Dr. Nalin Chandrasoma

The quiet loneliness of aging is real. Small gestures from us can mean everything to them. A few months ago, I watched an elderly man at a small park bench feeding birds with his trembling hands. He checked his phone three times in the hour I was there, each time with a hopeful look. No one called. He was alone , just like so many parents in their later years who once raised children, gave their best years to family and work, and now wait silently for someone to remember them. We don’t talk enough about the loneliness many older people feel. Not because they can’t express it, but because they often choose not to. They don’t want to sound needy. They don’t want to “bother” anyone. So, they sit quietly, often masking their feelings with routine and resilience. But research in psychology shows that isolation in older adults can lead to depression, anxiety, and even memory problems. These aren’t vague risks. They’re real, measurable, and visible in nursing homes and quiet living rooms acr...

Burnout does not show up overnight . It sneaks in over weeks or months, often unnoticed until you find yourself staring at a screen, unable to think straight, or dragging yourself through simple tasks. You might feel numb, restless, irritable, or just empty. The common advice is to “take a break” or “get more sleep,” but burnout goes deeper than that. It is not laziness or weakness. It is your brain waving a red flag. Researchers have been studying this problem for years. What they have learned might help explain why so many people feel stuck and what can be done to get out of it. What Is Burnout, Really? Burnout is more than being tired. It is a long-term response to ongoing stress. Christina Maslach, a psychologist at the University of California, has studied this for over 30 years. She found that burnout often shows up in three ways: emotional exhaustion , feeling disconnected from work , and thinking that your efforts do not matter. It does not mean you are doing something wrong. ...

Faith, Science, and the Mind: A Journey from Little Rome to the Lab I was born and raised in Negombo, a coastal town in Sri Lanka often called “Little Rome” for its deep Catholic roots. Life there was centered around church bells, morning mass, feast processions, choir rehearsals, and evening rosaries. I went to a Catholic school and was part of the Sunday school and the youth society at the Grand Street church. My first 25 years were shaped by this rhythm. It wasn’t just religion; it was a way of being. Now I look back after 23 more years. I’ve crossed continents, rebuilt during setbacks, and faced uncertainty and loss. Yet I still carry the same pulse within me. And I can say, without hesitation, that my Catholic upbringing gave me more than just beliefs. It gave me tools to survive. When psychologists talk about resilience, they usually refer to the ability to adapt, recover, and keep going. I didn’t hear that word growing up. But I learned what it looked like through novenas durin...

We’re living in a time when we’re hit with information non-stop. You open your phone and in five minutes, you’ll see someone claiming that sunscreen causes cancer, someone else swearing celery juice heals everything from acne to arthritis, and, somehow, another person arguing the Earth is flat. Some of it sounds ridiculous right away. But some of it is dressed up to look smart. It’s said with confidence, paired with slick graphics, or delivered by people with big followings and impressive titles. And that’s how nonsense spreads. Not because people are dumb-but because they’re human . This isn’t about making fun of anyone who’s gotten it wrong. It’s about how to avoid getting pulled into the same trap. Whether it’s a friend, a podcast, a YouTube video, a news anchor, or even a teacher-yes, even they can get it wrong. Here are a few things that help keep your brain clear. Silence is underrated . When someone throws a “fact” at you, try doing nothing. Just pause. No nodding. No arguing. J...

When my daughter was younger, she used to take forever to finish her meals. Every bite came with a question or a story. At first, it drove me crazy, until I noticed she rarely complained of stomach aches, rarely overate, and always seemed to enjoy her food more than the rest of us. Meanwhile, I was rushing through dinner between emails and dishes, barely tasting anything. That’s when I started paying attention not just to what we were eating but how we were eating it. People talk a lot about nutrition labels, macros, and calories. But the everyday habits around meals often fly under the radar. These habits shape how our bodies handle food, how much we eat, and even how we feel afterwards. Eating on the couch , shovelling in food while scrolling through your phone , skipping breakfast , or eating lunch in five minutes at your desk ,  these small things add up. Let’s start with eating while distracted . It’s easy to down a sandwich while watching YouTube or scrolling Instagram. You ...

  Why We Procrastinate and What Actually Helps You’re sitting at your desk, the task is right in front of you, and you know you need to get it done. But somehow, you’ve checked your messages, refilled your coffee twice, and now you’re watching a video about how pencils are made. Sound familiar? Procrastination is something almost everyone knows too wel l. It’s not always about being lazy or disorganized. Most of the time, it’s more personal than that, stress, fear, or just the way your brain tries to dodge discomfort. Why It Happens Let’s be honest: starting is hard . Even a simple task can feel heavy when your mind is already full. You might think, “I’ll just do it later,” but later keeps moving. That quiet loop in your head, “Not now, I’ll do it after lunch… maybe tomorrow”, builds up, and soon the deadline feels like a freight train. Some common reasons this happens: 1. Fear of messing up If you’re scared the end result won’t be good enough, it’s easier to just not begin . No at...