Science News

If characteristics like kindness and forgiveness aren’t necessarily a good thing for everyone, than we need to move forward with caution, only promoting these characteristics in the contexts in which they are likely to be fruitful.

Embrace Your Bad Moods

We’d love to be happy-go-lucky all the time, but bad moods are natural -- and inevitable.

When the clouds roll in, there’s no need to beat yourself up about it. Regular ups and downs are part of your mind’s natural process -- and can be a great opportunity for growth. "All of our emotional states, all of our mood states, have to play a role that is beneficial to us or they would never have survived evolution," says Markman. "If you wake up one day feeling stressed or sad, ask yourself, 'Is this [feeling] trying to tell me something?'"

Some mental health professionals believe that’s exactly what a mood depression is meant to do: Tell you something. During a depression, you tend to slow down, withdraw and ruminate, giving you time and space to identify a problem in your life. Getting back on track requires that you start thinking and behaving in new ways, challenging you to grow and change.