Creating Happiness for Health

There is a new movement underway called Positive Psychology. It's a new field of research that looks at what givse people fulfillment and meaning in their lives.

I came across this in an article in my hometown paper, The Plain Dealer, by Ellen Jan Kleinerman. She reports on studies that have connected positive emotions to our well-being. One such study, done by Robert Emmons of the Univ. of Calif at Davis, found that acts of gratitude imporove physical health and raise levels of energy.

If you want to test yourself to see how happy you are you can go to Dr. Martin Seligman's site and see how you rate.

Dr. Seligman and Sonja Lyubomirsky ( also of the Univ. of Calif.) suggest some ways to create a more fulfilling life.

--Writing a gratitude journal and name three good things that occurred on a weekly basis.
An adaptation of this is to daily count your blessing. I try and do this first thing when I awake and when I go to bed.


--Thank people who have helped you.
Why not sent an email or text. It doesn't have to be big production.

--Perform random acts of kindness
One of my favorite ways is designate one day a week to compliment everyone I come into contact with that day. There is always something nice to say.

My Sister Makes Me Happy and I Have Research to Prove it

My sister and I have always been close. We admire and respect each other and we "get" each other.

In fact during a concert that we attended this summer we both commented on how lucky we were to have each other and how happy we felt being around the other.

Science is on our side on this one. The BYU's Flourishing Families Project reports that young adolescents who had sisters either younger or older were less likely to experience negative feelings, such as loneliness and guilt.

In an article on MSNBC the study's researcher Laura Padilla-Walker, of Brigham Young University in Utah, explained that "even after you account for parents' influence, siblings do matter in unique ways. They give kids something that parents don't."

Mental Flexibily -- A Healthy Approach

During a very long --- 9 hour-- ride to Canada last week, I found a way to improve my mental health. The source of this knowledge came from a person I was not familiar with --Chinese prophet Lao-tzu.

Being a fan of Dr. Wayne Dyer I picked up one of his CD's, Living the Wisdom of the Tao, which is Dr. Dyer's interpretation of Lao-tzu writings.

One of Lao-tzu's principles is that of flexibility. "What is malleable is always superior to that which is immovable. This is the principle of controlling things by going along with them, of mastery through adaptation."

Intuitively we know that being open and flexible are stellar qualities to possess and as a parent being flexible is the only way to survive. But being flexible with our expectations of both ourselves and others is not as easy. Dr. Dyer suggested an exercise which entails spending an entire day not judging others or yourself and just let things flow.

I have been trying that out the past few days and it does make for a more relaxes, healthier life. I'm not disappointed that others ( or myself) aren't living up to what goals I have in mind, but instead I just observe and accept what happens and keep in mind that what is meant to be will be.

Furthermore I am able to see more clearly that my expectations are based on a very limited source -- my opinion.

I plan to apply this flexibility in all things -- career, relationships, friendships.

I have a feeling that 2010 will be a lot more peaceful.

Why Our Soul Loves the Color Green

Instinctively we know that we feel better walking on the grass and being surrounded by trees. Something about that green touches our soul.

Well now there is some research behind our feelings. In a recent study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, that looked at depression in city dwellers who lived near parks as opposed to those living near concrete and asphalt, those with access to green space had fewer bouts of depression.

In urban zones where 90% of the area was devoted to green space, incidence of anxiety disorders or depression was 18 people per thousand, the study found.

In contrast, in zones where there was only 10% of greenery, incidence was 26 per thousand, a difference of 44%.

In addition, the annual rates of more than a dozen disease clusters -- including cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, digestive and mental disorders -- were also lower.

The study also found that the health-boosting impact of plant life was most apparent in people who spent a lot of time in their flora-rich neighborhoods, especially children and persons with low levels of education and income. People aged 45 to 65 were also big beneficiaries.

The researchers felt that some explanations for the benefits were improved air quality, opportunities for relaxation and socializing, and an incitement to exercise.

Day Dreaming -- Good for Mental Health

While most of us just feel lazy when we space out, our brains don't look at it that way. They feel relieved that they don't have to focus on the routine issues and can instead focus on solving the more difficult issues.

A study done by Kalina Christoff of the University of British Columbia in Canada, showed that our brains are much more active when we day dream then during the regular course of the day.

In an article on MSNCB, Christoff's research showed that during this state the brain's "executive network" — associated with high-level, complex problem-solving — lit up.

And that's a good thing since we spend about 1/3 of waking lives in this dream-like state.

Cognitive Behavorial Therapy -- Low Tech Care for Mental Health

In a recent article from Money Magazine, posted on CNN, writer Patricia B. Gray, reports on a study which found that 50% of psychiatrists now use cognitive behavorial therapy (CT) in their practice.

Turns out it is effective in treating a number of conditions including including depression, anxiety, phobias, obsessions, compulsions and addictions.

The article says that patients can get better in 16 sessions with a cost of about $50-$185 per hour with much covered by insurance. The author calculates that a rate of 80% for each $100 session the patient would pay about $320 to get better! That compares very favorable to those people using drug therapies which could reach $ 40-$50 per month for years.

And a study from the The American Journal of Psychiatry showed that people with mild to moderate depression improved with CT. The author cites another study that found CT to be much more effective than a drug commonly used to treat insomnia in older adults.

Including in CT are relaxation and breathing exercises.