On the importance of not underestimating ourselves
This month we’re bringing some more highlights to you from the past year: we interviewed so many interesting experts (on Zoom and in front of live audiences!) on some important topics.
In each episode, we interview experts to separate the science from the fiction in media coverage of scientific findings in psychology and mental health. We make sure we focus on the scientific method. This is because it is not always clear what the evidence shows when we see snapshots of findings from different studies reported in the media. If we understand the methods and results better, we can be more critical of and ultimately more confident in the science.
Listening back to some of the episodes from this year, I found a common theme: don’t underestimate yourself. We’ve tackled some hard topics: is online self-diagnosis of ADHD a problem, why do we feel sad in the winter, and is our smartphone use affecting our mental health?
In our live podcast recording, Professor Ellie Dommett pointed out that self-diagnosis is a requirement to seek help or to change our behaviour:
In the episode on problematic smartphone use and mental health, Dr Nicky Kalk pointed out that teenagers have good insight into their smartphone use and many report having strategies to control their smartphone use:
One of our listeners asked whether it was normal to feel less energised in the winter. Dr Kari Leibowitz, health psychologist and mindset expert, said that is right to feel different and to make adjustments in the winter:
In each of these episodes, the researchers and experts by experience come back to this same point: we often have a better understanding of ourselves than we realise and there are likely things we are already doing to deepen that understanding and in some cases to seek help.
I learn so much from hosting these interviews and I hope you enjoy them. If you have a suggestion for a topic or have seen something in the media that has caught your eye, email us at info@scienceorfiction.co.uk or message us on Instagram: @scienceorfictionpodcast