Handling the Holidays

The stress of the holidays can make you want to hide under the covers with a warm cup of cocoa. From gift buying to family gatherings, the holidays can feel like being inside a pressure cooker. But don’t despair! Science can help make the holidays a little brighter, from some gift-giving tips from our animal friends to embracing pessimism before a challenging social event to stopping that annoying merry melody on repeat in your head.

Guests:

• Adam South – Research assistant professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University
• Mitch Ratcliffe – CEO and publisher of Earth911
• Julie Norem – Psychology professor at Wellesley College and author of “The Positive Power of Negative Thinking”
• Elizabeth Margulis – Music professor at Princeton University and author of “On Repeat: How Music Plays the Mind”
• Steve Ilardi – Clinical psychology associate professor at the University of Kansas. Read his paper on the effects of sugar here.

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