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Mandy Oaklander
Mandy Oaklander writes and edits health news for TIME.
Recent Articles
What to Know About the XE Variant
Early research suggests it's 10% more transmissible than BA.2
By Mandy Oaklander
April 8, 2022
Should You Wear a Mask? What to Do as Mandates Roll Back
What to know about wearing a mask during one of the pandemic's most confusing moments
By Mandy Oaklander
February 11, 2022
We Used to Have a Lyme Disease Vaccine. Are We Ready to Bring One Back?
New tick-borne disease medicines are in development
By Mandy Oaklander
June 17, 2021
Inside Ibogaine: A Promising Drug for Addiction
Derived from the root bark of an African shrub, Ibogaine was ignored in modern medicine until recently
By Mandy Oaklander
April 5, 2021
Tedros on the Dangers of Politicizing the COVID-19 Pandemic
When a contagious, deadly pandemic sweeps around the globe, people look to the World Health Organization (WHO) for guidance. It’s not easy to be the person in charge under those circumstances, but as director-general of...
By Mandy Oaklander
September 24, 2020
How Growing Food Can Change Your Life, According to Gardener Ron Finley
Gardening has blossomed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just as Americans planted "victory" gardens during wars and depressions before, now many are planting seeds to grow their own food. Doing so comes with real benefits, like...
By Mandy Oaklander
August 26, 2020
Individual Circadian Clocks Might Be the Next Frontier of Personalized Medicine
We used to think everyone needed eight hours of sleep. Not so, according to new science
By Mandy Oaklander
August 6, 2020
3 Ways Creativity Can Help Mental Health
Singer-songwriter Jewel and psychiatrist Dr. Blaise Aguirre talk about creative ways to help the mental health of young people
By Mandy Oaklander
August 5, 2020
3 Ways to Keep Calm During Stressful Times
Goldie Hawn and Amishi Jha explore how to practice mindfulness under stress in a TIME for Health Talk
By Mandy Oaklander
July 8, 2020
The Coronavirus Plus the Flu Could Equal a Devastating Fall and Winter, CDC Director Says
Summer has just begun, but health officials are already warning Americans that the fall and winter months ahead will likely be challenging. Once flu season begins, the U.S. will have to worry about not one,...
By Mandy Oaklander
June 29, 2020
COVID-19 Killed the Hug. What Will Replace It?
Dr. Mark Sklansky has always hated shaking hands. He can think of about a dozen better ways to greet patients than the icky exchange. “Hands are warm, they’re wet, and we know that they transmit...
By Mandy Oaklander
May 27, 2020
Why Infectious Diseases Like COVID-19 Make Science Move So Fast
Science has a reputation for moving slowly. The very process of publishing solid scientific data—let alone developing vaccines and therapies—requires a long timeline. But outbreaks of infectious diseases spread quickly, demanding a much quicker pace....
By Mandy Oaklander
May 8, 2020
Our Diets Are Changing During the Coronavirus Pandemic
People are cooking more. But dietary shifts aren't affecting everyone equally
By Mandy Oaklander
April 28, 2020
How 'Broad, Ubiquitous Testing' Can Help Restart the U.S. Economy
For weeks, Americans have stayed home as much as possible to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, but social isolation has come at a huge cost to the economy and people’s livelihoods. What will...
By Mandy Oaklander
April 23, 2020
Almost All Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients Had Another Illness
A new study of hospitalized patients shows that 94% had at least one underlying health problem
By Mandy Oaklander
April 22, 2020
Should Healthy People Wear Masks to Prevent Coronavirus?
If you have no symptoms of the coronavirus, should you wear a mask? It’s one of the most-asked questions during this pandemic, and until recently, one of the most easily answered—if you follow the guidance...
By Mandy Oaklander
April 3, 2020
'We Hand-Sanitize and Hold Hands.' What It's Like When Your Partner May Have Coronavirus
In February, when Jacob came home from an international trade show in Arizona with a cough, he wasn’t concerned. He slept in a separate room so that his hacking wouldn’t disturb his wife, Caitlin. But...
By Mandy Oaklander
March 18, 2020
Coronavirus Fears Are Causing Blood Drive Cancellations
Winter is not a boom time for blood donation centers in the U.S. Bad weather, plus circulating flu strains, tend to deter people from giving blood. And the ongoing outbreak of the new coronavirus in...
By Mandy Oaklander
March 16, 2020
Public Health Experts Keep Changing Their Guidance on Whether or Not to Wear Face Masks for Coronavirus
Note: The CDC has updated its guidance to the public around wearing masks during the coronavirus pandemic. On April 3, it advised Americans to wear non-medical cloth face coverings, including homemade coverings fashioned from household...
By Mandy Oaklander
March 4, 2020
How AI Can Help Pick Depression Treatments
The use of AI in psychiatry is expanding quickly
By Mandy Oaklander
February 19, 2020
How Companies Teach Their Employees First Aid for Mental Health
At Delta Air Lines’ Atlanta headquarters in late January, 24 employees are arguing over which of them has the worst disease. Half of them had been given cards naming a physical or mental health diagnosis...
By Mandy Oaklander
February 12, 2020
Millennial Employees Are Getting Companies to Radically Rethink Workers’ Mental Health
Madalyn Parker had been at her first job only a few months when the depression and anxiety set in. She had beaten back both in college, where she became so depressed that she stopped eating...
January 16, 2020
Running Can Help You Live Longer. But More Doesn't Always Mean Better
One major reason Americans don't get enough exercise is they feel they don't have enough time. It can be difficult to squeeze in the 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise per week that federal guidelines...
By Mandy Oaklander
November 7, 2019
Suicide Is Preventable. Hospitals and Doctors Are Finally Catching Up
The suicidal thoughts started when Kristina Mossgraber was 17. A loud voice in her head told her that she was a bad person, a failure, better off dead. She cut herself in secret and told...
By Mandy Oaklander
October 24, 2019
Why Collaboration and Innovation Are Key to Improving Medical Research
The old goals of research must radically change to further and diversify advances in the field
October 17, 2019
'I Burned All the Time.' Selma Blair Discusses Her MS Diagnosis and Hope for Effective Treatments for Chronic Diseases
When actor Selma Blair began experiencing strange symptoms relatively early in her life, her doctors didn’t know how to explain them. “I had definitely noticed a kind of rapid aging happening in my 30s that...
October 17, 2019
Climate Change May Be Spreading Flesh-Eating Bacteria to Unexpected Waters
The infection can be fatal
By Mandy Oaklander
June 17, 2019
Why Being Neurotic Might Be Good for Your Dog
When people are stressed, their dogs tend to be, too
By Mandy Oaklander
June 12, 2019
Americans Eat and Inhale Over 70,000 Plastic Particles Each Year According to a New Analysis
The health effects of microplastics are unknown
By Mandy Oaklander
June 6, 2019
Physician Burnout Costs the U.S. Billions Each Year
Burnout comes with both ethical and economic costs
By Mandy Oaklander
May 28, 2019
Here's What Eating Processed Foods for Two Weeks Does to Your Body
They cause you to eat faster
By Mandy Oaklander
May 16, 2019
A Mysterious Company Claims to Sell Sneeze-Filled Tissues for $80. Is It Real?
It's designed to boost immunity—but health experts object
By Mandy Oaklander
January 18, 2019
The Silent Shame of Male Infertility
When a couple can't conceive, it's not always because of the woman. But men really don't want to talk about it
By Mandy Oaklander
January 3, 2019
The Best Gifts Between $50-$250 To Give This Holiday Season
It's the holiday season, and you're likely looking for some great gifts for your family, friends, significant other and so on. If you're hunting for options in the $50-250 range, these are some of our...
By Patrick Lucas Austin , Alex Fitzpatrick , Jamie Ducharme and Mandy Oaklander
December 7, 2018
This Will Change Your Mind About Psychedelic Drugs
Michael Pollan's new book explores the science of psychedelics
By Mandy Oaklander
May 16, 2018
How to Make Friends as an Adult — and Why It's Important
It will be worth it for your health and happiness
By Mandy Oaklander
February 15, 2018
5 Tips for Raising a Modern-Day Teen
Here are five ways for parents to weather a child's moody teenage years
By Mandy Oaklander
September 14, 2017
New Hope for Depression
Depression afflicts 16 million Americans. One third don’t get better with treatment. A surprising new drug may change that
July 27, 2017
This Week in Health: Hiking, Dancing and Armpit Tattoos
If you've been searching for the motivation to work out, try clicking around the new TIME Guide to Exercise. There, you'll learn the science-backed ways to get the most from your workout and make the...
By Mandy Oaklander
July 6, 2017
How Strength Training Changes Your Body For Good
The following story is excerpted from TIME’s special edition, The Science of Exercise, which is available at Amazon. Dr. Dena Oaklander, a psychiatry resident—who also happens to be my sister—is the last person you’d ever...
By Mandy Oaklander
July 6, 2017
There's More Proof That Ketamine Works for Depression
Scientists may have found how ketamine triggers rapid antidepressant effects
By Mandy Oaklander
June 21, 2017
This Week in Health: How to Really Lose Weight
Little is harder than losing weight and keeping it off for good, yet many find a way. Exactly how goes deeper than diet and exercise, according to new science. Here's what else caught our attention...
By Mandy Oaklander
May 25, 2017
This Week in Health: Sleep Better, Cure Hiccups and Beware of Ticks
This week's health stories brought good news for people who have trouble sleeping. It's possible to get better rest by using these 6 natural remedies—without ever popping a sleeping pill. Here’s what else caught our...
By Mandy Oaklander
May 4, 2017
How Dream Therapy Can Change Your Life
The following story is excerpted from TIME’s special edition, The Science of Sleep, which is available at Amazon. The first time I dialed up my dream therapist, I didn’t realize how personal it would get....
By Mandy Oaklander
April 30, 2017
5 Yoga Poses for Better Sleep
If your goal is sounder sleep, it’s a good idea to try tiring yourself out during the day. Any exercise can do this, of course. But yoga may be the best type for the job....
By Mandy Oaklander and Heather Jones
April 28, 2017
This Quick Meditation Helps You Let Go of Stress and Sleep
Meditation has been shown to be an effective way to wind down and get to sleep—something that's especially useful after a harried day of work. Mindfulness techniques have been shown to improve sleep quality, fatigue...
By Mandy Oaklander
April 28, 2017
Your Meal Has Six Times More Salt Than You Think
How much salt was in your lunch? Whatever your guess, chances are you’re off. By a lot. In a new study, published in the journal Appetite, researchers stood outside fast-food restaurants and asked people to...
April 24, 2017
Why You Should Let Someone Else Choose Your Tinder Photo
An unsung skill of the social networking age is the ability to pick a good profile picture, whether for Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Tinder. It’s no trivial matter: people make up their minds about another...
By Mandy Oaklander
April 13, 2017
This Week in Health: Take a Walk, Get a Massage, Pet a Dog
This week's health news was filled with useful tips about how to feel better and happier with a bit of self-care, like taking a walk during work and getting an occasional massage. Here’s what else...
By Mandy Oaklander
April 7, 2017
Science Says Your Pet Is Good for Your Mental Health
Being a pet in America is a plum gig. Pets are incredibly well loved: according to a 2015 poll, 95% of owners think of their animal as a member of the family. About half buy...
April 6, 2017
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