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 GREETINGS FROM JEAN
It was mentioned to me that it has been awhile since I wrote about my fabulous friend Hayley in my newsletter.
Hayley was the one who mentioned it.
Anyway, a few weeks ago Hayley and I were having lunch with a dear friend, who, like Hayley, is a breast cancer survivor. Our friend had something come up on her recent mammogram and the doctor wanted more tests done. Understandably she was frightened and did what most of do, started the "what if's." Hayley looked at her and said, "Don't board that train without a ticket."
Wow.
What a perfect thing to say. And don't we do that all the time? Catastrophizing. Shoulding. What if'ing. Working ourselves into a tizzy and then we find out it was nothing? Or even if it is something, we still spent a lot of time stressing ourselves out. Which won't help the situation.
So, this month do as Hayley does and ask yourself, "Am I boarding that train without a ticket?"
Keep smiling,
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Mind Your Body
- Feeling Great at 108 -
Psychology Today had a great article (May/June 2011) about how your responses to global questions are significantly better predictors of mortality than hard data, such as your blood pressure. A new study published in Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research cites four characteristics that seem to hold special weight in successful aging. Are you open to new experiences? Personality traits such as being receptive to the unfamiliar may directly explain why life for some centenarians is still as enjoyable and independent as it was in their younger years. Having a wealth of experiences may give you the skills to adapt to new problems.
Are you optimistic? "If you're more optimistic, you're more
likely to make changes" that contribute to good health. "Say I'm over-weight. If I'm pessimistic, I'll think, 'Why should I change my behavior? I'll just fail.'" Sunnier types believe success is possible. Are you conscientious? Centenarians who are more conscientious-i.e., more organized, more careful, and less impulsive-consistently report better health. Cautious qualities naturally affect well-being, Santrock adds: If you think things through, you're less likely to pick up damaging habits such as smoking, and you may take better care of yourself, say, by watching your diet.
 Do you have close relationships? Social support means a larger network of caregivers when you need them. But even before you reach old age, relationships abet health. Isolation ups stress levels, and "as people age, stress hormones stay elevated in their bloodstream longer. High stress levels are associated with a range of diseases." Maintain ties, and your hun- dredth birthday party may be a blowout.
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Emotional Wellness
-Prevention magazine 8.11-
First impressions are the ones that last, according to new research from University of Western Ontario. First impressions are treated as the rule, and anything else is stored as an exception. So if you were grumpy for your first chat with your neighbors, it could take many charming run-ins before they see your sweet side. Cut your losses and show your sunnier self first.
More than 50% of the participants in a new study about depression reported a better mood and sounder sleep after just three weeks of bright-light therapy. An hour of bright indoor light a day was an effective as antidepressants - and had no side effects. Best of all, moods continued to improve for weeks after treatment.
Masking your feelings can take a toll. That's because the more time you spend bottling up your emotions, the less energy you have for your assignments. If you work in a field that requires a poker face, such as law, social work, or health care - shift your focus to the nuts and bolts of your task instead of your emotions. |
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Quotes
-Responsibility-
A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life. ~James Allen
If you mess up, 'fess up.
~Author Unknown
Most of us can read the writing on the wall; we just assume it's addressed to someone else. ~Ivern Ball
Take your life in your own hands, and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.
~Erica Jong
You are not responsible for the programming you picked up in childhood. However, as an adult, you are one hundred percent responsible for fixing it. ~Ken Keyes, Jr.
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Feel Amazing with Rosemary
BRAIN BOOSTER
Need to memorize a speech? Smelling
rosemary beforehand may help new info sink in better, reports a study in the International Journal of Neuroscience. "Rosemary's aroma contains compounds that appear to act on the neurotransmitter systems involved with memory," explains the study's lead author, Mark Moss, PhD, head of the department of psychology at Northumbria University, United Kingdom. Pour some essential oil into a diffuser the next time you're in learning mode.
MUSCLE SOOTHER
Think of rosemary as your natural Icy Hot.
"The herb contains many therapeutic oils
that can help muscles loosen up," says
Trisha Shirey, director of flora and fauna at
Lake Austin Spa Resort in Austin, Texas. To
ease soreness, make Shirey's rejuvenating
rosemary body scrub: Combine !4 cup sea
salt and ground or finely chopped fresh
rosemary from the leaves of 1 (4-inch)
sprig; mix with 3 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil and 3 drops each of rosemary
and peppermint essential oils. Scrub skin
lightly with the mixture; shower off. Your
muscles will relax, and so will you.
CANCER FIGHTER
Using rosemary to prep your burgers and
steaks could make them safer to eat. Why?
Grilling meat causes potentially carcinogenic
chemicals to form, and rosemary's natural
antioxidants may reduce the levels of these
compounds by up to 92 percent, suggests a
study in the Journal of Food Science. Try
adding fresh, chopped rosemary to your
own marinade or mixing the chopped herb
into your hamburger patties, says J. Scott
Smith, PhD, the study's senior author and
professor of food chemistry at Kansas State
University. It'll perk up the flavor, too!
-Health May 2011 |
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CUSTOMER SERVICE
Above and Beyond
I was dropping some books off at my friend Diane's house and saw on top of the mail that there were some dog treats. She told met their mailman Mike always leaves them for Sadie, her dog. What a nice, above and beyond thing to do.
Rabobank in Nipomo occasionally gives a treat to their drive up customers. A candy bar with a note that thanks you for banking with them. |
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Creativity.....
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A Web Break Makes People
More Productive
- Harvard Business Review - | | |
Students who took a 10-minute internet break after a tedious task were 16% more productive afterward than those who rested by doing non-web activities such as talking on the phone or texting. "Browsing the Internet serves an important restorative function," say the researchers, who presented their findings recently at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management.
Some of my new favorites
Touching the Sky Without Arms
Thanks Hayley! Woo hoo - that's twice in one newsletter!
The Jive Aces
Thank you Andrea Seastrand!
Baby and Stairs
Guilty Dog
Thank you Diane Auten!
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