|
Author: Priya Shah Article source: http://www.eslteachersboard.com/. Used with author's permission.
In the international bestseller, Blink, Malcolm Gladwell explains how researchers who study mind-reading using body language and facial expressions found that the old clichéd advice to smile when you're feeling down really works.
Just moving those facial muscles into a happier position can actually perk you up mentally and emotionally, say the researchers, who are finally beginning to understand and accept the link between mind and body.
Other research has found that simply recalling one episode of anger depresses the immune system for up to seven hours - but one episode of feeling compassion or caring enhances the immune system for about the same amount of time.
A happy outlook towards life appears to trigger the release of endorphins. Endorphins relax the cardiovascular system and cytokines, which alert the immune system to pay attention in detecting abnormalities like cancer cells.
Even though the physiological make up of emotions themselves have not yet been identified, some researchers suspect that a small portion of the brain called the insular cortex may be the key.
The insular cortex regulates the autonomic nervous system, which controls the automatic functions of our body such as breathing heartbeat and blood pressure. It also plays a role in higher brain functions and helps to process anger, fear, joy, happiness and sexual arousal.
When the insular cortex is stimulated for long periods of time, it can change heart rate and blood pressure and even cause a kind of damage to the heart muscle that is similar to sudden cardiac death. Its not surprising then, that sorrow, anger and other negative emotions can cause a malfunction of the insular cortex.
Whatever happens in those six inches between your ears, one thing is certain. Optimism, laughter, love and other positive emotions can counteract many harmful effects at any age, even in your sixties, seventies, and eighties, and beyond!
Research has shown that positive attributes as dependability, trust, agreeableness and open-mindedness are associated with a two to four year increase in life expectancy.
Let's explore some tips for developing a better outlook on your world.
Listen carefully to yourself. If you have put yourself down since childhood, over a lifetime negative subliminal message can take their toll by turning you into a pessimist.
Spend one week writing down the phrases you use in your "self talk." Chances are you will find that you repeat a dozen or so phrases over and over again that reinforce that negative image. If you know about them, you can change them.
If an issue is not resolved it will continue to plague you and you will relive the negative emotions tied to that issue over and over again. Write yourself a letter spending about 20 minutes a day for four days and write about what you feel. Forget grammar, punctuation and so on. No one else will see this but you and you can throw it away when finished.
Once you begin to write, don't stop until the time is up. This exercise will help you organize your thoughts and get them out of your system. By the end of the four days most people feel much better about themselves.
Seek out new challenges and opportunities. Always have something that is a goal just over the horizon. When you begin to close the gap and reach that goal, set another and another. Keep yourself consistently moving ahead.
Try and do one new thing every week or month. Visit a museum, go to the zoo, go to a book signing or lecture. The goal here is to eliminate monotony, which is a sure killer of optimism.
Look for a new marvel of nature each day. Discover an abundance of happiness. Spoil your pet or if you don't have one, visit the human society and adopt one.
Learn to laugh at yourself. Allow yourself to experience grief but don't let it control you.
Find someone who is worse off than you and lend a hand. Volunteer at a hospital; visit a nursery or a shelter.
Have a healthy sex life. Sex at middle age can actually become better and more satisfying than ever before.
Don't wait to plan for your retirement. Waiting until you are 60 will have very bad repercussions on the quality of life for your remaining years.
Here are a few quick tips for increasing joy, hope and optimism that will work no matter what your age:
Make a list of at least 50 great things that happen to you every day.
Laugh a lot. You'll heal your body and your mind.
Discover a new challenge each month.
Try meditating for just five minutes each day. Copyright © 2005 Priya Shah
Priya Shah edits the Health Naturale portal. For more tips on anti-aging and living a longer, healthier life, visit Anti-Aging Treatments
This article may be reprinted as long as the resource box is left intact and all links are hyperlinked.
How to Choose the Right Bank Account for Your Needs
Opening a new bank account is a major step in your life, and as such it should not be taken lightly.
A Kernel of Truth about Relationships: 4 Steps to Improvement
It's all about relationships! proclaimed my father during our recent holiday visit with my parents. Santa Claus coffee cup in one hand and a wagging finger towa...
Abundance Creating Resources You Already Have
To create abundance in your life you need certain resources. Are you aware that you already have all the resources you will need to achieve your success and goa...
The Big Mo : Momentum and the Hiring Process
As the economy heats up, talent pools of high quality candidates will shrink. Recruitment will become more challenging. HR professionals and Hiring Managers wou...
Reduce Emotional Stress With Five Coping Strategies
Whether you're a team leader, CEO, or a secretary, YOU have the capacity to affect the culture for better and for worse, by YOUR capacity for full and complete ...
Musical Improvisation Basics - Four Strategies For Playing Wrong Notes
While it probably doesn't seem like this would help - let's face it - if you are unwilling to play a lot of wrong notes, you're never going to learn how to do a...
10 Best Reasons Older Adults Need to Practice Yoga and the Soft Martial Arts
Today, millions of older Americans are experiencing a higher quality of
life by taking an active and positive approach to their personal
wellness.Yoga and Chi...
Dating Advice: How to Find the Love of Your Life
Do you know how we all long to find the love of our life? Read on for some tips and tools for finding your soul mate.
How to Makeover a Drab Concrete Patio
Options for covering or remodeling drab concrete patios...
Watching the Watchers: Detection and Removal of Spyware
If spyware were a person and he set himself up in your
house, you are likely going to do one of two things. You'll
kick him out yourself or you'll call someone ...
A Coat of Arms – An Easy Way to Design and Make It
Making a Coat of Arms can be a fun activity. Use it for a gift or to add to your personal stationery.
Tips for Better Vacation Photos
Here are a few tips that will improve the quality of your vacation pictures.
Stress Management: Workaholism is a Thief
You can rarely think about anything else or concentrate on something else beside work. The focus of your mind is on problems and issues at work. You may be good...
Boost Your Sex Power - Natural Ways
If your sexual tempo is decreased after sunny summer days do not be anxious! This is totally normal. You will find a few recommendations and a special formula f...
Seven Secrets For Building Customer Loyalty In Your Restaurant
Imagine how much your sales and profits would increase if each of your customers come back just one more time a week or a month. You would boost your sales by ...
One Thing You Cant Hide
One of the most important of all motivators at work is consideration. Employees report that the best managers they ever had were people who cared about them as ...
How to Multiply Your Freelance Writing Work
You can turn your $200 fee to write a press release into $2,000 to carry out an entire PR campaign simply by convincing clients to invest in campaigns, instea...
De-materialization #1
There are not many people who can believe that Pythagoras bi-located or that this is part of how Jesus resurrected. There are far fewer people who have had the ...
The Great Value Of Accident Photographs
You were humming along on a bright and sunny day when suddenly Fred Fuddle, a local character from a nearby town, drunk as a skunk and zooming along in his pick...
A Daddy Baby Shower - New Twist on the old Baby Shower
Try something new, a Daddy Baby Shower. Even though no one would realistically expect a new daddy-to-be to sit around with his closest buddies, opening baby sho...
Web Designers Beware!
Web Designers face a huge occupational threat online. Web Design Templates are competing for the same clients, but for much less money.
Designing Kitchens
A look at some of the issues involved when designing kitchens.
Accepting Credit Cards on Your Website
Most of the online websites you see nowadays are selling their products, services or their Auctions are accepting Credit Cards, which is making eCommerce, a Mul...
Bank Robbery Growing In U.S.
Bank robbery has grown to become a huge problem in the United States, but I am not talking about people robbing banks. I am talking about banks robbing people....
|
Print this page