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| Express your gratitude this holiday season ‘Tis the season to be jolly! Yet for many people, the holidays can also be synonymous with stress. One way to make sure you experience the warmth of the season is to slow down and remember to acknowledge all the things and people in your life that make you feel grateful. What is gratitude? Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what you receive, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, you acknowledge the goodness in your life. And because, in the process, you recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside yourself, gratitude also helps you connect to something larger than your individual experience — whether to other people, nature, or a higher power. In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish positive experiences, have better health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. As a signature strength, gratitude is felt and expressed in multiple ways. It can be applied to:
Studying gratitude Robert Emmons of the University of California, Davis, and Mike McCullough of the University of Miami examined the impact of keeping a gratitude journal. All participants in their study were asked to write a few sentences each week, focusing on five things. One group wrote about things they were grateful for that had occurred during the week. A second group wrote about daily hassles or things that had displeased them, and the third wrote about events that had affected them (with no emphasis on them being positive or negative). After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on hassles. Gratitude is a way to step off the hedonic treadmill, appreciating what you have instead of always reaching for something new in the hopes it will make you happier, or thinking you can’t feel satisfied until your every physical and material need is met. Gratitude helps you refocus on what you have instead of what you lack. Try keeping a gratitude journal and make it a habit to write down or share with a loved one the gifts you’ve received each day.
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Do I need to get a flu vaccination this year? Q. Now that the fuss over H1N1 swine flu has died down, do I need to get vaccinated this year? A. You should, indeed, get vaccinated against the flu this year — and every year. That’s because the viruses that cause influenza (the flu) and the vaccines against them change from year to year. The 2010 vaccine includes H1N1 and two other viruses likely to be widespread this flu season. Infections of any kind, including the flu, can make breathing difficult, boost blood pressure, force the heart to beat faster, and rev up inflammation. A healthy heart usually weathers these changes without a problem; a damaged or weakened heart may not. In 2010, everyone ages 6 months or older should get the flu vaccine. It is especially important if you
If you have heart disease, get the flu shot, not the nasal spray. The spray contains a live but disabled virus that isn’t recommended for people over age 50 or those at high risk for complications of the flu. Other vaccines recommended for adults include a vaccination against pneumonia once every five years beginning at age 65 and a single vaccination against herpes zoster (shingles) at age 60. If you didn’t have measles or chickenpox as a child, or weren’t vaccinated against them, it’s a good idea to do that in adulthood, too. — Thomas Lee, M.D. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Harvard Medical School offers special reports on over 50 health topics. Visit our Web site at http://www.health.harvard.edu to find reports of interest to you and your family. Copyright © 2010 by Harvard University. HEALTHbeat is distributed to individuals who have subscribed via the Harvard Health Publications Web site. You are currently subscribed to HEALTHbeat as vivalaperry@gmail.com. PHONE ORDERS EDIT YOUR SUBSCRIPTION PROFILE UNSUBSCRIBE SHARE WITH A FRIEND SUBSCRIBE TO HEALTHbeat VIEW HEALTHbeat ARCHIVES
* Please note, we do not provide responses to personal medical concerns, nor can we supply related medical information other than what is available in our print products or Web site. For specific, personalized medical advice we encourage you to contact your physician. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Harvard Medical School: Express your gratitude this holiday season
