Some days my brain is like a storm, thoughts moving faster than I can keep up. A small mistake becomes an catastrophe, an offhand remark becomes a soul-deep fear. I turn around and around, analyzing each word, every move, every potentiality. But then, I discovered recently this easy 20-second hack which was actually pretty straightforward but made a tremendous difference in the negative thinking. Quickly [sitting my hand on my heart and reminding myself, I am enough. Even just that small hesitation interrupts the madness. My breath slows, my shoulders ease, and for a moment, the hurricane calms. This practice over time has become my anchor, reminding me that I am not thoughts—I am so much more.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have discovered that it doesn't need to take long to practice self-compassion to be beneficial. The study, published in the Behaviour Research and Therapy journal, revealed that performing a 20-second self-compassion touch, such as putting a hand on your heart or belly, can greatly reduce levels of stress and anxiety.

According to psychology researcher Eli Susman, who co-authored the study, a group of 135 college students was asked to dedicate just 20 seconds a day to affirm themselves with kind and positive thoughts while engaging in a self-compassionate touch. The results were striking: those who consistently practiced this simple technique over a month experienced notable improvements in mood, self-compassion, and emotional resilience, while stress hormone levels decreased.

Why 20 Seconds of Self-Compassion Works

1. Decrease in Cortisol Levels

The stress hormone cortisol is the cause of much of the physical and emotional damage chronic stress inflicts on the body. The researchers discovered that a mere 20 seconds of self-compassionate touch resulted in a measurable drop in cortisol, allowing people to recover from stress more rapidly.

2. Better Emotional Well-Being

By practicing positive self-affirmation and empathetic touch, study participants reported greater emotional equanimity and reduced reactivity to stressful challenges.

3. A Simple, Accessible Practice

Unlike many conventional mindfulness practices that might demand lengthy meditation sessions, this micropractice requires only 20 seconds, rendering it simple to fit into daily activities, be it at home, the workplace, or even during public transport rides.

How to Practice Self-Compassionate Touch

This exercise is very easy and can be done anywhere. Here's how you can adapt it to your daily life:

Step 1: Recognize Your Emotions

Close your eyes and reflect on a recent experience that made you feel stressed, unworthy, or critical of yourself. Notice the sensations in your body as you reflect on this episode.

Step 2: Practice a Soothing Touch

Put one hand on your heart and the other on your belly. If this doesn't feel comfortable to you, you can experiment with other ways of self-compassionate touching, including:

Stroking the back of your neck

Rubbing a place on your palm with your thumb

Hugging yourself lightly by holding your arms in across your chest

Step 3: Breathe Deeply and Give Yourself Kindness

Take a slow, deep breath in. Feel the warmth and gentle pressure of your hands. As you exhale, focus on releasing tension. Now, in your mind, repeat self-compassionate affirmations such as:

“I am kind to myself.”

“I am not my mistakes.”

“I give myself room and comfort.”

“I celebrate my uniqueness.”

“I take this time to appreciate who I am.”

Step 4: Finish with a Sense of Gratitude

Open your eyes after 20 seconds and simply take a moment to admire yourself for taking the time to do this practice. You can repeat it as many times as you need throughout the day.

Susman calls this approach a "micropractice"—a tiny but effective habit that enhances mental health without taking up much time. These practices are based on classic mindfulness and meditation practices but are tailored to fit today's busy lives.

While the research was conducted with college students, the findings have applications for individuals of all ages. Whether you are a working professional with a packed schedule, a parent with numerous responsibilities, or an individual dealing with anxiety, adding a 20-second self-compassion exercise to your daily routine can be a convenient and effective method for managing stress and developing resilience.

Making It a Daily Habit

The secret to reaping the rewards of self-compassionate touch is consistency. Below are some ways to incorporate it into your daily life:

Begin your day by practicing self-compassion in bed before rising.

Utilize it as a fast tool during stressful situations at work or school.

Unwind by doing this micropractice before bedtime to relax.

May merely 20 seconds a day cause you to desist from spinning? The short answer, per the most up-to-date science, is that yes, it can. Micropractices for self-compassion provide a straightforward, research-supported means for lessening distress, enhancing emotional resilience, and cultivating a friendlier relationship with oneself.

In a world where stress and worry are escalating, this simple practice is a good reminder that simple, purposeful acts of care for ourselves have the ability to create tremendous transformations in our mindset. Why not give it a try for one month, you might find a surprising transformation.

The human skin is the body's largest organ, a dynamic barrier spanning roughly 1.7 square meters in the average adult. It blocks pathogens, regulates temperature, and signals systemic distress.

What compromises this barrier most reliably are decisions made in the course of an ordinary day; how a body is cleaned, what materials rest against it for hours, and whether moisture is managed or ignored

Most skin infections, rashes, and fungal conditions during primary care can be prevented. They develop when the skin is exposed to moisture, friction, or microbes for extended periods, which weakens its natural protective barrier. Once this barrier is compromised, bacteria, fungi, and irritants can take hold. Seeing it this way makes hygiene a matter of health, not just routine care.

Moisture, Friction, and Microbial Load: The Three-Factor Model

Many skin conditions linked to hygiene arise from a combination of factors, including excess moisture, repeated friction, and unchecked microbial growth.

Moisture, whether it is from sweat, urinary leakage, or inadequate drying after bathing, softens the stratum corneum, the protective outermost layer.

Softened skin abrades under friction far more readily than dry skin. In zones like the groin, underarm, and the skin folds of infants, this combination creates ideal conditions for intertrigo, candidal infections, and bacterial folliculitis.

Infants represent the most vulnerable case study. Diaper dermatitis, affecting a significant proportion of children at some point in infancy, develops when occlusive material holds urine and stool in prolonged skin contact.

The enzymatic activity of fecal matter sharply raises skin surface pH, stripping the acid mantle and triggering an inflammatory response. Consistent nappy changes, appropriate absorbent capacity, and barrier creams together are solutions to this cycle. When any one element is compromised, either frequency of change or material quality, dermatitis rates climb demonstrably.

For adolescent and adult women, an equivalent vulnerability exists during menstruation. Extended contact with saturated absorbent materials elevates local moisture and pH, producing an environment conducive to bacterial vaginosis and vulvar dermatitis. Clinical guidance consistently recommends regular pad or tampon changes irrespective of flow volume, the interval matters as much as saturation levels.

Infection Pathways That Begin with Hygiene Gaps

As per the systematic review by Bowen et al. (2015) in PLOS ONE, over 162 million children in low- and low-middle-income countries are affected by impetigo at any given time, with most cases occurring in tropical, resource-limited regions. These figures underline how everyday hygiene practices influence skin health and help prevent infections from spreading.

Urinary tract infections in women and girls are closely linked to perineal hygiene. The urethra’s proximity to the rectum makes it easy for faecal bacteria, particularly Escherichia coli, to spread if cleaning is inadequate. Changing underwear regularly, wiping front to back, and using breathable fabrics can help reduce this risk.

Fungal infections require particular attention in warm, humid climates, where heat and moisture create ideal conditions for dermatophytes to thrive and persist. As per Gupta, Chaudhry, and Elewski (2003) in Dermatologic Clinics, tinea corporis, tinea cruris, and other superficial dermatophytoses show increased prevalence in developing and tropical countries due to elevated temperatures and sustained humidity, which create an environment conducive to fungal proliferation.

India's combination of heat, humidity, and fabric choices creates a near-constant conducive environment for dermatophyte infections like tinea cruris (groin ringworm). These infections respond well to antifungal treatment but return when underlying hygiene practices are not followed appropriately. Dry skin after bathing, moisture-wicking undergarments, and clean, well-ventilated footwear are among the most evidence-backed preventive measures available.

Hence for females, during periods, it's important to have a sanitary napkin or period panty which has rash free and leakage prevention capabilities.

Long-Term Consequences Beyond the Skin

Hygiene practices for adults, including the use of well-fitted absorbent products, have consequences that extend beyond comfort. Improper or prolonged use of adult diapers can create conditions for recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Hygiene-related infections place a heavy burden on public health. In India, poor menstrual hygiene is linked to school absenteeism, reproductive tract infections, and delays in seeking care because of stigma. Outcomes are shaped by access to products, awareness, and their quality.

Hygiene Access as a Health Equity Issue

Clinical recommendations are only actionable where products and information reach people reliably. In rural and peri-urban India, access to affordable, functional hygiene products such as absorbent sanitary pads, quick dry & reliable baby / adult diapers, and effective skin-cleansing agents remains uneven. Affordability and quality often sit at opposite ends of the market.

When hygiene products fail in absorbency, breathability, or durability, the burden falls on the user's skin and health. A diaper that leaks prematurely does not reduce dermatitis risk; a sanitary pad which leaks fails mid-cycle, does not support menstrual hygiene management. Product performance, therefore, is inseparable from health outcomes.

Practice Over Knowledge

The evidence base for hygiene as preventive medicine is extensive and long-established. The gap that persists is between knowledge and consistent practice, sustained by habit formation, reliable access to appropriate products, and normalisation of conversations around intimate health.

Maintaining daily hygiene by using the right products and following regular routines decreases the risk of infections, protects the skin, and promotes overall long-term health.

By Vijay Chaudhary, Founder of Lakons. The Healthandme team was not involved in authoring this story

US tech giant Apple today announced that Tim Cook has been elevated to executive chairman of the company and will step down as CEO.

John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering, will succeed Cook as chief executive officer, effective September 1, 2026.

“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple,” Cook said in an official statement, praising Ternus as someone with “the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity.”

Apple’s Biggest Contribution In Health: Tim Cook

Cook has led Apple since 2011, after the passing of co-founder Steve Jobs. Under Cook, the company shifted from a device company to a consumer health platform company.

“If you zoom out way into the future, and you look back and ask what Apple’s biggest contribution was, it will be in the health area,” Cook said in an interview with WIRED, an American magazine, in 2024.

The company entered the wearables segment with the Apple Watch in 2015. From being a fashion statement, it gradually evolved into a health-focused product.

Under Cook’s leadership, Apple moved from wellness tracking to proactive medical monitoring, with the Apple Watch at its core.

With features ranging from ECG to blood oxygen monitoring and fall detection, it expanded Apple’s ecosystem beyond smartphones.

Cook focused on “democratizing” healthcare by empowering users to track metrics such as AFib, sleep apnea, hypertension, and blood oxygen levels.

Here's a look at various features of Apple devices under Tim Cook that focused on health, ranging from heart to vision to reproductive health.

Heart Health

With advanced features like hypertension notifications, irregular rhythm notifications, the ECG app, and AFib history, the Apple Watch provides users with an invaluable view of their cardiovascular health.

Apple Watch can detect patterns of hypertension that may increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease.

It works by using the optical heart sensor, which provides data to an algorithm that can detect potential hypertension by analysing how blood vessels respond to heartbeats over 30-day periods.

Key features include:

• AirPods Pro 3 come with heart rate sensing, helping users track heart rate and calories burned during workouts. Using LEDs that pulse invisible light 256 times per second, along with sensor fusion from accelerometers, users can get highly accurate data across up to 50 workout types in the Fitness app.

• Apple Watch can measure VO₂ max -- the maximum amount of oxygen the body can consume during exercise.
• If cardio fitness levels are low for age and sex, users receive a notification. Fitness can be improved by increasing the intensity and frequency of cardiovascular exercise.

Hearing Health

The Noise app on Apple Watch sends notifications when environmental noise levels may affect hearing health.

Apple’s AirPods Pro also provide loud sound reduction, lowering sound exposure in environments as loud as 110 dBA.

The Sleep and Activity Tracker

The device tracks sleep, which plays a crucial role in physical and mental health. Apple Watch can monitor sleep and provide a daily sleep score.

Apple Watch Activity Rings enables customizable goals that encourages consistent physical activity. It also provides a daily visual representation of movement through metrics such as:

• move (red, active calories),
• exercise (green, minutes of brisk activity),
• stand (blue, hours with at least one minute of movement).

The Apple Watch Workout app features enhanced training load tracking, custom workout builders for strength training, and new metrics for personalized fitness tracking.

Even without an Apple Watch, users can set a daily Move goal in the Fitness app on iPhone to stay motivated. It tracks steps, distance, flights climbed, and workouts from third-party apps to estimate active calories contributing to the Move goal.

Also read: India Introduces Healthy Lifestyle, Mental Wellness as Priority Areas at BRICS Meet

Period Tracking And Reproductive Health

The Cycle Tracking experience on iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad allows users to log periods and record symptoms or cycle factors for a better understanding of their cycle. It helps with family planning by tracking temperature during sleep and estimating when ovulation likely occurred. Wrist temperature can also improve period predictions.

It also flags for deviations such as irregular, infrequent, or prolonged periods, or persistent spotting.

Further, in the Health app on iPhone or iPad, Cycle Tracking offers additional support during pregnancy, including gestational age tracking and health chart monitoring. It also reminds users to check in on mental health conditions during pregnancy and postpartum periods.

Eye Health

iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch include features designed to support eye health, especially myopia or nearsightedness in children.

The Screen Distance feature on iPhone and iPad uses the TrueDepth camera (also used for Face ID) to detect when a device is held closer than 30.48 cm (12 inches) for extended periods and encourages users to move it farther away.

Users can also store their vision prescription in the Health app. It can be securely saved on iPhone and iPad by taking a photo of the document or entering the details manually.

The first national mental health survey carried out in India, 2015-2016, suggested that one in 10 Indians had a diagnosable psychiatric disorder.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a surge in common mental disorders (particularly anxiety and depression). Worldwide, the age of onset of substance use disorders is reducing, and there has been an increase in synthetic and pharmaceutical drug misuse.

Digital addiction is a growing problem, particularly among young people. Suicide is a major global concern, and in India, there were more than two lakh suicides in 2025. Rising suicides in urban areas and among students have been growing concerns.

Improving Mental Health Literacy

Just like people recognize physical disorders, it is important to improve mental health literacy so that people can recognize symptoms of a mental or psychiatric disorder in themselves or others. It is also important that they reach out for timely help, without a sense of feeling stigmatized.

Often, physical and mental disorders occur together and worsen each other, so addressing both is important to improve health outcomes.

How Government Is Tackling Mental Health Burden

The Government of India has initiated the Tele MANAS (14416) to provide telephonic mental health counselling and to link people up to other services. The National Mental Health Program of India seeks to provide decentralized mental health care at the District levels and below.

The Ayushman Arogya Mandirs also offer basic mental health support. NIMHANS, apart from providing quality institution-based services, has also been closely involved in developing community models of mental health care, working with non-governmental organizations and with community stakeholders. It has also been focusing on expanding human resources through its digital academy.

A second NIMHANS in northern India, strengthening some of the other institutions providing mental health care to expand infrastructure, human resources, and networking to develop a continuum of care from primary to tertiary care settings, is a recent step taken by the Union government.