The Local Optimist Digest #5

Welcome to The Local Optimist Digest, your crib sheet for the latest news in mental health. Whether you want to know how the government is (or is not) investing in our wellbeing, discover the latest research on how the mind impacts the body, or find out which celebrities are helping destigmatize the conversation by opening up about their own mental health struggles, we’ll be covering it all here every other week. This week, we're looking at the prospect of ketamine becoming the new Prozac, the toll perfectionism takes on athletes, and the toxic beauty standards being set by Reddit.

Is ketamine set to become the new Prozac?

In 1994 the author Elizabeth Wurtzel wrote "Sometimes it feels like we're all living in a Prozac nation. The United States of Depression." 28 years on, with a mental health-rattling pandemic under our belt, that sentiment has remained largely unchanged. But a growing crop of psychedelic companies and research surrounding the benefits of different psychedelics on mental health has some experts betting that ketamine (the artist formerly known as "Special K") in particular is on track to replace Prozac as the most ubiquitous antidepressant and anxiety medication. Trippy, no? READ

In sports, perfectionism isn't all it's cracked up to be

Great athletes are celebrated for the dedication they put into their sport, with every decision they make ultimately geared towards success at all costs. But that perfectionistic tendency can have a downside: according to recent research, athletes who are hyper self-critical and react very negatively to even minor failures have a higher likelihood of experiencing burnout and disengagement from their sport.  READ

Sorry fam, but you're not actually "seeing red"

Who hasn't finished a tense work call or argument with their partner and tried to explain their subpar handling of the situation by saying "I was seeing red?" Welp, we've got some bad news for you (us), it's not really a thing. What's more likely, however, is that in those intense, what-have-I-done moments your emotional state supersedes your rational state, making it difficult to process things calmly. Luckily, there are some tips and tricks to keep you namaste'd.  READ

Good news for everyone who hated gym class

We know you know by now that exercise is good for your body and mind, but if hating on movement is part of your personality (we're not judging) we've actually got some good news: you don't have to get into HIIT or train for a marathon to reap the mental benefits. A new study from the CDC has found that even small doses of activity, like a brisk walk, can ward off depression. Given the trash fire we currently live in, we'll take this as a win. READ

Instagram: still a terrible place for eating disorder recovery

Our old pal Instagram continues to do the least when it comes to creating a safe space online for those in recovery from (or at risk of developing) an eating disorder. A new report from Fairplay, an organization focused on children's digital wellness, found that nearly 20 million users (many of whom are under age 13) are fed content from IG's pro-eating disorder community on a daily basis. Sorry, but we can't laugh this one off anymore.  READ

Can a video game really treat depression?

Today in "well, we didn't see this one coming!" a psychologist from the University of Utah has developed a gardening video game called Neurogrow meant to increase and improve neural circuitry, factors which may help brains (particularly those that are aging) react better to anti-depressants. While early findings are promising, you might want to hold off on sending a "redemption" text to your parents. READ

A popular sub-Reddit is underscoring our toxic beauty standards

First came women's fashion magazines, with their aspirational imagery and unachievable-for-most advice, then came Instagram, with its heavily-filtered and Facetuned selfies, and now we have r/HowToBeHot, a sub-Reddit thread with over 12,000 members that is setting highly questionable standards for what it means to be beautiful (tldr; it involves a lot of plastic surgery and injectables). Please, to the tune of Billie Eilish, make it stop. READ

Trying to spend less time glued to your phone, scrolling the day away, and left feeling queasy because of it?

It turns out going cold turkey isn't necessarily the answer. New research compared the resulting mood and habits of people who stopped using their phone altogether for a week versus those who merely cut back their screentime by an hour each day. While both groups experienced improved well-being, the effects actually lasted longer for the second group that simply cut back. So go ahead and try it, we believe in you.

Climate change giving you anxiety? Here's how to manage

With the rise in natural disasters and increasingly grim environmental reports, many people are facing a new mental health challenge: climate anxiety. It manifests similarly to grief: first there’s denial, then anger and fear, and, finally, profound sadness, which can be difficult to simply "shake off." Although this anxiety can feel particularly beyond our control, experts have identified 4 concrete ways to keep calm despite it all. READ

Heartbroken? Science says you can force yourself to fall out of love

Breakups aren't easy for either party, but when they're not mutual the broken-up-with can often feel stuck in a spiral of sadness, confusion, and longing for a different outcome. While the common refrain is that healing will come with time, research shows that we actually have more control over the process than we think and can speed it up by taking a few critical steps. Get out your notepads, people.  READ

Oceanic Global

On the heels of Earth Day, we've been spending a lot of time thinking about the ways in which we can better tend to our environment, whose healing and restorative properties have been widely proven by science. The non-profit Oceanic Global has made it their mission to protect our planet and encourage others to do the same by underscoring humanity's interconnectivity with the ocean – for starters, it provides 50% of our oxygen, so every other breath we take. Learn more about how you can do your part or donate to the cause HERE.

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Here's how it works:1: Use the 'Click To Share' button below to access your personal link.2: Send this unique referral link to friends or family through email or text.3: Earn rewards like Local Optimist stickers, The Madhappy Journal, and Madhappy hats when they subscribe to the digest.

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