Psychology

A growing body of research and wellness trends suggests daily choices matter more than age for healthy aging. A recent feature highlights ten everyday habits practiced by millennials that scientists increasingly link to slower biological aging and stronger health into midlife. As Thailand faces an aging population and rising chronic disease, these practical, low-cost habits offer strategies that can benefit people across generations.

Thailand faces clear health stakes. National health surveys show high rates of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, often tied to lifestyle factors. While life expectancy rises, healthy life expectancy lags behind, underscoring the need for proactive well-being. The millennial wellness movement aligns with Thai priorities by offering accessible steps to maintain vitality and reduce disease risk as communities age.

The notion of being “just friends” — with occasional intimacy on the side — often carries the promise of romantic freedom, pleasurable companionship, and zero-commitment fun. However, the latest research and expert commentary suggest that these so-called “friends with benefits” (FWB) arrangements rarely remain consequence-free. While such relationships are increasingly commonplace among young adults worldwide, and even perceived as safer or more convenient than casual hook-ups with strangers, scientists and therapists warn that they are emotionally fraught and can leave a lasting mark on the people involved.

A new wave of research and cultural critique is challenging longstanding beliefs about heterosexual relationships, revealing why many women are left emotionally exhausted by dating men—while also highlighting how women worldwide, including in Thailand, are crafting new rules designed to protect their well-being and assert their needs in the search for love. Leading this transformation is the concept of “heterofatalism,” a term gaining currency in academic circles and popular media alike, which describes the resigned belief that dating men will be emotionally unfulfilling—even as many women continue to pursue these relationships.

A new psychology study suggests adults who experience weekly nightmares may be nearly three times more likely to die before age 75 than those who rarely dream. While the research awaits peer review, it prompts important questions about how sleep quality relates to long-term health and what this could mean for Thai audiences.

The study pooled data from more than 4,000 participants across four long-term U.S. studies, tracking people aged 26 to 74 for more than 18 years. Nightmares were self-reported at the start. After adjusting for age, sex, weight, mental health, and smoking, those with weekly nightmares showed a markedly higher risk of early death. Official death records were used to strengthen reliability. The sample was predominantly white, and biological aging was measured only once, highlighting the need for local replication in Thailand’s diverse population.

A breakthrough psychology study has found that adults who experience weekly nightmares may be nearly three times more likely to die before age 75 than those who rarely have such dreams, suggesting nightmares could have far-reaching implications for public health. This finding, though yet to be peer reviewed, brings a new perspective to what many consider a minor sleep disturbance and raises important questions for Thai readers about how the quality of their sleep connects to long-term health.

A troubling trend is emerging in Thailand’s digital dating world: ghostlighting. By combining ghosting with gaslighting, this behavior erodes trust and self-worth. Researchers and clinicians urge recognition of the pattern to protect emotional well-being in Thailand’s increasingly online dating culture.

Ghostlighting starts with a partner vanishing from all contact. After a period of silence, they reappear as if nothing happened, or they blame the other person for the breakdown. This manipulation leaves victims doubting their memories and feelings, intensifying hurt beyond ordinary ghosting.

A growing wave of research and cultural critique reframes how relationships work in the modern era. It explains why many women feel emotionally drained by dating and how Thai women, alongside global peers, are reshaping dating culture to protect their well-being and needs. Central to the conversation is a concept now gaining traction in academia and media: heterofatalism. It describes a guarded belief that dating men may be emotionally unfulfilling, even as many women continue to seek love.

Music shapes life in Thailand, from temple fairs to graduations and moments of heartbreak. When a beloved song becomes a painful trigger, it can still become a source of relief through deliberate, positive experiences. Research summarized by The Guardian points to a hopeful approach: reframe painful musical associations by pairing them with joyful moments, a strategy with meaningful implications for mental health in Thailand and beyond.

Songs tied to difficult memories can evoke sorrow as easily as nostalgia. Neuroscientists and psychologists explain that music and memory are deeply linked, especially when the music echoes emotionally charged moments. In Thai life, luk thung and songs for life often offer solace while recalling past struggles, underscoring the local relevance of these findings.

Casual dating is on the rise among young adults worldwide, including in Thailand. Friends with benefits, or FWB, promises companionship with occasional intimacy. But experts warn these arrangements are rarely risk-free, emotionally complex, and unpredictable even with trust and clear plans at the start.

FWB has become a social phenomenon echoed in Western discourse and increasingly among urban Thai youth. In Bangkok and major cities, dating apps, media narratives, and shifting attitudes toward intimacy shape how young people view casual connections. For parents, teachers, and health professionals, understanding both the appeal and potential pitfalls is essential to support youths navigating today’s dating landscape.

For many Thais, music is intertwined with life’s milestones—from temple fairs to school graduations, from heartbreak to celebration. But what happens when a cherished tune becomes a trigger for emotional pain? Recent research highlighted in The Guardian reveals that, while certain songs can evoke distressing memories, it may be possible to “rehabilitate” these painful musical associations through deliberate, positive experiences—a finding with significant implications for mental health and well-being in Thailand and beyond (The Guardian).

A groundbreaking wave of psychological research is upending traditional ideas about longevity, suggesting that how we perceive and use our time may be as crucial to our experience of a long life as exercise or genetics. Recent studies, discussed in a widely circulated article from The Atlantic, reveal that our subjective experience of time—how we mentally register its passage, particularly as we age—holds surprising sway over our sense of well-being and even the depth of our memories. For Thai readers, the findings offer a fresh perspective on enduring questions about ageing, happiness, and the pursuit of meaning in an increasingly fast-paced society.

A growing number of people today are wondering, “Why is everyone so mean to me?” This modern lament resonates across social media, classrooms, workplaces and even family settings. Recent research by psychologists and mental health experts suggests there are complex reasons why individuals may perceive—they or truly experience—rudeness, hostility and exclusion from others. Understanding the psychology behind perceived meanness reveals both the hidden causes and promising strategies for coping, with direct significance for Thai readers navigating rapidly changing social and cultural landscapes.

Recent psychological research has reignited the conversation around a timeless yet often overlooked source of well-being: our connection with nature. According to a new report by a leading psychologist, restoring a sense of inner balance may be as straightforward as cultivating what experts call “nature connectedness”—a personal affinity for the natural world that modern life tends to blunt. As more Thais spend their days in urban environments dominated by concrete and screens, these findings resonate with the growing societal debates over mental health, urbanization, and environmental stewardship in Thailand and worldwide (Forbes).

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to dazzle—and sometimes unsettle—the world with its feats, a new philosophical debate is taking shape: if machines can excel at everything humans do, what is left that is uniquely and intrinsically human? A recent essay in Psychology Today challenges readers to reexamine where humanity’s real value lies as AI systems master not only menial but also creative, empathetic, and intellectual tasks at unprecedented speed and depth (psychologytoday.com).

Stress can pull people together or push outsiders away. A July 2025 study summarized by Psychology Today shows that stress chemicals like cortisol and noradrenaline can lead to generosity within one’s own group while eroding trust toward those outside it.

Research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences explains this as “parochial altruism.” Under pressure, people cooperate more with family, friends, and shared identities, yet may act against rival groups when resources are scarce. For Thai readers, this dual response resonates amid economic shifts, political change, and public health challenges.

A fresh wave of behavioral science spotlights a workplace epidemic: loneliness among leaders. Research summarized from the Annecy Behavioral Science Lab highlights that rising into leadership often brings isolation with emotional and organizational consequences. This issue is urgent in Thailand’s evolving corporate and public sectors, where resilience and confidence are highly valued.

Traditionally, leaders are seen as unflappable and independent. Yet new findings reveal a more complex reality. The Annecy study shares accounts from a construction-site supervisor who appeared capable outwardly but felt cut off inside, struggling to connect while overseeing remote teams in a male-dominated environment. Researchers describe this as “compounded disconnection” — professional isolation intensified by social exclusion, especially for underrepresented groups. The takeaway is clear: the higher you climb, the lonelier it gets.

A wave of new research is shining a spotlight on an under-recognised workplace epidemic: the loneliness of leaders. Recent findings from the Annecy Behavioral Science Lab, as reported in a compelling account in Psychology Today, reveal that as individuals ascend the ranks to leadership positions, they often find themselves increasingly isolated — a burden that has both emotional and organisational consequences. This issue is especially urgent amid Thailand’s evolving corporate and public sectors, where expectations of resilience and unwavering confidence remain deeply ingrained.

Recent scientific research has illuminated a profound truth about how stress influences human social behavior: While stress may foster unity and generosity among members of the same group, it simultaneously stirs up aggression and suspicion toward those outside the group. These insights, highlighted in a July 2025 report by Psychology Today, draw from a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and have far-reaching implications for societal cohesion, especially in rapidly changing societies like Thailand.

A growing body of research suggests that restoring inner balance can begin with a simple act: reconnecting with nature. The concept of nature connectedness—a personal sense of belonging to the natural world—appears to alleviate the mental strain of busy urban life. For Thais living amid concrete and screens, these findings speak to urgent conversations about mental health, city design, and environmental stewardship in Thailand and beyond.

Regular, meaningful contact with nature can boost well-being, reduce stress, and improve social harmony. Experts suggest small, deliberate acts—such as a walk in a city park, listening to birds, or mindfully caring for a houseplant—can realign people with peace and purpose often lost in modern life. The approach blends scientific evidence with traditional wisdom, offering practical steps for everyday life.

As artificial intelligence advances, a critical question emerges: if machines can perform many human tasks, what remains distinctly human? A recent Psychology Today piece invites readers to rethink where real value lies when AI handles not only routine work but creative, empathetic, and intellectual tasks at speed and depth. For Thai audiences, this question resonates with a culture that prizes craftsmanship, personal service, and elder wisdom—the human touch that AI now mirrors in surprising ways.

A renowned psychologist, James B. Maas, who popularized the power nap idea, passed away on June 23, 2025, at 86. His work reframed daytime tiredness and influenced workplace reform, reshaping how society values sleep. Ongoing science builds on his foundation, clarifying why brief naps boost cognition and how to fit them into modern lives, including in Thailand where work and study pressures are high.

Maas spent decades at Cornell University, where his energetic lectures sparked curiosity about sleep. He helped popularize the term power nap through his books and advocacy, making short rest a routine element of wellness programs in schools and workplaces. Though he did not coin the phrase, his research gave the concept scientific credibility and practical use in daily life. He emphasized that sleep, when properly timed, can restore and energize both body and brain.

James B. Maas, the pioneering psychologist who popularized the concept of the “power nap,” passed away on June 23, 2025, at the age of 86. Revered for transforming tiredness into a subject of national fascination and workplace reform, Professor Maas’s work left an indelible mark on how sleep is valued—especially the brief midday nap that claims to refresh both body and mind. Following his passing, the global scientific community continues to expand on his foundational insights, revealing the intricacies of why short naps offer unique cognitive benefits and the right way to integrate them into modern lives, including those of Thais grappling with work-life pressures and sleep deficits.

A growing wave of psychological research suggests that how we perceive and use time may matter as much as exercise or genetics for a long, meaningful life. An in-depth discussion in a respected inquiry piece highlights that our subjective experience of time—especially as we age—powerfully influences well-being and the depth of memories. For Thai readers, these insights offer fresh angles on aging, happiness, and finding purpose in a fast-paced world.

Perceived meanness is a common concern across Thai schools, workplaces, and social networks. New psychological insights show that rudeness, hostility, and exclusion arise from multiple, nuanced factors. For Thai readers navigating rapid social change, these findings offer understanding and practical coping strategies.

In the digital age, online interactions often feel less personal and more abrasive. In Thailand, mobile usage, urban pressures, and competitive environments can heighten feelings of isolation. This topic matters beyond mood; it touches public health, education outcomes, and social trust within Thai communities.