Women are twice as likely as men to feel blue, even downright depressed! But not you-not once you know the new science that reveals simple ways to make every day sunnier! So go ahead...enjoy every day more by. . .
In a study at Britain's Cardiff University, volunteers who ate a high-fiber breakfast cereal (one with at least 6 grams of fiber) reported feeling more upbeat, less stressed and more eager to face the day than those who ate a typical high-protein egg-and-bacon meal!
Here's why: Fiber helps steady blood sugar, eliminating the highs and lows that can leave you blue, and according to study author Andrew Smith, Ph.D., it also "flushes away chemicals and other polutants that build up in your system and affect your mood and brain function!"
Sure, listening to your favorite music makes you feel good, and listening to emotionally charged songs-the ones that send shivers down your spine, such as Susan Boyle's rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" on Britain's Got Talent-ratchets up feelings of bliss the most, say Canadian researchers, who used state-of-the-art brain scans to measure music's effects on emotions.Here's why: Researchers say that uplifting music activates the same pleasure centers in the brain that narcotic drugs activate, giving you, literally, an all-natural "high"!
YouTube.com/watch?v=mSZv9KKf0g0
"Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina & The Waves
YouTube.com/watch?v=iPUmE-tne5U
"I Feel Good" by James Brown
YouTube.com/watch?v=U5TqIdff_DQ
If you hate the emotional ups and downs that come a week before your period, grab your pillow! In a University of Ottawa study, women who took a 30-minute midday snooze every day during that week had fewer premenstrual mood swings than women who simply relaxed for the same amount of time.
Here's why: Changing estrogen levels the week before menstruation make nighttime sleep less restful, leaving you irritable in the a.m., says study coauthor John De Koninck, Ph.D. Luckily, a nap is all you need to feel refreshed again!
Just be sure not to skip the health articles! A new University of Alabama study uncovered a link between how easily women can access and understand health information and their happiness! In vact, those with the least medical know-how were more than twice as likely to be unhappy-regardless of whether they actually had any current health problems!
Here's why: Being up-to-date on the best self-care strategies makes you feel more in control of your life, which study after study links to higher happiness scores, explains Erik Angner, Ph.D.
A surprising Swedish study found that folks with no close office pals are much more likely to take leaves for stress-related illnesses than folks with co-workers they can confide in. And a study from the University of Michigan shows that dishing with others helped boost subjects' well-being and slash anxiety levels-making chitchatting a super-effective, all-natural alternative to antidepressant medications!
Here's why: Sharing with others boosts your body's production of two feel-good brain chemicals, serotonin and dopamine. Plus, telling someone about situations that you find upsetting triggers a drop in cortisol, a stress hormone that invites negativity and fatigue.
It's hard to be peppy when you're down-but moving at a snails pace is a sure-fire way to fuel an unhappy mood, according to a joint Princeton-Harvard study. Volunteers who agreed to whisk through various chores experienced a surge in elation and creativity, while those who did them at the regular speed felt far less positive and more sluggish.
Here's why: Moving at a fast pace stimulates electrical activity in areas of the brain responsible for alertness, which has a beneficial effect on mood and energy!
Created by Sindy Williams
The above information was taken from an article written by Gabrielle Lichterman in Woman's Day Magazine August 2009
No comments:
Post a Comment