Recovery Through Rhythm: How Drumming Can Alleviate Depression

When trying to stave off depression, it’s important to experiment with different possible methods of amelioration. There is no single panacea for poor mental health. One solution may work for one individual but not for another. Some people also require a specific combinatory approach that works best for them. In managing my own depressive episodes…

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How the Design of 19th-Century Asylums Helped Ameliorate Madness

Asylum designs in the 19th century were believed by medical practitioners, psychiatrists, and asylum architects to ameliorate, if not cure, madness. (In this essay, I will use the term ‘madness’ instead of mental illness because as sociologist Andrew Scull highlights, “for much of history, “mad” or some cognate of it really was the word that…

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How the Digital Nomad Lifestyle Can Put Your Mental Health at Risk

Digital nomadism is often presented as a dream lifestyle, a guaranteed ticket to freedom and adventure. And while working remotely and travelling can certainly deliver these benefits, this lifestyle also entails some major downsides, which are – unfortunately – absent from the glossy, glorifying content you see on travel blogs and on social media. It’s important…

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The Importance of Finding Meaningful Work

According to a survey published by Investors in People, 60% of workers in the UK aren’t satisfied in their current role. Another survey revealed that nearly 80% of Londoners are unhappy at work. And a Gallop poll shows that 23% of workers worldwide hate their jobs, with only 15% of those surveyed saying they feel engaged by their jobs, which means…

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The Phenomenology of Depression: What It’s Like When the ‘Dark Fog’ Descends

Phenomenology is a philosophical movement, founded by Edmund Husserl (1859 ­– 1938), which concerns itself with direct experiences. Phenomenologists study the nature of consciousness as it is experienced subjectively in the first person. Through systematic reflection on experiences from the first-person point of view, Husserl believed we could better understand the structures of consciousness and…

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