As winter approaches and daylight saving time has ended, many people are bracing themselves for shorter days, colder weather and what's often dismissed as the "winter blues ." But these seasonal shifts are more than a passing inconvenience, and can disrupt people's energy, moods and daily routines . Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a condition that heightens depressive symptoms during the fall and winter months, while the "winter blues" refers to a milder, temporary dip in mood. Although the exact cause of SAD remains unclear, it's thought to be linked to reduced exposure to natural light during the fall and winter, which can disrupt our circadian rhythm. Lower light levels affect brain chemistry by reducing serotonin -- a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, sleep and appetite -- while keeping melatonin elevated during daylight hours, leading to sleepiness and fatigue.

Is sleeping outside good for you? Science has a clear answer. A night under the stars can reset your body's clock, reduce stress, and more--but it might not benefit everyone. Sleeping outdoors may help reduce stress and reset your body's internal clock. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday.

The beginning of a new year is a great time to imagine new possibilities, both for ourselves and for the world. And this year, as Sam Altman put it while accepting the 2023 Stephen Hawking Fellowship at Cambridge: "We stand on the threshold of a brave new world. It's an exciting yet precarious place to be." At the moment the AI conversation is focused on how to align AI with human values. But the possibility I'm most excited about isn't how AI can become more human -- it's how AI can help humans become more human.

He said: "Besides improved hardware, one of the major updates to CIMON-2 is the addition of IBM Watson Tone Analyzer. Watson Tone Analyzer allows the robot to detect emotions in conversations with the astronauts, which allows it to become an empathetic conversational partner to them. "A further goal of the project is to explore how an intelligent assistant like CIMON can reduce stress for astronauts. "As a partner and companion in space, CIMON supports them in their work on experiments and maintenance onboard the ISS, ultimately reducing their stress exposure. "For example, CIMON can provide information on next steps for an experiment or take photos and videos of a specific point in the lab, to help the astronauts by assisting in their daily work.

A cross-disciplinary group of researchers used AI as part of an analysis of photos posted online that recognizes an association between happiness, life satisfaction, and nature. Researchers from universities in Australia and Singapore say the analysis demonstrates the biophilia hypothesis that humans are naturally attracted to nature and people around the world have a preference for nature in their fun activities, vacations, and honeymoons. The analysis of more than 31,000 photos also found that people in nations with high life satisfaction scores like Costa Rica and Finland tend to take a higher proportion of photographs during fun activities like weddings or recreation. Nature also appears prominently in vacation and honeymoon photos. The frequency of nature in different activities varied widely across countries.

It may look like frightening, but this headless, cat-like robot is designed to calm its owner. Called Qoobo, the Japanese robot pillow reacts to touch by wagging its mechanical tail that'closely mimics the flexible and elegant movements of an animal'. The purpose of this robotic creature is to soothe owners, as it has been confirmed in three psychological evaluations to ease anxiety, depression and feelings of fatigue. Qoobo is a Japanese robot pillow that reacts to touch by wagging its mechanical tail that'closely mimics the flexible and elegant movements of an animal' Qoobo was designed by Yukai Engineering in Japan, which makes a range of'communication robots' – all of which are designed to connect people with others and their own emotions. 'When rubbed, it swings playfully.

Writing about negative events and past failings is one of the most effective ways to reduce stress and give you a new lease of life, new research claims. Acknowledging and analyzing what went wrong during prior setbacks gives people insight which helps them cope better in future stressful situations, researchers found. People are often advised to ''look on the bright side' when they fail and move on, but the new study suggests thinking critically about these negative events can actually lead to better outcomes in the future. Instead, researchers at Rutgers University-Newark found that simply thinking about negative events could be used to help people manage stress better, and improve performance in many areas, including therapeutic settings, education and sports. Previous studies have shown that paying close attention to negative events or feelings -- by either meditating or writing about them -- can actually lead to positive outcomes.

Travelling for business may sound glamorous, but it can actually be pretty stressful. Booking tickets and hotels, co-ordinating journey times, coping with queues and scrums for taxis, can all leave you frazzled before you've even entered the room to make your pitch. Booking.com research finds that more than nine in 10 business travellers suffer from stress. So wouldn't it be wonderful if technology could take a lot of these hassles away? From hotel concierge services offering online check in and room service at the touch of a button, to wireless Bluetooth padlocks for luggage, tech innovations promise to do just that. But it could be artificial intelligence (AI) that has the biggest impact.