The Benefits of March Madness at Work

Play: We were meant to play. Our DNA tells us it is healthy to play. Research shows play effects every facet of our life. March Madness is a great opportunity to be playful at work.

Laughter: Laughter is a great health benefit to our entire mind and body. Research shows stress can decrease our artery diameter by 35 percent. When we laugh we can increase our artery diameter by 22 percent.

Community: The health benefits of community are incredible. We produce healing hormones such as endorphins, serotonin and oxytocin when we engage in enjoyable community experiences like March Madness. This is an opportunity to build new bridges between your employees. Employees that did not know each other well get to discover a deeper playful, supportive, relationship by identifying with each other.

Ritual: The powers of rituals in a culture cannot be underestimated. Rituals like March Madness provide an opportunity to connect each of us. Employees that may have disagreements, or just don鈥檛 like each other, may find themselves discovering something new about each other they have in common. Rituals connect us to the cycles of life. Rituals like March Madness create memories and bonds.

Productivity: Some studies show March Madness reduces productivity. There are many different opinions and facts on the costs of March Madness. Most managers and leaders now agree that the benefits outweigh the possible economic costs.

Manage the Madness

Build loyalty and commitment: Have fun with March Madness to build corporate loyalty and commitment. Managers say March Madness is a great opportunity to create camaraderie, fun and optimism. Half of managers surveyed in a poll said they believed March Madness boosted employee morale.

Take the middle of the road approach: Show you are part of the experience, not the oppressive overlord. Take the middle of the road.

Encourage your staff to have fun but not to put their work off: Reinforce that each employee is responsible for their usual work not by counting hours but by their productivity.

Televisions in the break rooms: This pulls people off their tech devices and draws them into community and you control the amount of time they are drawn to watch it alone. It is more fun to watch it with the co-workers.

Brackets: Keep brackets posted and updated in the break room.

Team spirit: Allow employees to wear their favorite team鈥檚 clothing, ties, shirts, hats, shoes or slacks.

Decorate: Decorate their work space in their teams colors.

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Continued research shows our co-workers are the top reason we love going to work every day. These positive relationships at work increase our productivity and lower our stress levels.

Develop new friends at work:

• Become aware of your co-workers鈥� interests, hobbies and personalities.

• Prioritize time with friends at work. Give them the same importance as a business meeting or doctor鈥檚 appointment.

• A meal:聽Share a meal with a friend at least twice a month.

• Get together:聽Exercise, take a class or go to events together.

• Keep in touch:聽Coordinate a conference call with a group of co-workers once a month.

• Take a new look:聽Expand your concept of friendship to include co-workers from all age groups and all walks of life 鈥� each has unique gifts.

Commit today to exploring the restorative power of friends at work.

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Medical researchers know psychological stress can increase heart rate and blood pressure and constrict blood flow through blood vessels.

Anger is a normal emotion, and useful when expressed in healthy ways. Many individuals express anger in unhealthy ways, though, that can lead to heart disease, hypertension and stroke.

Understand your anger for your health’s sake

Anger is a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure or hostility accompanied by changes in the mind and body. Your anger releases hormones that can make you feel frustrated, hostile and aggressive. You can feel your heart racing, your blood pressure pumping; you sweat and your body may tremble.

It is important for your mental and physical health to learn how anger affects your life. The more you know about your anger triggers, the way your anger affects your mind and body and how it can destroy your relationships at home and work, the healthier and happier a life you will live.

Tips

1. Identify your triggers. Make a list of the anger triggers you know well. Become aware of the situations and people in your life that trigger you anger, and become aware of your body鈥檚 reaction to your anger.
2. Create and memorize affirmations that will keep you calm when your anger is triggered, such as, 鈥淚 am calm as I breathe deeply.鈥� 鈥淚 am detached from my anger, observing it.鈥� Research proves the tremendous power of self-talk in calming and reframing what the mind is thinking.
3. Take time out. Leave the situation the moment you become aware that your anger is being triggered. You may want to walk into another room, or stop a phone conversation and call back later when you are calm.
4. Relaxation response. Learn relaxation practices to develop anger and stress resistance, such as deep breathing exercises, a short meditation, guided imagery, positive affirmations or relaxing music.
5. Reflect on the situation. After the emotions have cleared from the anger situation, sit down and review the entire anger process you just experienced. How did it happen? What were the results? Did it go well? Was it handled badly?
6. Ask for help. Anger management is a common issue that can be addressed by professionals. You can seek help by going to your health care provider or your employer, or search in your community for a person or group that specializes in anger-management practices.

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Try mindfulness! Mindfulness helps you develop resilience to stress, depression and diseases while you become more happy and peaceful.

Mindfulness is the antidote to stress — the most sustainable, effective and enjoyable practice to reduce stress.

What is mindfulness? It鈥檚 becoming aware, detaching and observing your stress and emotions and the powerful thoughts and emotions that accompany them.

Mindfulness is being practiced by untold numbers of world leaders, taught to soldiers in our military as well in our schools and universities. Many of the largest corporations in the world, such as Google, McKinsey, Hughes Aircraft, Yahoo, Procter and Gamble, Starbucks and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, teach mindfulness to their employees.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health estimates that stress-related conditions cost corporations about $300 billion a year in increased absenteeism, tardiness and the loss of talented workers. And that does not include additional billions in health care costs. Research shows 90 percent of employee hospital visits are stress-related.

But you can begin practicing mindfulness today.

1. Attitude. Begin you day at work by focusing inward, take a few deep breathes and repeat a positive intention for your day.
2. Focus. Focus your attention on one thing at a time. If it is a phone call, a meeting or working on a report, keep your mind disciplined to stay in the present when your work.
3. Deep listening. Be present, aware and respectful in the presence of others. Look into their eyes, tune out any distractions and stop your racing. Focus your roaming mind when you are listening to another person.
4. Gratitude. Practice being grateful for your job, the work you do and your work family.
5. Renewal rituals. Take regular breaks during your day to come home to your mind, body and soul. Go for a short walk, listen to your favorite music, do a five-minute meditation or talk to someone you love.
6. Say ‘thank you’ and ‘goodbye.’ Straighten your desk, take a few deep breaths and be grateful for a good day鈥檚 work. Leave your work at work.

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Moodiness, chronic worrying, weight gain, sleeping problems, and constant complaining are just a few symptoms of frequent stress. When your partner is constantly stressed, you both are at an increased risk for all diseases including heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, insomnia, obesity, depression and Alzheimer鈥檚 disease,

A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that people were more successful in losing weight, smoking cessation, exercising and being active when their partner was involved. The study showed people were more successful in changing their bad habits for good ones when their partner also made a change.

Helping your partner with their stress can influence your health as well. Researchers from the University of British Columbia and Pennsylvania State University studied more than 1,700 couples and found strong connections between a couple鈥檚 physical and emotional health. Couples that have been together for a long time become interdependent and when one person experiences health problems they both develop them.

Tips to share your stress:

1. Be on the Look Out. Become aware of stress symptoms in your partner. Observe your partner鈥檚 stress levels. Begin to notice your partners stress triggers. His/her stress triggers may be focused around issues like money, career, weight, health or personal issues.

2. Listen. Actively listen to your partner. Be fully present, maintain eye contact, and focus on your partner鈥� words, emotions and body language. They may be frustrated, angry, sad or fearful. You are giving your partner the gift of respect and compassion when you actively listen.

3. Create a Plan. Helping your partner create a plan reduces stress, creates confidence and instills a sense of hope. Come up with plans together, share responsibilities and duties, or try changing your routine to help reduce stress.
4. Create Stress-Reducing Rituals for Two.To further help your stressed partner, come up with rituals that you and your partner can do together to reduce stress. Take an evening stroll around the neighborhood, join a yoga class or have a morning chat to prepare for a stressful day. Working together to reduce stress can help further grow your relationship.

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Most of us are familiar with the term “burnout,” but brownout is new in the workplace vernacular. The researcher Michael Kibler describes brownout as similar to burnout, but the symptoms are not as pronounced and overt.

Brownout employees look fine on the surface, as they put in tremendous hours and do volumes of work. But under the surface, they are like a steaming underground volcano, with swirling lava heating up and getting hotter by the day. They become more detached, have trouble focusing, become apathetic about life, have less contact with friends and get less sleep, and their mental and physical health deteriorates.

Employees with brownout can be a real problem for your business as they become more apathetic and overwhelmed. On the inside, they lose their passion for their work and your company.

Inc. Magazine reports that Kibler found it鈥檚 possible to turn a brownout employee around by becoming an active partner in their recovery. A company hired Kibler to create an executive-development program for 500 of its leaders for one year.

Kibler discovered 60 of these high performers were planning to quit the firm within 12 months. After the program, which focused on mental and physical health, work and family through one-on-one coaching, only two left the firm within the next five years.

Incredible results to say the least.

Tips for those suffering from brownout:

1. Meditation class. Meditation calms the mind and creates clarity. It can lead you home to your mind, body and soul. There are classes all over the place, even online. Try it.
2. Yoga class. When you get stressed or depressed, you disconnect from your body. Yoga is about the integration of the mind, body and soul. Classes are also available in person or online.
3. Get some personal counseling to have someone help you sort out your issues. You can get more clarity by having someone listen to you and guide you through the process.
4. Be honest with your family, friends and management at work. Keeping your anxiety trapped inside is only going to make this get worse. People who care about you really want to help and support you. Reach out.

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Even if you exercise, sitting too much will harm your health, a new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine reports. Sitting several hours every day, just like smoking, is bad for you, regardless of other healthful activities you do.

Research published by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute shows that people sitting every day may be at a higher risk for developing cancer.

An American Cancer Study finds women who sit more than six hours a day were about 40 percent more likely to die during the course of the study than those who sat fewer than three hours a day. Men were about 20 percent more likely to die.

Another study shows that people who sit are at increased risk of such diseases as hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease and cholesterol. Researchers discovered this by analyzing 43 existing studies that included 4 million study participants and almost 70,000 cancer patients over 14 years. Interestingly, this recent research shows that sitting for extended periods of time does damage to your health that cannot be undone by exercising.

Researchers found that exercising at least 150 minutes per week, the accepted public health guideline for physical activity, cannot reverse the negative effects of sitting for hours.

Possible reasons why: Sitting for a long time causes muscles to burn less fat and blood to flow more sluggishly. Both can increase the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and other problems.

Tips:

1. 聽While sitting, help your muscles push blood back to the heart by raising and lowering your heels, raising and lowering your toes while keeping your heels on the floor, and by tightening and releasing your leg muscles.
2. 聽Mix non-computer-related tasks into your workday so you are moving different muscle groups.
3. Get up from your desk about every hour.
4. Make a plan to stand regularly when you do certain tasks. Develop a habit whereby you stand up whenever someone calls you on the phone, comes in to talk to you, or as you read your email.
5. At home, stand during the television commercials. Set a regular timer to stand up every hour when you are surfing the web.
6. 聽Use standing and adjustable desks that allow for switching between sitting and standing.
7. Use a treadmill desk on a slow speed.
8. Do yoga stretches.

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Why This Day?聽, a researcher at University of Cardiff鈥檚 Center for Lifelong Learning. He devised a formula that uses a variety of emotional and stress factors to determine the most depressing day of the year.

• Light: Low light levels and bad weather combine to create Seasonal Affective Disorder.
• Bills Due: Holiday bills are hitting the mailbox and debt becomes more apparent.
• Resolutions: Many New Year鈥檚 resolutions are already broken.
• No Hope: People have low motivational levels and a feeling of need to take action.

Depression is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and the second-leading cause of disability worldwide. Depression takes a tremendous toll on our mental and physical health, our relationships and our economy. It is expensive to treat and the loss of production in our country due to depression is estimated at $125 billion in 2014.

Studies show 80 percent of people with depression are impaired every day of their lives. Depression increases your risk for coronary artery disease, stroke, heart attack and certain cancers.

Many people do not get help, and their families don鈥檛 support them because of the stigma and healthcare costs associated with depression. Blue Monday is an opportunity to open the discussion about depression and its destruction of our global society.

If you or someone you love thinks they may have depression, please go to your healthcare provider for a diagnosis. There are many effective treatments for depression including implants, mindfulness practices and emerging drug treatment.

Take one step at a time.

• Lighten Up: Research suggests shedding light on yourself with a light therapy box is one of the most effect treatments for SAD. Light therapy artificially replaces the sunlight hours lost during the shorter days of winter. There are many types of light therapy, so check with your doctor and Google your options to find the right light for you.
• Walk It Off: Do not underestimate the effectiveness of exercise. Take a daily walk around the block, around the office, or up and down the stairs. Get a buddy system with a close friend. Hold each other accountable to get out of bed and get moving every day. Studies show exercise produces endorphins that improve your mood.
• Eat Mood Food: Food is medicine. Food changes your mood. Eating breakfast sets your metabolism and regulates your mood for the day. Eat foods rich in Omega 3鈥檚, 1-3 grams-a-day, to reduce depression, but check with your doctor first. Keep B6 foods around to help the body produce serotonin, which can decrease in the winter. Grab a banana, eat a turkey or tuna sandwich or munch on some sunflower seeds.
• Chase It Away: Practicing research supported renewal rituals during your day can help chase the gloom away.聽 Do a 鈥�5 Minute Renewal Ritual鈥� to renew your mind and body: a few yoga stretches in your chair at work; a short meditation to grow your brain; go online to play a quick word game to build some neurons; listen to your favorite music to increase your serotonin production; or email a friend you love to produce oxytocin.

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The researchers found that constantly returning emails during your business day is now called 鈥渨orkplace telepressure.鈥� This new telepressure is a major cause of work stress and is a major health hazard. Employees felt chronically fatigued, struggled with insomnia and experienced burnout.

When you effectively manage your email, you manage your mental and physical health and your productivity.

To mindfully manage your email:

1. Disconnect from your inbox. Turn off your email alert sounds. This allows you to control when you check email, instead of letting them demand your attention.
2. Manage expectations. Let your coworkers, managers and clients know you鈥檙e managing your emails in such a way as to make you more productive. Tell them you check your email every two hours, but if there is an urgent need they can text or call you for an immediate response.
3. Create response times. Choose times during your day that work with your business to check your email.
4. Priority sorting. Select the emails that require a timely response and put others in appropriate files for later.
5. Quick response. Respond to your emails with a few lines to be timely and respectful. You may respond, 鈥淚鈥檒l get back to you,鈥� or, 鈥淭his is important so let鈥檚 get together about this later.鈥�

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A large body of research shows that happiness makes you healthy, including a study by Laura Kubzansky, a professor of social and behavioral sciences at the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Kubzansky has collated over 200 studies that show the relationship between happiness and health outcomes. Kubzansky found a connection between happiness and changes in health such as a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure and lower levels of inflammation.

Many of us think happiness is inextricably linked to wealth and status. In the modern culture, we tend to think we can find happiness 鈥渙ut there鈥� — at the mall, in the gym, or in a bottle in our medicine cabinet. All we need is a thinner body, a better job, a new spouse or more successful children.

Here are 10 tips on how to live a truly happier life:

1. Attitude of Gratitude: It is physiologically impossible to be聽grateful and experience stress at the same time. Research shows grateful individuals report having more energy and less physical complaints than their non-grateful counterparts.
2. Choice: Every moment of your life is a choice, and every choice you make has a huge ripple effect. If you choose to commit to practicing happiness and optimism, you can transform your life.
3. Proactive: Don鈥檛 be the victim of your life by constantly聽responding to other people and their lives. Create a plan with your deepest passion at the core and live in a proactive manner. You can become the hero of your life, not the victim.
4. Smile: Begin the practice of intentionally smiling. A scientist聽studying facial expressions tells us that when a person has a smile on their face, they release more serotonin and endorphins than non-smilers. Begin a practice of smiling to shift any situation into an optimistic opportunity. Smiling is a powerful way of turning on your body’s relaxation system. Smiling is a discipline. Smile first and the emotion will follow.
5. Laugh as often as possible to release the healing hormones聽endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers. Try renting a funny movie, or go online to a humorous site daily and share it with your co-workers. Laughter lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones and boosts your immune function.
6. Play; re-establish “childlike” qualities: Scientists tell us that playing increases your body鈥檚 immune cells that combat disease. Playfulness also increases your creativity and optimism at home and at work.
7. Health: When you care for your body, you create greater possibilities for happiness. Your body is your greatest asset, so please care for it tenderly.
8. Spirituality: The vast majority of happy people have developed聽spiritual practices that nourish their heart and soul. Discover what brings your soul passion, love and fulfillment.
9. Altruism and Philanthropy: A generous soul lives a rich, abundant life. Altruism neutralizes negative emotions that affect immune, endocrine and cardiovascular function. Altruism creates a physiological response 鈥� a “helper鈥檚 high” — that makes people feel stronger and more energetic and counters harmful effects of stress.
10. Forgiveness: Happy people know forgiveness sets the soul free. A famous person said, “Living with resentment is like taking poison and expecting the other person to get sick.” Open your heart to the gift of happiness by letting go of pain, judgment, anger and resentment.

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Before setting your goals for 2015, it’s important to take a snapshot of 2014. Most of us are tired of living our precious lives like Bill Murray in the movie “Groundhog Day.鈥�

Take a look at some tips for taking back your life.

1. Create a theme for 2015: Name 2015 with one word that would describe what you want this year to embody (for example, Forgiveness, Success, Prosperity, Love). What word would you use to describe your experience of 2014?
2. Choose concrete goals: Choose three things you would like to create in your life this year. Write them down. Commit to a ritual or ceremony to symbolize your commitment. Make a step-by-step plan. Assess how you are doing with your new goals — such as getting your new job, a better marriage, reducing your debt or getting healthier — every week.
3. Reinforce: Create an intention statement or a positive affirmation. This creates energy, focus and confidence as you work toward your goal. Repeat it often during your busy day. Stick notes along your daily routine — on the mirror, refrigerator, in your car or on your computer. (For example: “Life is good; I am healthy and strong”).
4. Remind: Use physical, sensory reminders that reinforce your memory. Listen to motivational music or tapes of inspirational people you enjoy.
5. Connect: Increasing scientific evidence suggests that your community keeps you healthy. Enlist support from friends and family. Join online groups and blog lists.
6. 顿别-蝉迟谤别蝉蝉:听Stress forces us back into old habits. Each time some event or person hits your stress trigger, practice stress reduction techniques. Do something fun at least once a day.

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Some tips:

• Set the tone for the season. Parents set the attitudes for the holiday season such as gratitude, sharing and giving.聽You are the CEO, the Chief!
• Set an example. Your children will follow your example! If you keep focused on what鈥檚 important and are mindful about the goals and focus of your holiday, you probably won鈥檛 get off track.聽When your children see mom and dad calmly, confidently, leading the family through the holidays it reduces the chaos and stress of the holiday season.
• Giving. Make or buy gifts for others so your children learn the powerful feeling of giving at an early age. Your kids can experience the surprise, joy and gratitude when another person looks into their eyes and thanks them. Make some cookies or brownies. Give the inexpensive gift by writing a note on a card telling a neighbor, relative or friend, 鈥淚 will wash your car, I will mow your lawn, I will babysit.鈥�

Volunteering and kids

• Empower your kids by allowing them to choose where your family will help others.
• Volunteer. Do this as a family to teach your children the rich practice of giving to others in need.
• Feed. Help prepare Christmas dinners for those in need. Check in with your community to see where you can help.
• Animal Shelter: Take blankets, beds, dog food to an animal shelter.聽 Animal shelters have enormous needs and they are forgotten this time of year.

Gifts

Talk to your children about their gift expectations. Have them make a list of 10 things they would like to receive. Tell them Santa will see what is available and maybe something on their list will come but maybe not the number one thing he or she wants.

Explain that other children have the same things on their list and for some unknown reason they may have needed it more than them. Maybe another child that got the gift they wanted was a child who was sick, or their parent was not with them or maybe they are in foster care. You don鈥檛 know why they may not get what they wanted but accept the gifts they receive with gratitude.

Rituals-Memories

Your kids love the rituals and time honored memories of this holiday season. Powerful rituals of the Christmas tree, lights, decorations, foods, cookies, candy, gifts, shopping, time off school and Christmas television shows are what create memories. This is a very exciting, fun-filled season for your children. It can almost be magical for a child. Sacred family traditions are created during the holiday season. Teach your children that they belong to family rituals that are unique and powerful glue for your family.

Create life-long memories and engage your children鈥檚 five senses.

• Taste. Cook, bake ritual family meals.
• Sound. Favorite holiday music or songs you sing together with the kids or at you house of worship or on the radio.

• Sight. Decorations, Christmas, wrapping gifts

• Smell. You plant the seeds and memories of the scents of the holiday season such as baking cookies, cakes and pies and cooking your favorite holiday foods. Smells associated with Christmas are pumpkin, gingerbread, turkey and peppermint.

• Touch. Baking, cooking, making gifts and decorating allow your hands to touch this special season.

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Holidays are a time when family, coworkers and friends have the time to gather as we withdraw for a short time from our hectic, fast paced lives. Our fractured or bruised relationships resulting from estrangements, arguments, misunderstandings, jealousy, betrayal or loss have the opportunity to be repaired and revived. Why not take the first fragile step?

Here are some tips navigational tips to help steer you through these unchartered waters.

1.) Courage: Take a deep breath and remember it takes enormous courage to take the first step. Taking the first step can open the door to unimaginable happiness you never knew possible.

2.) Baby steps: Take one step at a time and keep it simple. Your first step may be a short note or card, a phone call or an invitation for a cup of coffee.

3.) A Plan: Think through a plan and you may even want to write your plan down on paper. Get insight and advice from others who may know the situation and the other person or persons involved

4.) Stress and anxiety. Have your stress toolkit ready which should include deep abdominal breaths, memorizing a short positive affirmation and knowing your triggers with this person in this situation

5.) Expectations. Expectations of a specific outcome can be brutal for you. Try to shift your emotions from a specific expectation to hope. Expectations can be rigid and having your mind set on a specific result can impede this fragile process. Embracing hope opens the door to unimaginable possibilities you may have never envisioned.

6.) Surrender. You can only control your part of the equation. Whatever the outcome you have been courageous and offered the iconic symbol of peace. You have given the ultimate gift.

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漏 2014 海角精品黑料. All Rights Reserved.

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WASHINGTON — It kills us to be lonely.

Not having good friends is about as
harmful to your health as being obese or smoking 15 cigarettes a day,
according to research from Brigham Young University. Another study showed
that people with at least three close buddies at work were 96 percent more likely
to be “extremely satisfied” with their life.

Great health benefits

Research shows you can experience less stress and depression, boost your immune
system, reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease, improve cognition, live
longer and lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.

Friends vs. family relationships

Close relationships with children and relatives, however, have almost no effect
on longevity. says Lynne C. Giles, a researcher who conducted one of these studies
says. She said family connections are important, but have little effect on
survival.

Loneliness epidemic

We are in the midst of a loneliness epidemic. In recent years, the number of
people who have friends they can talk to about important issues has dropped by
about a third. Researchers believe that our tremendous use of technology, along
with large workloads, may influence the decline of friends and close
relationships.

Tips on making new friends

Old friends are like an anchor on your boat in life. They are lifesavers,
holders of our deepest secrets and loyal to the grave. They are one of life’s
greatest blessings.

But new friends bring a fresh outlook to our lives. They bring a new perspective
to all aspects of our life. New friends have “new eyes” into our lives. They
can bring in new energy, new possibilities and new adventures.

Here are a few ways to make friends:

1. Join up

Join organizations or take classes in areas of interest to you. Try a class
in yoga, tai chi or meditation classes. Volunteer with an organization you
have passion for, such as one that helps animals, children, the environment or
a hospital. This gives you an opportunity to meet like-minded people who could be
good
friends and share in your passions.

2. Work

Work is a great
place to meet new friends. Go for a meal with a
coworker, go to an event after work or a business meeting.

3. Your pit stops

Become aware of the people you meet daily at Starbucks, your grocery store or
favorite shop. You must like some people at these places, or you wouldn’t keep
going
back.

Is there someone you would like to invite to lunch or coffee to get to know
them better?

4. One step at a time

It is normal to feel a little anxious about becoming vulnerable and risking
rejection when you begin to make new friends. Take each step slowly and get a good
foundation and you will feel more secure. Some friendships will be shallow, and
others may develop into long-term, deep
friendships.

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“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”

— Cicero

Can gratitude enhance your health? A growing body of research says it can.
Gratitude, as a mindful practice, offers many health benefits.

It is physiologically impossible to experience stress and gratitude
simultaneously. So boost your health with a dose of gratitude.

• Gratitude research shows grateful individuals experienced less stress
  and depression and improved their ability to cope with stress.

• Grateful people are more optimistic and optimism boosts your immune
  system.

• Grateful people exercise more regularly
• Positive emotions enhance heart health by stopping the stress response
  caused by negative emotions.
• There are a lot of easy ways to begin expressing gratitude:
  • Waking up: Open your eyes, take a deep breath and be thankful
    for your body and the healing sleep you received.

• Bathroom mirror: Put a note on your bathroom mirror reading, “Thank
  you for my life,” or a famous quote you like on gratitude.
• Office note: Put a gratitude saying on your desk or on your wall to
  remind yourself to return to your grateful self.
• Meals: Be grateful for your food, the people and work it took to
  bring it to your table.
• Other people in your life: Tell others that you are grateful for
  them in your life, and why you are grateful for the gifts they bring into your
  life.
• Office: At weekly staff meetings, begin the meetings by going
  around to each person and each tells what they are grateful for in their lives
  that week.
• Bedtime: Close your eyes, take a deep breath, smile and say, “Thank
  you for this day of my life, my family, friends, the people at work. Thank you
  for my health. Thank you for my prosperity. What a gift!”
• You can teach your children gratitude too:
  • Gratitude journal: Teach your children to keep a gratitude journal
    and have them write three things they are grateful for each day.

   

• Before meals: Teach your children to be thankful for their food,
  the people who labored to bring the food to their mouths and the animals that
  gave their lives.
• Lunch napkins: Hand-write “Thank You” on your child’s lunch napkin
  when you pack their lunch.
• Bedtime: Before bed, have your children give thanks for their day
  and specific things that happened.
• Follow and <a
  href=”http://twitter.com/wtopliving”>@海角精品黑料living on Twitter and <a
  href=”https://www.facebook.com/wtopnews”>海角精品黑料 on Facebook.

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