Already in 1991, scientists found a neural network in the heart, which is completely independent of the brain. It's made up of ~40,000 specialized cells that are called sensory neurites. Ever wondered why therapy (that's just based on talking) isn't helping you heal fully? Well, you got the answer right there. Interested in getting to know alternative therapy options? We'll be letting you in on some of the most effective trauma and stress treatment modalities over the coming 2 weeks.

You are very likely familiar with the benefits of fasting...you abstain from something in order to improve your health and enjoy exactly that - health - more and longer. Equally, if, for example, we eat too much chocolate because it makes us happy, the effect of the chocolate making us happy will decrease over time. I.e. while we'd continue eating chocolate, the effect of us being happier because of it will decrease over time. This phenomenon is also called 'hedonic adaptation'. The same can be observed in my parts of our lives: e.g. in Austria, where I come from, people tend to complain when the bus or tram is 2min late. However, in other countries, you may not even have public transport or it leaves whenever. Since Austrians are so used to having public transport readily available, we rarely appreciate it anymore. And, from initially being happy of having had it, we even tend to get angry when it isn't available once. What is one aspect of your life where you have observed hedonic adaptation? p.s. this has been studied extensively in research. One such research article is "Give It Up: A Strategy for Combating Hedonic Adaptation" (Quoidbach & Dunn, 2012)

This was found by a study done by blind. back in 2020. While it may seem shocking, it is not surprising. Humans tend to test limits. As such, very few people catch burnout before it happens. So, how can you catch it early? What are some of the recognized symptoms? My #1 tip is to listen to your body. If you start feeling unwell (headache, any pains, issues, etc.), then it is usually a sign that you need to slow down. See, getting sick is nothing else than an alarm sign from your body that you should listen to and give it rest. For whatever reason, it is not able to fight off what is trying to harm it. And, when we're stressed, we can't heal. The body needs to be in a relaxed state to heal - as only in a relaxed and happy state our blood flows properly. And: another major aspect - our body's default state is health. It never wants us to be sick. Why? Simple: the human race must persist. If a human being is sick, it is dangerous to the existence of the human race. As a result, our bodies are programmed for default states of well-being and health. As a result, it signals you strongly when something isn't working and you should give it a break. But, are you willing to listen? Let us know in the poll below - have you experienced burnout before:

How can you 'live more' this week? What's one thing you can do to bring more joy and bliss into your life this week?

What am I making it mean? 🤔 It can help understand the bigger picture and take things less personal.