How do you choose what you are going to eat? Do you think about it for a long time? Do you plan it in advance? Or do you wait for inspiration in the moment? The science and psychology of what we choose to eat is as fascinating as it is complex. The unconscious, internal and external drivers of food choice are the topic of this week’s episode.

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Manifesting, the idea that you can bring the things you want into being through controlling your thoughts, is hugely popular around the world, with people claiming that the practice has changed their lives. But can attaining success and riches really be that simple and are there truly no downsides? 

In this episode I outline the psychology of manifesting and discuss its links to Margaret Thatcher.

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Do you knock on wood for good luck? Throw a pinch of salt over your shoulder? Maybe you’re someone who avoids opening an umbrella indoors just in case?

Superstitions sit on a spectrum from common habits and rituals to symptoms of mental illness. In the world of psychology we call these beliefs magical thinking.

The nature, pros and cons of magical thinking is the topic of this week’s podcast.

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Pareidolia (coming soon!)

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Most of us can think of someone in our lives that we own an apology, but put it off because of shame, embarrassment, or not knowing where to start. But apologies can be hugely important not just in helping the person who has been hurt to heal and move forwards, but in supporting our own emotional maturity. So, this week’s episode is a science-backed guide to the perfect apology.

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Even when we know we should, even when we want to, apologising can feel impossible. In this week’s episode , I present six psychological barriers to apologising, looking under the surface to see why sorry really is the hardest word. 

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A new idea in psychology suggests that mental health awareness campaigns and activities are driving up the recorded incidence of mental illness in both good and bad ways.

In this week’s podcast, I overview the hypothesis, share my thoughts, and highlight the additional factors that, if it is true, might make young people particularly vulnerable to this phenomenon.

Social Media Contagion – TikTok tics

Read the paper

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This episode is in response to a request from someone whose family has been bereaved by the death of a child.

So I reached out to Dr. Martha Deiros Collado, a Clinical Psychologist who specialises in working with children and families, and who spent over a decade working with and developing services for children with life limiting and life shortening conditions.

I am enormously grateful to Martha for her support with this episode in which she covers issues like:

• Why the language you use around death is important
• The value of creating rituals
• How to manage important dates like birthdays after the death of a child
• What to say and not say to parents after their child has died

We hope this will be a helpful resource for bereaved parents, family members and people around the family.

Support & Resources

Sue Ryder

Winston’s Wish – support for children who are grieving -the loss of a sibling or the loss of a parent

Child Bereavement UK

Lullaby Trust

Tommy’s

Sands

Gingerbread – Support for single parents including those who are bereaved

Child Death Helpline – helpline operated by a dedicated team of volunteers who are all bereaved parents

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Conformity, the act of adjusting your behaviour to fit in with group norms or expectations, is one of the strongest, most consistent and yet subtle social pressures that we experience. In this episode I’m talking about the evolutionary roots of shame and its links to conformity and physical pain.

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Dementia is the disease that most adults are frightened of and global rates are set to triple by 2050. But too few of us know that there is anything we can do reduce our chances of developing the condition. Yet, research indicates that around 40% of global dementia cases could be delayed or prevented through changes in lifestyle.

In this episode I overview the 12 known modifiable risk factors for dementia and how you can start to look after your long-term brain health starting right now.

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NHS Alcohol Support

Alcohol Change UK

Drinkaware

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The Five Factor Model of Personality is the most empirically supported paradigm for personality assessment, with five traits that have been identified universally – across sex, age, geography and culture.

In this episode I outline the five factors and how they link to physical and mental health. 

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Big Five Questionnaire

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