A groundbreaking new study published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology reveals that people who take proactive steps to reorganize their family routines are more likely to demonstrate adaptability and innovation at work. Researchers from the University of Bath’s School of Management followed 147 full-time, dual-income heterosexual couples with children in the US for six weeks, observing how home life influences work performance.

The study found that employees who take initiative at home carry the momentum into their professional lives, becoming more resilient and forward-thinking. This phenomenon is called “strategic renewal.” Examples of strategic renewal at home include implementing shared calendars to coordinate busy schedules, rotating school pick-up duties, setting up new systems for eldercare, or introducing structured family planning sessions to resolve conflicts and set goals together.

Professor Yasin Rofcanin from the University of Bath’s Future of Work research centre explains: “Sometimes family life can feel like survival mode. But when people proactively and deliberately make changes – whether to childcare routines, care of older relatives, or how domestic tasks are shared – they feel more capable and in control. That confidence can carry over into their work, helping them become more creative and adaptable.”

Dr Siqi Wang from Aston Business School adds: “Couples might hold regular ‘household check-ins’ to reassign chores, revisit priorities, or coordinate weekly plans. These kinds of deliberate, future-oriented adjustments enable families to respond flexibly to changing demands to build confidence, reduce stress, and enhance overall functioning at home and at work.”

The researchers emphasize that creativity is essential not only in the workplace but also within family systems, where individuals must continually adapt to shifting responsibilities and external demands. A family environment that fosters openness, collaboration, and experimentation – what the researchers refer to as “family creativity” – can significantly enhance this adaptability.

As hybrid and flexible work models become the norm, it’s essential that employers recognize how home dynamics influence workplace performance. Supporting employees both at work and home can lead to a more engaged and innovative workforce. The study suggests that employers can amplify these benefits by investing in leadership development programmes that include training on work-family dynamics.

Additional support – such as wellness programmes, counseling services, family care assistance, and leisure incentives – can also play a key role in fostering a productive and creative workforce.

A groundbreaking study co-authored by McGill psychologist Caroline Palmer has revealed that our brains and bodies don’t just understand music; they physically resonate with it. This revolutionary discovery is based on findings in neuroscience, music, and psychology, supporting the Neural Resonance Theory (NRT).

According to NRT, musical experiences arise from the brain’s natural oscillations that sync with rhythm, melody, and harmony. This resonance shapes our sense of timing, musical pleasure, and the instinct to move with the beat.

“This theory suggests that music is powerful not just because we hear it, but because our brains and bodies become it,” said Palmer, Professor in the Department of Psychology at McGill and Director of the Sequence Production Lab. “That has big implications for therapy, education, and technology.”

The study’s publication in Nature Reviews Neuroscience marks the first time the entire NRT is being published in a single paper, she added.

NRT suggests that structures like pulse and harmony reflect stable resonant patterns in the brain, shared across people independent of their musical background. This theory explains how we hear and produce music through fundamental dynamical principles of human brain mechanisms that apply from the ear to the spinal cord and limb movements.

The study’s findings have significant potential applications:

Therapeutic tools for conditions like stroke, Parkinson’s, and depression

Emotionally intelligent AI that can respond to or generate music more like humans

New learning technologies to support rhythm and pitch education

Cross-cultural insight into why music connects people around the world

The study was led by Edward Large (University of Connecticut) and co-authored by Caroline Palmer. The research received funding from a Canada Research Chair and a NSERC Discovery Grant.

The simple act of looking at a piece of visual art can have a profound impact on one’s wellbeing, according to a recent study that has shed new light on the benefits of art viewing. The research, conducted by a team of psychologists from the University of Vienna, Trinity College Dublin, and Humboldt University of Berlin, found that viewing art can improve eudemonic wellbeing – that is, wellbeing associated with meaning in life and personal growth.

The study examined decades of scattered research, providing for the first time a clear and comprehensive overview of when, where, and why art viewing is used to promote wellbeing. The review of 38 previously published studies covering a total of 6,805 participants revealed that viewing art can boost wellbeing in various settings – from museums and galleries to clinics and hospital settings, as well as through the medium of virtual reality.

A wide range of art types, including figurative, abstract, modern, and contemporary paintings, photography, sculpture, and installations, were found to have a positive impact on wellbeing. The researchers emphasized that viewing art is not just a luxury, but can be a meaningful way to support wellbeing, whether as a hobby or as a targeted health intervention.

The study’s findings have significant implications for healthcare providers and policymakers, who are encouraged to integrate art into mental health strategies as a low-cost and easily accessible resource. The researchers also created a new set of guidelines – the Receptive Art Activity Research Reporting Guidelines (RAARR) – to standardize future research and ensure methodological consistency across studies.

Lead author MacKenzie Trupp stated, “Our research suggests that viewing art can meaningfully support wellbeing. By reframing art as a low-cost, accessible wellbeing resource, this research opens up exciting possibilities for integrating art into everyday environments and public health strategies.”

Assistant Professor Claire Howlin added, “While the mental health benefits of creating art have been widely explored, the impact of viewing art has been under-researched and undervalued. Yet visual art is present and accessible in everyday spaces – museums, galleries, hospitals, and at home. Understanding its effects can unlock new avenues for promoting wellbeing through everyday encounters with art.”

The study’s findings are timely, given the World Health Organization’s recommendation since 2019 to use creative approaches alongside routine clinical care. As departments of health and arts councils across Europe seek high-quality evidence to identify which types of arts can be used for each type of medical outcome, this review will help to inform future research and planning.