experienced unprecedented upheavals, forcing us to adapt to new ways of living. In recent years, science has made bold advances in understanding how the brain and its wiring manage new situations and stress. Leading experts in cognitive science, neurobiology and psychology present perspectives on the brain and the fascinating ways it adapts to change and stress. Hear about what happens inside the brain during times of stress; how to self-regulate your brain and bodily states; as well as ideas on mindfulness, radical honesty and how to build emotional resilience. Series: "A Deep Look into the Future of Biology" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 38938]

Engaging in everyday physical activity can influence brain and cognitive health. Zvinka Z. Zlatar, Ph.D., shares how physical activity can potentially reduce risk for Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive issues. She reviews the current excercise recommendations for older adults and how digital devices can help us reach our goals. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 38693]

Since the mid 1970s, California policy makers have attempted to address the ever-growing problem of homelessness and incarceration of people with serious mental illness. Despite these efforts, the numbers of people who are homeless and incarcerated with mental illness have reached unprecedented highs. In this program, Dr. Joel Braslow, professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and History at UCLA, lays out why this historically informed perspective is crucial to understanding why we have failed to solve the fundamental problems of caring for our most vulnerable citizens. This program is a presentation of UC Center Sacramentro. Series: "UC Center Sacramento" [Public Affairs] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 38662]

Tage S. Rai is a psychologist who studies ethics, culture, and violence. Drawing on both qualitative and experimental methods, he examines the social-relational nature of morality, its origins, and its consequences. In recent work, he has found that when perpetrators are motivated by moral sentiments, they may humanize rather than dehumanize their victims, experience greater rather than lesser self-control when harming them, and respond irrationally to material costs and benefits. Moving forward, he is especially interested in developing psychological approaches to the study of organizational and institutional violence. Series: "Exploring Ethics" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 38800]

Join UC San Diego’s School of Biological Sciences for the next event in our Deep Look public speaker series. As we move into the holidays and the winter season, society continues to grapple with challenges to our mental health and wellbeing, from the lingering uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, to an ongoing war, the climate crisis and the struggles of daily living. Long-ignored issues related to mental health have now come to the forefront of our collective consciousness and become less stigmatized. Join us as we explore the mental health crisis on college campuses, views from underserved communities and international perspectives on mental health. Series: "A Deep Look into the Future of Biology" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 37832]

In this program, Yvette Flores, professor of psychology at UC Davis, discusses how to cope during a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, especially social stress and the impact of it on disadvantaged and marginalized groups. Series: "Critically Human" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Show ID: 37074]

Mindful self-compassion has been widely researched in recent years and found effective in a wide variety of mental health and wellbeing variables. Dr. Christiane Wolf with InsightLA offers a short 3-step self-compassion practice to help you recover more quickly from stress. Simply treat yourself the way you would treat a dear friend! Series: "Wellbeing " [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 37748]

The COVID-19 pandemic has put all of us in crisis mode. So how can you manage feelings of anxiety and stress? Esme Shaller, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry at UC San Francisco, teaches four simple crisis survival skills called TIPP: temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation. Series: "Wellbeing " [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 37745]

It can be difficult to resist eating food when it is all around us. As the pandemic forced many people to work from home, having easy access to your kitchen can increase the temptation to eat more. Ashley Mason, Ph.D., UC San Francisco psychiatry professor who specializes in mindful eating, offers helpful tips on how to structure your environment to maximize positive choices and how to plan for temptations.

Series: "Resilience and Emotional Well-being" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 37750]

Regular practice of mindfulness meditations has been widely researched and has been shown to reduce symptoms like anxiety, depression and stress and increase quality of life and overall well-being. Walk through a simple breathing exercise with Dr. Christiane Wolf, Mindfulness and Insight Meditation Teacher at InsightLA. Series: "Wellbeing " [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 37746]