How to do square breathing?
Square breathing, also known as box breathing, is a rhythmic breathing technique that offers significant benefits for stress reduction and improved concentration. Let’s discover how to do it and explore the impact of this practice on mental and physical health, also examining specific educational a…
How important is sleep for well-being?
On March 14, World Sleep Day is celebrated, an annual event that takes place close to the spring equinox (March 21). The day was promoted by the World Society Sleep and the Italian Association of Sleep Medicine (AIMS) in 2008 to raise awareness about sleep disorders.
Can movement help counteract depression?
Depression is one of the most widespread mental health conditions globally. It typically appears as an emotional phenomenon characterized by strong negative beliefs. Research shows that the most effective pathways to treat it go through the instinctive-motor dimension. Important links thus emerge b…
What is resilience?
According to the American Psychological Association, resilience is the process of positive adaptation to difficult life experiences. Originally borrowed from material physics, the concept has undergone significant evolution in the psychological field. But what does it truly mean to be resilient, an…
Work well-being: what is the difference between Distress and Eustress?
According to research by EU-OSHA (European Agency for Safety and Health at Work), 44% of workers in Europe reported an increase in work-related stress due to the Covid-19 pandemic, leading to peaks in psychological well-being issues. Simultaneously, the WHO estimates a loss of approximately 12 bill…
The danger of new behavioral addictions
The worrying phenomenon of addictions now goes beyond just the use of illegal drugs, involving various types of risky behaviors that feed on fragility and threaten to steal well-being, future, and life—especially from the younger generations facing the challenges of growing up.
Adolescent Emergency: How Are Our Young People Doing?
Worldwide, over one billion people suffer from mental disorders, particularly anxiety (affecting 4.4% of the population) and depression (4%). Psychological distress strongly affects young people: 1 in 7 adolescents suffers from it. More than 740,000 people lose their lives each year due to suicide…
Stress and itching: what is the connection between mind and skin?
Itching is a common experience, often considered a minor discomfort or something linked exclusively to the skin. In reality, when it becomes persistent or intensifies during moments of emotional tension, it may signal a deeper interaction between body and mind. Numerous studies show that stress and…
Social connection for overall health
We live in an era characterized by increasing digitalization of work and services and by hyperconnectivity that shifts relationships and free time online. However, the most important connection remains the human one, preferably direct and in person, because healthy social interaction is a key deter…
Physical activity, sports, and a healthy lifestyle support mental health from a very young age.
Mental health is a top priority mission for today’s fast-paced society. Taking care of one’s physical and mental well-being is often perceived as secondary compared to daily commitments. Yet, healthy daily habits based on physical activity and mindful movement practices can bring about positive cha…
Caravan of the Heart: how good is volunteering for us?
Volunteering means committing to doing good for others. But how good is it for us as well? And how useful is it for everyone, even for the youngest? We talk about it with Ariadne Rossetti, psychologist and systemic-relational psychotherapist in training, specialized in working with adolescents, you…
Scientific Research on Silence
Silence brings significant benefits to our overall health, for example in terms of stress reduction, improved sleep, enhanced mental clarity, boosted creativity, better concentration, increased awareness, emotional well-being, and protection against the harmful effects of noise pollution. Let’s rev…
What is an infodemic?
We are increasingly getting our information from social media, where we browse for news from around the world. Young people also rely on artificial intelligence chatbots to receive updates and answers, according to the new 2025 Digital News Report by the Reuters Institute. The risk is a growing inf…
The Pain of Loneliness
Social interaction is essential for ensuring satisfaction, joy, and even proper brain functioning. On the other hand, the deprivation of human connections is highly detrimental to the entire body and mind. Loneliness and social isolation put our overall health at risk and cause real suffering for h…
Life is better and longer without tobacco
May 31, World No Tobacco Day: an important opportunity to reconsider the quality of global health and mental health for all smokers and for those approaching this highly harmful habit, especially young people. Fondazione Patrizio Paoletti discussed this with Professor Francesco Fedele, faculty memb…
How do climate change and pollution impact our mental and cognitive health?
The health of the Planet and that of humans are intrinsically linked. Many scientific studies investigate the effects of climate change on our physical health, but the impact on our psyche and brain is also significant. Experiencing natural disasters can cause stress, anxiety, and depression, parti…
Neurodegeneration
Global health particularly considers natural aging, which accompanies economic, health, and social development. In this context, it is essential to prevent and delay neurodegeneration as much as possible, thereby prolonging health, autonomy, and happiness in the third and fourth age. While studying…
Mental health
An integral part of global health is mental health, understood as a state of psychological well-being that allows one to face life’s challenges and achieve self-realization. Mental health is central to the well-being of individuals and society and is a fundamental right. Risk factors for mental hea…
Physical activity: a real medicine for the aging brain
The brain can renew itself, even in advanced age, thanks to physical activity. For a long time, it was believed that once a certain age was reached, the mind would inevitably begin to degenerate, but this is not entirely true. Certainly, after the age of seventy, the loss of nerve cells reaches its…
Psychology for the future: let’s talk about silence
The 33rd International Congress of Psychology ICP 2024: Psychology for the Future – Together in Hope was held from July 21 to 26. The new symposium, organized by the RINED Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics of the Patrizio Paoletti Foundation, explored the fascinating topi…
Brain and mental health
Preserving cognitive functions is a fundamental goal of global health, particularly regarding the prevention and research of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson. At the same time, it is essential to protect psychological health, which is challenged by social, healthcare, an…
Protecting the brain. What strategies?
Understanding the brain has been a complex and fascinating challenge for humans for centuries. Over time, it has been recognized as the seat of the rational part of the soul, thought, higher psychic functions, or the unconscious. Amidst complexity and fragility, the brain is at the center of the mo…
The right environment for concentration
Focusing seems increasingly difficult in an era saturated with information, notifications, sounds, and lights. Every stimulus can become a distraction, pulling us away from tasks and goals. The environment plays a fundamental role in concentration: learning to adjust it allows for better energy man…
Neurobiology of Beauty
Neuroscience highlights the importance of cultural participation for individual well-being, showing how cultural events influence brain activity, structure, and biochemistry, particularly in areas related to pleasure and reward. Neuroaesthetics studies the activation of specific neural structures a…
The psychosocial well-being of adolescents
Adolescence, or the phase of passage from childhood to adult life, is a special and delicate period. It is a priority to ensure the psychosocial well-being of young people. To do so, it is first and foremost important to support them as they grow.
Self-awareness and Meditation: The Value of Silence
Self-Awareness and Meditation: The Value of Silence
Self-awareness, that is, the way the brain represents itself, has recently become the focus of new neuroscientific research. In this field, the Sphere Model of Consciousness, developed by Patrizio Paoletti, is a neuro-phenomenological model that d…
The new technostress and “old” addictions: be educated and educate to manage mental health risks.
Different kinds of addictions are significant mental health risk factors and education can make a big difference in our ability to manage them.
Educate the inner world and be healthy consciously
On April 7, World Health Day, established by the World Health Organization, it is an opportunity to reflect on the progress made over the years and on the current mental health crisis, especially among adolescents. Fondazione Patrizio Paoletti, with over twenty years of neuro-psychopedagogical rese…
