Increasing work demands and workplace stress levels can take a toll on your mental health. Employees may be unable to perform to their full potential and realise their life goals if they are experiencing such negative effects on their bodies and brains. Practising meditation at the workplace has many proven benefits like reduced stress and improved focus. Increased creativity, productivity and improved relationships with colleagues are some of the great results of meditation one can attain at work. According to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, mindfulness and meditation are the most effective ways in reducing work stress and poor mental health symptoms while creating a positive impact on employees’ mental well-being. (Also read: Tips to handle stress at workplace)

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Raman Mittal, Co-founder and meditation expert, Idanim, shared five effective meditation techniques that you can practice at work.

1. Mantra Meditation: Creating a positive aura around you in a difficult situation may work wonders. Think of a mantra or a motivating phrase and keep repeating it in your mind. It will act as a tool to help release tension in your mind and boost awareness. It can make a lot of difference, especially if you are having trouble concentrating or getting in the right frame of mind. Mantra chanting (or any conscious affirmations) also unblocks our energy flow and rejuvenates our mind and body.

2. Breathing Meditation: Do you feel anxious before a presentation or before meetings? Try deep breathing for five minutes. Deep breathing is one of the most effective methods to keep calm. Taking a deep breath enables more airflow in your body, which calms down your nerves, reducing stress and anxiety. So, next time you are in a stressful situation, start taking deep and conscious breaths and you will notice an immediate sense of relaxation.

3. Walking Meditation: There are times when you are in a stressful situation at work and you feel like running away from it. It is obvious that you cannot run away from work or leave it. However, taking a refreshing walk with awareness enables the human mind to observe things better. This help the mind and body to relax. I’m sure, this technique will definitely help you take a break from stressful working hours.

4. Body Scan: Have you been feeling unproductive lately or your mind keeps on wandering? Body scan meditation will help manage your physical and emotional feelings when you are overwhelmed, sad, or anxious. Pay attention to your whole body and how it feels, scanning from your feet to the top of your head in a slow and deliberate progression. This will help you relieve tension and return back to work mindfully. This the technique is a great health meditation way to relax your body and mind both at the same time.

5. Visualization Meditation: If you feel you need a little escape, a visualization exercise might be ideal. Think about where you’d go if you could be anywhere right now. It could be a bench in a peaceful garden or a sandy shore on a summer day. You might prefer a rock overlooking a waterfall in a forest. Now, set a timer for 5-10 minutes and enjoy the tranquillity of your place. Picture every detail - the sights, sounds, and smells. Enjoy the scenery. Let your mind wander to your happy place whenever you need to relax your mind during work.

Follow more stories on Facebook & Twitter

True to the roots of our university, we look for individuals who are willing to challenge academic orthodoxy, take intellectual risks, conduct original research, and seek new solutions to the most pressing issues of the day. As you apply to graduate programs at The New School for Social Research, Parsons School of Design, the College of Performing Arts, or the Schools of Public Engagement, we want to understand how you'll add to our distinct tradition of academic exploration.

Saint Louis University encourages you to apply using our free online application. All applications are thoroughly reviewed with the highest degree of individual care and consideration. Here’s what we’re looking for:

Academic Performance

Solid academic performance in college preparatory coursework is a primary consideration when we review your freshman application.

To be considered for admission, you must be graduating from high school, have an acceptable HiSET exam score or take the General Education Development (GED) test.

Prospective students are also strongly encouraged to present five academic courses for each of their four years of high school, including:

• Four years each of English and mathematics
• Three years each of foreign language, natural sciences, social sciences and academic electives

Academic programs within the Doisy College of Health Sciences require high school natural sciences courses in biology and chemistry. Physics is strongly recommended for physical therapy applicants.

If you earned college credit during high school through Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment or 1818 courses, please refer to the Advanced Placement Examination Chart for more information on transferring those credits to SLU. 

Standardized Testing

Saint Louis University offers a standardized-test-optional admission process for all undergraduate programs — applicants may submit standardized test scores, but those who choose not to will not be disadvantaged in any way in the admission process.

Applicants who choose to submit ACT and/or SAT scores can have them sent electronically from the testing company or include them on official high school transcripts. Self-reported scores will also be considered. If multiple test results are sent, SLU does not superscore.

• SLU’s ACT code is 2352
• SLU’s SAT code is 6629  

English Language Proficiency

International applicants are required to demonstrate their English language proficiency, which can be done by submitting any one of the following:

• 550 on the paper-based TOEFL (PBT)
• 80 on the internet-based TOEFL (IBT)
• 627 on the TOEFL ITP Plus for China
• 6.5 on the IELTS
• 54 on the PTE
• 540 on the Evidence-Based Reading/Writing portion of the SAT
• 21 on the English portion of the ACT
• Successful completion of a college-level, non-ESL English class at a U.S. college or university
• 110 on Duolingo

SLU reserves the right to require additional testing of any incoming student's English skills. Our ETS code for TOEFL is 6629. Scores are considered valid for two years.

Additional Documentation

You must submit the following items to complete your application for admission. Your application will only be reviewed after all items have been received.

Official High School Transcripts

Transcripts should be sent electronically by the issuing institution(s) to Saint Louis University at admission@slu.edu. Both weighted and unweighted GPAs will be considered.

If applying Early Decision to our nursing, occupational therapy or physical therapy programs, supporting documentation must be received no later than Nov. 30. If applying Early Decision II, Early Action or Regular Decision to these programs, supporting documentation must be received no later than Jan. 12.

Please contact the Office of Admission at admission@slu.edu if you have any questions or concerns about submitting electronic documents, and we will be happy to work with you.

Additional Items for Consideration

Though not required for admission, the following items are strongly encouraged. Please note that all documents must be submitted electronically at this time. Contact us if you have any questions or concerns about this, and we will be happy to work with you.

• Secondary School Report Form. The Secondary School Report Form should be completed by your high school guidance counselor.
• Professional Résumé. Résumés may be submitted via email to admission@slu.edu. Please include your name, state and high school on your résumé.
• Letters of recommendation. Letters should be emailed from the recommender to admission@slu.edu, and must include your name, state and high school.
• Admission Interview. To set up a one-on-one admission interview on campus, contact the Office of Admission at 314-977-2500 and ask to speak to a visit assistant.
• Personal Essay. All applicants for freshman admission must submit a personal essay when they apply through the Common Application or through the SLU online application.

Additional Requirements for Music and Studio Art

There are additional requirements to complete your application if you are applying to the music or studio-art programs:

• An audition is required for admission to the music program; you may audition on campus or submit a video audition via Get Accept'd.
• A portfolio review is required for admission to the studio-art program. The program uses SlideRoom to accept portfolios for admission consideration.

*Please note: The Office of Admission reserves the right to rescind an offer of admission at any time.

Social engineering is the very common practice of exploiting a human element to initiate and/or execute a cyberattack. 

Human weakness and ignorance present such easy targets that fully 82% of the attacks in Verizon’s 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report were perpetrated, at least in part, via some form of social engineering.

In this article, we look at the forms of social engineering that are frequently used and best practices for limiting its effectiveness within the enterprise.

What is social engineering?

A dictionary definition of social engineering (in the context of cybersecurity) is “the use of deception to manipulate individuals into divulging confidential or personal information that may be used for fraudulent purposes.” 

At the most basic, this includes the mass-market spamming of individual email accounts with a phishing attempt such as an offer for a free gift certificate from a well-known retailer. Consumers who click a link to a malicious website or open an infected file attachment and enter personal information may open themselves up to criminal exploitation.

For higher-value, enterprise targets, the technique can become quite a bit more elaborate — or remain stunningly simple.

Roger Grimes, data-driven defense evangelist at security awareness training vendor KnowBe4, calls it for what it is: a con, a scam. “It’s someone pretending to be a brand, company or person you would … trust more than if you know the message was being sent by a complete stranger trying to trick you into doing something that will impact you or your organization’s own interests,” he explained. “The desired actions are often to launch a malicious program, provide logon passwords, or to provide confidential content (e.g., social security number, banking information, etc.).” 

The criminal uses psychological manipulation to trick the user into performing actions or divulging confidential information. Seven means of persuasive appeal, as outlined by Robert Cialini in Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, are commonly cited in explaining why people are vulnerable to their application in social engineering:

• Reciprocity
• Scarcity
• Authority
• Liking
• Commitment
• Consensus
• Unity

Many social engineering attempts come via email, but that is not the only channel. Social engineering is also accomplished via SMS messages, websites, social media, phone calls or even in person. 

As Manos Gavriil, head of content at hacking training firm Hack The Box, points out, “Social engineering is considered the number one threat in cybersecurity, as it exploits individual human error, which makes it very hard to stop, and even the simplest forms of attack can have a devastating impact.”

Types of social engineering techniques and methods

Social engineering is accomplished in a variety of ways:  

• Pretexting: This involves the false presentation of identity or context to make a target believe they should share sensitive data or take a compromising action, and it is an element in most social engineering.
• Baiting: The adversary usually offers a fake promise of something to deceive the victim, steal sensitive information or infect the organization with malware.
• Phishing: The attacker sends out large volumes of emails, without a specific target in mind, in the hope that a malicious link or attachment will be clicked to provide the attacker access to sensitive information. 
• Spear phishing: Masquerading as a known or trusted sender to a specific victim, the attacker sends a targeted, and usually personally crafted, phishing message. 
• Whale phishing: This is spear phishing for a high-value target, such as a senior executive or key financial staffer. It is likely predicated on detailed information that the attacker has first gathered about the target and organization in order to present a credible pretext involving access to sensitive information or the initiation of a financial action.
• Vishing or smishing: This is a phishing attempt made via a voice call or SMS text, as opposed to an email message.
• Business email compromise (BEC): The cybercriminal compromises a business email account and impersonates the owner to deceive someone in the business circle into sending money or sensitive data to the attacker’s account.
• Pharming: Code is placed on a computer or server to divert or trick the user into visiting a harmful website.  
• Tailgating or piggybacking: A malicious actor gains physical access to an organization’s secured facility by closely following an employee or other authorized entrant who has used a credential to pass through security.
• Dumpster diving: As it sounds, this is another attack at a physical location, whereby the criminal sifts through an organization’s trash to find information that they can use to initiate an attack.

These types of attack are often combined or tweaked to incorporate new wrinkles:

• Cybercriminals often pretend they are from a trusted organization, such as the target’s energy supplier, bank or IT department. They use logos from these institutions and email addresses that are similar to official ones. Once they gain trust, they request sensitive information such as logins or account details to penetrate networks or steal funds. 
• A common approach is a false scenario with a warning that if an action isn’t taken very soon there will be some unwanted negative consequence, such as having an account permanently locked, a fine or a visit from law enforcement. The usual goal is to get the person to click on a rogue URL link that takes the victim to a fake login page where they enter their login credentials for a legitimate service.
• Another variant is the BazarCall campaign. It begins with a phishing email. But instead of duping the user into clicking on a malicious link or attachment, the email prompts the user to call a phone number to cancel a subscription. Urgency is injected with the threat that they are about to be automatically charged. Fake call centers then direct users to a website to download a cancellation form that installs BazarCall malware.
• For spear-phishing, the attacker may glean valuable data from LinkedIn, Facebook and other platforms in order to appear more genuine. If the target is out of the country, for example, and is known to use an Amex card, a call or email may claim to be from American Express, seeking to verify identity to approve transactions in the country in which the user is traveling. The person hands over account information, credit card numbers, pins and security codes — and the attacker goes on an online buying spree.
• Because whaling focuses on high-value targets, sophisticated techniques are increasingly used. If a merger is ongoing or a big government grant is about to go through, attackers may pose as someone involved in the deal and inject enough urgency to get money diverted to the account of a criminal group. Deepfake technology may be used to make a financial employee believe that their boss or another authority figure is requesting the action. 
• LinkedIn requests from bad actors are growing in prevalence. Con artists charm unsuspecting jobseekers into opening malicious PDFs, videos, QR codes and voicemail messages. 
• Push notification spamming is when a threat actor continuously bombards a user for approval via a multi-factor authentication (MFA) app. A user can panic or get annoyed by the number of notifications coming their way and provide approval to the threat actor to enter the network.  
• Cashing in on a current crisis, a social engineering attack plays on current headlines or people’s fears around personal finances. Whether it is text messages offering fake energy bills and tax rebates or an increase in online banking scams, people become more vulnerable to exploitation from opportunistic bad actors as budgets tighten.  

However, social engineering doesn’t have to be sophisticated to be successful. Physical social engineering usually involves attackers posing as trusted employees, delivery and support personnel, or government officials such as firefighters or police. Another effective ploy is to leave a USB stick somewhere labeled “bitcoin wallet” or even, in a company parking lot or building toward the end of the year, “annual raises.”

As Igor Volovich, vice president of compliance for Qmulos, shares, “Recently, a pair of social media figures set out to prove that they could get into concerts by simply carrying a ladder and ‘acting official.’ They succeeded multiple times.”

10 top best practices to detect and prevent social engineering attacks in 2022

Follow these best practices to thwart social engineering attempts within an organization:

1. Security awareness training may be the most fundamental practice for preventing damage from social engineering. 

• Training should be multifaceted. Engaging but short videos, user alerts about potentially dangerous online activity, and random phishing simulation emails all play their part. 
• Training must be done at regular intervals and must educate users on what to look for and how to spot social engineering.
• One-size-fits-all training should be avoided. According to Gartner, one-size-fits-all training misses the mark. Content needs to be highly varied to reach all types of people. It should be of different lengths — from 20 minutes to one- to two-minute microlearning lessons. It should be interactive and perhaps even consist of episode-based shows. Various styles should be deployed, ranging from formal and corporate to edgy and humorous. Customization of content should address distinct types of users, such as those in IT, finance or other roles and for those with differing levels of knowledge.
• Gamification can be used in a variety of ways. Training can include games where the user spots different threat indicators or solves social engineering mysteries. Games can also be introduced to play one department’s security scores against another’s with rewards offered at the end of a training period.

2. Employees should be tested regularly for their response to threats — both online and in person.

• Before beginning security awareness training, baseline testing can determine the percentage of users who fall victim to simulated attacks. Testing again after training gauges how successful the educational campaign has been. As Forrester Research notes, metrics such as completion rates and quiz performance don’t represent real-world behavior.
• To get a fair measure of user awareness, simulations or campaigns should not be announced in advance. Vary timing and style. If fake phishing emails go out every Monday morning at 10 and always look similar, the employee grapevine will go into action. Workers will warn each other. Some will stand up in the cubicle and announce a phishing campaign email to the whole room. Be unpredictable on timing. Styles, too, should be changed up. One week try using a corporate logo from a bank; the next week make it an alert from IT about a security threat. Akin to using “secret shoppers,” deploying realistic simulations of tailgaters and unauthorized lurkers or positioning tempting USBs at a facility can test in-person awareness. In working with a security awareness provider, Forrester analyst Jinan Budge recommends that organizations “choose vendors that can help measure your employees’ human risk score.” Budge notes, “Once you know the risk profile of an individual or department, you can adjust your training and gain valuable insights about where to Improve your security program.” 

3. Foster a pervasive culture of awareness.

According to Grimes, “If you create the right culture, you end up with a human firewall that guards the organization against attack.” Well-executed training and testing can help to create a culture of healthy skepticism, where everyone is taught to recognize a social engineering attack.

4. It should be easy to report attempts and breaches.

Systems should make it easy for personnel to report potential phishing emails and other scams to the help desk, IT or security. Such systems should also make life easy for IT by categorizing and summarizing reports. A phishing alert button can be placed directly into the company email program.

5. Multifactor authentication (MFA) is important.

Social engineering is often intended to trick users into compromising their enterprise email and system access credentials. Requiring multiple identity verification credentials is one means of keeping such first-stage attacks from going further. With MFA, users might receive a text message on their phone, enter a code in an authenticator app, or otherwise verify their identity via multiple means.

6. Keep a tight handle on administrative and privileged access accounts.

Once a malicious actor gains access to a network, the next step is often to seek an administrative or privileged access account to compromise, because that provides entry to other accounts and significantly more sensitive information. Therefore it is especially important that such accounts are given only on an “as needs” basis and are watched more carefully for abuse.

7. Deploy user and entity behavior analytics (UEBA) for authentication.

Along with MFA, additional authentication technology should be used to stop initial credential breaches from escalating to larger network intrusions. UEBA can recognize anomalous locations, login times and the like. If a new device is used to access an account, alerts should be triggered, and additional verification steps initiated.  

8. Secure email gateways are another important tool.

Although not nearly perfect, secure email gateways cut down on the number of phishing attempts and malicious attachments that reach users.

9. Keep antimalware releases, software patches and upgrades current.

Keeping current on releases, patches and upgrades cuts down on both the malicious social engineering attempts that reach users and the damage that occurs when users fall for a deception or otherwise make an erroneous click.

10. Finally, the only way to 100% ensure freedom from cyberattack is to remove all users from the web, stop using email, and never communicate with the outside world.

Short of that extreme, security personnel can become so paranoid that they institute a burdensome tangle of safeguards that slow down every process in the organization. A good example is the inefficient TSA checkpoints at every airport. The process has negatively impacted public perception about air travel. Similarly, in cybersecurity a balance between security and productivity must be maintained.

While I was on vacation with my family recently, I enjoyed a Starbucks latte by the marina. Of course, as an entrepreneur, I couldn't just sit and mindlessly enjoy my morning coffee. I looked at the ubiquitous logo on the cup and thought about the massive brand that Starbucks has built over the years. It all began over 50 years ago in Seattle, Washington. Fifty years is a long time to build a brand. Naturally, they have faced issues along the way, from supply chain struggles to market saturation, but they continued to move forward and are now the third largest fast food chain in the world after McDonald's and Subway.

The Legendary Pink's Hot Dogs

It also made me think about another iconic brand, someone I recently had the pleasure of chatting with. If you are from the LA area, you are likely familiar with Richard Pink of the legendary Pink's Hot Dogs. Pink's was started by Richard's parents over 80 years ago. They borrowed $50 from their parents to purchase a hot dog cart. Richard's mother wheeled the cart about two miles, to what is now West Hollywood. The cart needed electricity, which they didn't have access to, so they made a deal with a nearby hardware store to buy an extension cord, and in exchange, they could plug it into the hardware store's outlet. Richard says his parents taught him the value of hard work.

Pink's could have remained a simple hot dog cart since Richard's parents didn't want to expand, but as Richard became more involved, he began to appreciate the value of the brand his parents had built. He wanted to scale and grow the business, and he searched for ways to continue to build the brand with minimal investment. Pink's Hot Dogs already had a reputation among the film crowd as it was well-located near the studios. In fact, Orson Welles holds the all-time record for the number of Pink's hot dogs eaten in one setting—18.

Pink's has always been involved in charity work, from their current "Let's Help Ukraine" hot dog to their "Chili Dogs for Charity" promotion. They gained traction from the publicity, as well as the growth in interest in food and travel television shows. Cross-promotion is a great way to gain exposure without breaking the bank. Fortuitous timing along with some clever brand-building ideas helped this brand become the icon that it is today.

My company has been around since 2015, a short time compared with the two icons I discuss above. How old is your business? You may be a startup struggling with building your brand, but don't ever provide up. Starbucks would not be where it is today if its leaders had given up.

Five Brand-Building Techniques

1. Be consistent. Your message is key, whether you're trying to build a global brand or just staying laser-focused on developing a local market. Make sure your mission statement and company values align with your brand to ensure the continuity of your message.

2. Show up every single day. It is often not the most intelligent or talented person who is the most successful, but rather the person who shows up every single day and doesn't provide up.

3. Write blog posts. Share your unique knowledge and experience on your company website and forums like Linkedin regularly. Figure out what makes you different from your competition and let people know about it.

4. Use social media. I try to post brief videos with ideas and inspiration, like today's thoughts on branding, inspired by my latte. You never know when inspiration will strike, so be ready to grab your phone and create some content.

5. Engage in active networking. I am in several networking and leadership organizations, where we meet regularly to connect and share industry knowledge. I look at every encounter as an opportunity. From the person sitting next to me on the plane to someone I meet at a convention, I truly believe there are no coincidences in life. Your paths have crossed for a reason, and it's up to you to find out why.

Over time, if you apply these techniques with consistent effort, you will create a successful brand not only for today but, perhaps like Pink's Hot Dogs, for the next generation.

We are excited that you are taking the first step towards admission into a UAB graduate program. UAB offers over 130 master’s, educational specialist, and doctoral programs across many disciplines. We welcome both domestic and international degree/certificate seeking applicants who have a specific program in mind and are ready to submit the necessary documents for admissions consideration. We also offer a non-degree status for those who do not wish to pursue a graduate degree/certificate or who wish to begin graduate study before being admitted to a program.

Applying to Graduate School could not be easier with our online application. Whether a Degree, Certificate or Non-Degree applicant, we have a streamlined process to help jumpstart your graduate career. Apply to the program of your choice today to become part of the rich diversity offered at UAB.

Saint Louis University offers four application paths for all first-time freshman applicants. The following admission paths apply to first-time freshman applicants only.

Explore the options below to see which is the right fit for you. 

Whether you choose Early Decision I, Early Decision II, Early Action or Regular Decision, you can apply through the SLU applicant portal or through the Common Application. There is no application fee to apply for undergraduate admission to Saint Louis University. 

For Early Action or Regular Decision applicants, applications that remain incomplete for 30 days or longer will have an admission decision made with GPA only, as long as an official transcript has been received. Merit scholarships are awarded with GPA only. We still recommend you submit your standardized test score if you intended to do so. SLU does not accept superscores so please be sure to send your composite score and all subscores from each completed test.

If you indicated a suspension or felony conviction on your application for admission in any application path, your application may be deferred for a more thorough review by the admission committee.

If a student is denied admission in Early Decision I, Early Decision II or Early Action, then the process ends and they cannot apply later during the Regular Decision process. Deferred decisions will be released in February. If admitted, students should reply to the offer by paying their $500 enrollment deposit. Students who are denied admission to the University may choose to attend another two-year or four-year institution for one or two years and then apply to Saint Louis University as a transfer student.

At Southern New Hampshire University, it's easy to enroll in our online programs. We'll walk you through the undergraduate or graduate admission process, so you know exactly what you need to complete your application.

Below, you can find helpful answers to some frequently asked questions. If you still have questions, you can contact an admission counselor by calling 888.327.SNHU or emailing enroll@snhu.edu.

How do I Apply?

Whether you're applying to the online undergraduate or graduate programs at Southern New Hampshire University, you'll start with two simple steps:

• Complete the online application.
• Speak with an SNHU admission counselor who will walk you through the rest of the process

You can apply at any time and get a decision within days of submitting all required materials. It's that easy.

What is the undergraduate application process?

With the admission team, you'll complete the:

• Full application
• Transcript Release Form for any schools you've attended
• Electronic Attestation Form, stating that you've graduated from high school or received your GED

To apply for financial aid, you'll need to complete the current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Our school code is 002580.

What is the graduate application process?

With the admission team, you'll complete the:

• Full application
• Transcript Release Form for any schools you've attended
• Graduate Attestation Form, with your undergraduate GPA and conferral date

Depending on the degree program, you may be required to provide additional documentation for your application to be complete. An admission counselor can provide details on what's necessary for your program.

There is no application fee for U.S. graduate students.

Financial aid is also available for graduate students who qualify. You'll need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Our school code is 002580.

Do you require GRE/GMAT or SAT scores?

No, we don't require these test scores as part of your application. Refer to the application process sections above for specific information about what's required for undergraduate and graduate admission.

What is the admission deadline?

Acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for our six undergraduate terms, and five graduate terms. To apply, simply follow the steps above, beginning with your online application. Your admission counselor will help you through the application process

Are there GPA requirements?

Our mission is to make education accessible for all, so we have different program options that accommodate all GPAs.

For graduate admission, a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 is required for full acceptance or 2.00 for provisional acceptance unless otherwise noted by the program. Completion of a post-bachelor's degree supersedes this requirement.

Application fees?

There's no fee to apply for undergraduate degree programs. There is no application fee for online graduate programs for U.S. students.

Can I transfer credits to SNHU from other schools?

You may be eligible to transfer up to 45 credits toward an associate degree and up to 90 credits toward a bachelor's degree.

All transcripts are to be submitted from the original institutions. Southern New Hampshire University will order and pay for domestic transcripts for most programs once an application has been received.

If you're coming from a community college, we may already have an agreement in place to make your transfer even easier. Check out our Community College Partnerships page for a full list.

You may also have gained professional experience or hold professional certifications that you can use to get SNHU credit toward your degree. See Transferring Credits page for more information.

Techniques to Improve mental health and well-being, such as mindfulness and meditation, may also encourage people to look after the environment, researchers have found.

The study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health and from researchers at the Universities of York, memorizing and Surrey, examined the link between ego and how people look after their surroundings.

After collating studies across a large range of research fields, the researchers were able to test the expectation that self-identity and the health of the environment are linked in a dynamic cycle.

They found that people who are highly individualistic—meaning they have a strong sense of ego—see themselves as more isolated from the natural world. This means they might carry out fewer behaviors to Improve the environment, such as recycling or reducing their carbon footprint.

Ego-driven

This behavior at larger scales leads to plants and wildlife disappearing from towns and cities, further reducing people's connection to nature.

The study showed, however, that activities traditionally associated with improving mental health and well-being, such as walking and bird watching, improved connectedness to the environment, encouraging people to look after it.

The increased connection to an individual's surroundings made people less individualistic and ego-driven, and more likely to choose behaviors such as planting trees, picking up litter and traveling sustainably.

International cooperation

Professor Bob Doherty, from the University of York's School for Business and Society, said, "At a time when world leaders are meeting for COP27, our research shows the crucial need for international cooperation between governments, business and civil society to develop new pro-environmental interventions to promote new behavior and action.

"This kind of cross-collaboration should see more investment in urban green initiatives, for example, and new approaches to food and the environment within the school system, to harness the powers of young people to create long-term sustainable change."

Government level

As people enjoy their surroundings more due to the enhanced environment, the cycle is repeated, creating what is known as a "virtuous circle" that links self-identity and the environment, the researchers say.

On the other hand, people who are more individualistic develop a "dog-eat-dog" attitude and can get stuck in a "vicious circle" of decline, they say.

The phenomenon can be observed at government-wide level, the researchers found, citing U.S. policies to cut environmental protection laws leading to greater isolation and increased environmental damage.

'America first'

Pointing to ex-President Donald Trump's "America First" policy, the researchers found that changes to self-identity in national leaders might explain the damaging removal of environmental protection and reduced international cooperation, which is essential to solve problems such as climate change.

Professor Tom Oliver, Research Dean for Environment at the University of Reading, said, "Expanding our sense of self-identity to include others and the natural world creates an attitude of care and responsibility.

"The actions that follow lead to nature improvement, for example restoring plants and wildlife in our towns and cities, which then gives us further opportunity to engage and connect with nature."