6 Illnesses That Happiness Can Decrease

Health Benefits of Happiness

Just as stress creates a negative impact on health so happiness creates a positive impact on health. This is not just the removal of the problems caused by stress but actual improvements in health due to happiness.

Some illnesses that happiness has the potential to either decrease the risk of or limit its severity include:

• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Cardiovascular disease
• Pulmonary disease
• Colds
• Upper respiratory infections

With those sorts of benefits being happy is worthwhile, not that anyone really wants to be anything but happy. However, judging by the number of unhappy people around, being happy may not be that easy at times.

Even though your particular circumstances may be difficult, finding ways to create moments of happiness can pay big dividends.

Athletes have found that when they get fatigued and feel like they can't continue, if they smile it changes their body. They can have a 30% increase in their performance for the next several minutes. That tells us that even if we have to "act as if", even a pretend smile or laugh can bring some benefits to our health.

Things to do

• Laugh
• Smile
• Maintain relationships
• Make friends
• Do some fun activities
• Go for a walk
• Smell the roses, enjoy the scenery
• Think happy thoughts
• Get proper sleep
• Find ways to replace the worrying thoughts with happier ones

An article by the American Happiness Association says that neuroscience has discovered that optimism is important for the health of our brains. The brain has a center for optimism and if that center is not developed we get depressed. Food for thought anyway.

Be happy,

Jocelyn

A 9 Point Affirmation

Affirmations could be said to be inspiring self talk. Now that has to be better than telling yourself negative stuff or beating yourself up about something.

Here are 5 positive benefits to using positive affirmations:

• Develops a positive attitude to life
• Relieves stress
• Act as motivators
• Helps to develop a happy frame of mind
• Trains the subconscious mind

Over the years I have used affirmations at various times. I remember at one time I had a whole stack of affirmation cards that I would go through a couple of times a day.

In the last little while, I have come across an affirmation, that to me, is the most complete affirmation I have seen. It is like all the affirmations combined into one short statement.

I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious, happy, intelligent and affluent.

I came across the concept for this affirmation in The Master Key System by Charles Haanel. This work, written in 1912, was the basis for the popular movie "The Secret". I have added the last two words to the original affirmation as I felt that it rounded it out more fully.

By memorizing this one affirmation it is easy to use it at any time, many times a day.

Be great,
Jocelyn

13 Money Saving Tips for 3 Areas

In the economic times that we are living many people are looking for ways to make their money go further. More and more people are finding that they are spending more than they are earning. There is of course a limit to how long one can continue to spend more than what comes in.

Whether your situation is as dire as that or just under mild pressure, some tips on how to make your money go further never go astray.


Cut Food Costs - This does not mean cut your food.

• Do not go grocery shopping when hungry
• Shop with a list
• Look for specials
• Do not buy convenience items. - Cook from scratch as much as you can.
• Buy meat when on special and freeze
• Choose fruit and vegetables by freshness, cost and what is in season. Adjust menus to what you bought rather than buying something expensive because it is in the recipe.
  

Cut your energy costs

• Keep your furnace filter clean
• Whether it is for heating or cooling adjust your thermostat. Don't set it to hot in winter or for summer cooling don't set it to cool. This can save about 5% of your costs.
  
• Use energy saving bulbs.
• Check the deals for the different energy providers. Maybe there is a better deal.

Save on your phone bill

• Check your mobile phone costs. Is there a provider that can meet your needs for less?
• Check all your phone calling patterns. What offers are there that can provide what you need for less?
• Consider using VOIP for your phone calls. If you already have high speed broadband it could save a considerable amount.

There are plenty of ways that costs can be reduced. Shop around for everything. Always get more than one quote.

More detailed tips and information on making your money go further can be found in Douglas Hanna's "Surviving the Recession". For more information on the book visit http://savemoney.jocelynkaye.com

9 Health Benefits of Laughter

Laughter has often been said to be the best medicine. That statement is more than just a saying that has been around for a long time. There is actually a lot of truth in it. Modern research has found quite a number of ways that laughter benefits our health.

Laughter

• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces stress hormones
• Boosts immune function
• Raises the level of T-cells that fight infection
• Raises levels of antibodies that destroy disease
• Triggers release of endorphins - natural painkillers
• Decreases stress hormones
• Protects the heart
• Relaxes the whole body
  

Laughter Opportunities

With laughter having such healthy benefits, it is good to make sure that we laugh more often. Here are some strategies that can help you to increase the amount of laughter in your life.

• Laugh with friends. Laughter is contagious. Find things to do with friends that will create laughter and good feelings - go to movies, play games, tell jokes.
  
• Movies and other entertainment. Watching funny movies can be an easy way to get laughing.
  
• Keep a sense of humor about life. Instead of seeing all the negatives, find something to laugh about in every situation. This really reduces stress and increases the opportunities to laugh.
• Act as if. If you can't laugh for real, pretend until you can. Put on smiles and laughter gives the same results as real or spontaneous smiles and laughter. You still get the same positive results.

Laughter is free, and available at any time. It has tremendous power to heal and renew. It can foster good relationships, and support physical and emotional health. Be sure you get your dose of laughter each day.

Be happy
Jocelyn

Foods to Make You Happy

It is interesting how much the foods we eat actually influence how we feel. While it is important to have a positive mental attitude and do those things that help keep us emotionally healthy, it will be difficult to do this if our diet is not adequate.

The foods we eat are the building blocks for our body. If the body is doing its regular repair and maintenance work and the necessary ingredients are not there, the repair and maintenance still goes on. The result though is a weakened structure. Over time this can seriously set one up for ill health.

How we feel, whether we are happy or sad is not only regulated by external circumstances or by how well we manage our self talk. It is also influenced by the food we eat. There are amino acids (proteins), vitamins and minerals that are needed to make sure that neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine and epinephrine are present in the correct proportions.
These neurotransmitters, amongst other things, are able to increase levels of alertness and energy.

Some examples of nutrients and foods that help to increase happiness are:

Folate

• Green leafy vegetables
• Beet root,
• Strawberries
• Oranges
  

Vitamin B6

• Beans
• Nuts
• Eggs
• Meats
• Fish
• Avocados
• Bananas
  

Vitamin B12

• Meat
• Fish
• Poultry
• Eggs
• Milk

Selenium

• Brazil nuts
• Walnuts
• Eggs
• Tuna
• Meats
• Legumes

Magnesium

• Green leafy vegetables
• Nuts and seeds
• Whole grains
• Fish
• Quinoa
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Potatoes

Foods that can help to keep depression and anxiety at bay, and increase memory and concentration are certainly useful in building a healthier and happier life.

If the right nutrients are not available your body will find it very hard to keep you feeling happy, alert and energetic.

Stay healthy
Jocelyn

10 Stress Reducing Techniques

Stress comes from many different sources. If stress is allowed to accumulate and get out of control it not only decreases our quality of life but creates illness in the body. If allowed to continue it has been known to shorten the life span.

Here are 10 different ways that might help to decrease stress.

1. Play some relaxing music.
2. Get plenty of sleep.
3. Eat a good diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals. If necessary take a vitamin supplement.
4. Get some sunshine regularly.
5. Take a walk outdoors. Take time to enjoy the flowers, sunset, scenery etc.
6. Having soft squeezable items handy can help to release tension.
7. Take up a hobby. Find something that you enjoy doing and make time for it.
8. Running. Any form of exercise that is enjoyed will help to reduce stress.
9. Have a pet. Many people keep pets to help reduce stress.
10. Have an aquarium. Keeping an aquarium has been known to help to lower blood pressure and to relieve stress.

What ever method of stress reduction that you choose, it must be readily available. Choose something that will fit in with your way of life.

As a bonus tip I am told that playing computer games works to reduce stress but if they are played as a form of procrastination they will eventually increase the stress. So choose your stress reduction method wisely.

Enjoy life and have fun

Jocelyn

From Vegetables to Attitude

The other day I was looking at the term 5 a day, meaning to eat 5 serves of fruit and vegetables a day. I came across an article that was asking did you get your 5 a day only they weren't talking about fruit and vegetables. What they meant was did you do 5 things today that would improve your mental state?

I thought that it was a great idea to apply the "did you get your 5 a day" to other things. Some things that I thought of were:

• Keep good attitudes
• Have a positive mental attitude
  
• Improve your mental state
• Enhance personal relationships
• Improve or keep good health
• Move ahead in your field of work

Undoubtedly, you might be able to think of some others.

It takes 30 days for an action to become a habit. If one was consciously aware of doing 5 specific things in the area they wanted to work on for a month, those actions would probably have become automatic by then. Once things become automatic, they become a part of the normal fabric of our lives, without having to be conscious of them.

Pick an area that you would like to work on. Find 5 things that you could do today that would improve it. Put it into practice. Here is an example of some things that could be done to improve mental state.

• Get adequate sleep
• Do some daily exercise
• Watch your diet - don't eat junk food
• Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables
• Drink plenty of water
• Smile at people
• Compliment someone
• Find 5 things to be thankful for
• Do something specific to relax
• Laugh

Well that is 10 suggestions. What I noticed as I wrote them is that they would fit equally well in the improve or keep good health category. There will always be overlap with things like this. It really doesn't matter. The important thing is to be conscious of doing something that will improve things for you in some way.

Have fun and enjoy yourself,
Jocelyn