A snoozer

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.
- Sir John Lubbock

Sometimes the most urgent and vital thing you can possibly do is take a complete rest.
– Ashleigh Brilliant

Sleep, love sleep, / The night winds sigh, / In soft lullaby. /

The Lark is at rest / With the dew on her breast. / 
So close those dear eyes, / That borrowed their hue / 
From the heavens so blue, / Sleep, love sleep.  
- Mary Weston Fordham

 ~~~

This post is a little bit of a snoozer (pun intended). I happen to be an untiring advocate for getting a good night’s sleep and enjoying a rare afternoon nap (aka "horizontal life pauses"). When with my preschool-aged grandkids, I think it most loving to fit in an afternoon nap.

So the findings of this article caught my eye “Midday naps boost learning in preschoolers” --
Researchers from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst speculated that since sleep boosts memory in young adults, perhaps naps do the same for young children. Their research, published in Sept 2013, reports “that classroom naps support learning in preschool children by enhancing memories acquired earlier in the day compared with equivalent intervals spent awake.” (If you’re wondering about nap length: 75 minute naps did the trick.)

Just for fun, here’s a few other brain benefits of sleep – culled from recent research - to encourage us to head for bed a little earlier (if you want more, google “importance of sleep” and you’ll be inundated with info):

 -regenerates brain support cells: Scientists from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, (as published in the September 4 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience and Science News article here) have discovered that sleep increases the reproduction of cells (namely, oligodendrocytes) that form myelin - the insulating material found on nerve cell projections in the brain and spinal cord.

 -benefits brain function: Recent research from Brown University suggests that sleep helps our brains to better learn specific motor tasks, such as typing or playing the piano.

 -improved frontal lobe activity: In 2012 a study from the University of California suggested that a bad night's sleep can lead to unhealthy food choices by impairing activity in the frontal lobe of the brain - an area vital for making good food choices (and wise choices in general).

 -less sensitive to negative emotions: The BPS Research Digest explores another study that proves sleep affects our sensitivity to negative emotions. Using a facial recognition task over the course of a day, the researchers found that those who worked through the afternoon without taking a nap became more sensitive late in the day to negative emotions like fear and anger.


It’s not just sleep at night that is beneficial. Resting during the day is good for you too! 


Try some meditation – a research team from Massachusetts General Hospital looked at the brain scans of 16 people before and after they participated in an eight-week course in mindfulness meditation. The study, published in Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, concluded that after completing the course, parts of the participants’ brains associated with compassion and self-awareness grew, and parts associated with stress shrank (cited at this blog post, and more on meditation at this 9/6/12 post).
 

Do something mindless – mindlessness prompts the brain to relax, allowing deeper material from the unconscious to surface – and all kinds of creative solutions with it, says Carrie Barron, MD, author of The Creativity Cure. A study from the UK found that people assigned to a dull activity showed the strongest innovative thinking later (sorry, I can’t find the study: feel free to question anything I write).  

A good rest is half the work. – Proverb

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. -Hans Hofmann, painter (1880-1966)

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." 
- Jesus, Matthew 11:28-29

Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths, or the turning inwards in prayer for five short minutes. – Etty Hillesum

Tree-wavings

We all travel the milky way together, trees and men; 
but it never occurred to me until this storm-day, while swinging in the wind, that trees are travelers in the ordinary sense. 
They make many journeys, not extensive ones, it is true; but our own little journeys, away and back again, are only little more than tree-wavings -- many of them not so much. 

-John Muir, naturalist, explorer, and writer (1838-1914)

Try a little self-compassion

Educational psychologists from the University of Texas at Austin surveyed 104 couple and found that partners who are kinder to themselves and more forgiving turned out to be more authentic, caring, and supportive in relationships. 

Read more at this U. Texas news site about the 2012 study published in the journal Self and Identity.

Grand children

Children – and especially my grandchildren, since they’re the kiddos I am most around – remind me to be grateful for and take joy in simple pleasures of life. 

Addie: stepping, making it across a gap again and again

Gabe: running, moving both down and up an incline with abandon

Noah: moving through space, being chased and caught and tossed up and put down

So many metaphorical applications to living for me. 
 Thank you God for grand children.

Too many choices?

“The secret to happiness is low expectations.” – Barry Schwartz

Ne quid nimis. (In all things moderation.) – Publius Terentius Afer (Terence), c. 171 B.C.

I am finally looking to upgrade to a smart phone. I’m quite aware that I’m behind my contemporaries: according to Wikipedia, “As of July 18, 2013, 90 percent of global handset sales are attributed to the purchase of iPhone and Android smartphones.”

There are so many choices about phone and plans that it is overwhelming to me - someone who doesn’t enjoy learning techy details about OS, 4G LTE, GB/MB, platforms, and much more.  Ugh. I just want someone to tell me what to purchase... but wait, shouldn’t I be appreciating all these choices?

“As psychologists and economists study the issue, they are concluding that an overload of options may actually paralyze people or push them into decisions that are against their own best interest,” says a 2010 nytimes.com article.  

Consider this now “famous” (among those who research choice, that is) jam study done in 1995  that was conducted by Sheena Iyengar, a professor of business at Columbia University and author of “The Art of Choosing.”

In a California gourmet market, then graduate student Iyengar and her research assistants set up a booth of samples of Wilkin & Sons jams. Every few hours, they switched from offering a selection of 24 jams to a group of six jams. On average, customers tasted two jams, regardless of the size of the assortment, and each one received a coupon good for $1 off one Wilkin & Sons jam.

What’s your guess on the numbers of those who --

stopped to sample? 60% of customers were drawn to the large 24-jam assortment, while only 40% stopped by the small one;

bought a jar? 3% of those confronted with the 24 jams purchased a jar, but 30% of the people who had sampled from the small assortment bought.

Sheena Iyengar, in a HealthCare Choices talk concludes, “When people have more choices than they can handle, they chose not to choose and stay with status quo, or often make errors if they do choose.”

Research also shows that an excess of choices often leads us to be less, not more, satisfied once we actually decide.

Barry Schwartz, a professor of psychology at Swarthmore College and author of “The Paradox of Choice” proposes that the more options there are, the easier it is to

 - regret your choice (anything at all that is disappointing about the option that you chose), and

 - escalate expectations (we may actually buy a better product among the more choices, but still feel worse as we wonder “maybe I didn’t find the perfect one?”). For more see his TED talk.

The researchers on choice assert that some choice is certainly better than none, yet it doesn’t follow that more choice is better than some choice, and seems apparent that excessive choice (a rather ridiculous problem for affluent populations) is worse than some choice.

So, here's a few suggestions to avoid choice overload--

Weigh the cost of searching for the absolute best option. Even though we now have the capacity, via the Internet, to research choices endlessly, it doesn’t mean we have to or should. Maybe limit ourselves to looking at 3 to 4 websites rather than a dozen or more. As Benjamin Scheibehenne, a research scientist at the University of Basel in Switzerland, said: “It is not clear that more choice gives you more freedom. It could decrease our freedom if we spend so much time trying to make choices.”

Become more comfortable with the idea of “good enough.” Seeking the perfect choice, even in big decisions like colleges, “is a recipe for misery,” says Professor Barry Schwartz.

Know when to ask for advice or turn over choice to someone trusted.

Appreciate what there is in this present moment. Whether making a choice about consuming or not, we are all more well when we are grateful for what we have.

As we start a new academic year and enter into fall, I hope for you to experience some choice rather than excessive choice. And I wish for you to find calming quiet and deep satisfaction in the midst of either much or sparse.

Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for God has said, "I will never leave you or abandon you." – Hebrews 13:5 International Standard Version

“A great source of calamity lies in regret and anticipation; therefore a person is wise who thinks of the present alone, regardless of the past or future.” -Attributed to Oliver Goldsmith 1730-1774

For compassion and presence

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”  ― Mother Teresa 

 “Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.”  ― Dailai Lama XIV

Summers afford many an opportunity to change up the routine. In that spirit, for this 1^st Wednesday August wellness email, I simply invite you to ponder these few words.

“It doesn’t matter what our spiritual, political, or social background is, we all long for tenderness, understanding, and safety. What gives meaning to our lives is to give and receive the care, sensitivity, and love that nourish our spirits…

What difference would it make to wake in the morning and greet your family, the stranger beside you on the bus, the troublesome colleague, with the intention to listen to them wholeheartedly and be present for them? Compassion doesn’t always call for grand or heroic gestures. It asks you to find in your heart the simple but profound willingness to be present, with a commitment to end sorrow and contribute to the well-being and ease of all beings."

-             - Christina Feldman, Compassion: listening to the cries of the world

          “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”  ―Aesop

“The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful then a thousand heads bowing in prayer.”  ― Mahatma Gandhi

For Presence

Awaken to the mystery of being here and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence. Have joy and peace in the temple of your senses.
Receive encouragement when new frontiers beckon.
Respond to the call of your gift and the courage to follow its path.
Let the flame of anger free you of all falsity.
May warmth of heart keep your presence aflame.
May anxiety never linger about you.
May your outer dignity mirror an inner dignity of soul.
Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention.
Be consoled in the secret symmetry of your soul.                                                

May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.

       - John O'Donohue (1956-2008), To Bless the Space Between Us

  

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.” – Psalm 103:8

[An aside: I read that the word for compassion, in Hebrew, is the plural of the word “womb”; to have compassion is to be towards someone a little bit like every mother is to her own child. Another source says the root of the word has the primary idea of cherishing, soothing, and in a gentle emotion of the mind.]

The Buddha was once asked by a disciple, “Would it be true to say that part of our practice is to develop loving kindness and compassion?” “No,” he answered. “It would be true to say that the whole of our practice is to develop loving kindness and compassion.”

Walk anywhere, anytime

  “But the beauty is in the walking -- we are betrayed by destinations.”
― Gwyn Thomas

“If you seek creative ideas go walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.” ― Raymond I. Myers

I like to walk. And I now appreciate walking a million times more after a couple of foot/leg mishaps in this last year (breaking my leg last fall and contracting cellulitis in my foot this spring – thank God for modern medicine). Since walking is my main source of exercise, I perk up whenever I read of a benefit associated with it. 


Walk after eating.

Just 15-20 minutes of walking 15 minutes after a meal can help with digestion and improve blood sugar levels (especially for those with Type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome).
Quoting from NY Times wellness blog -
*In one study in 2008, German researchers looked at what happened when people ate a large meal and then consumed either an espresso or an alcoholic digestif — like brandy or flavored liqueur — or walked at a slow pace on a treadmill. Walking, they found, sped the rate at which food moved through the stomach. The beverages had no effect.
*In a study published in 2009, researchers found that a 20-minute walk about 15 minutes after dinner led to lower post-meal blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes than either a walk before dinner or no walking at all. Another study, published recently in Diabetes Care, found that in older adults who were overweight and sedentary, walking for 15 minutes shortly after each meal improved daily blood sugar levels to a greater extent than a single 45-minute walk in the morning.

 “All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols

Walk outside.
A few small studies have found (as reported at NY Times wellness blog) that people have lower blood levels of cortisol, a hormone related to stress, after exerting themselves outside as compared with inside. Studies haven’t yet established why, physiologically, exercising outside might improve dispositions or inspire greater commitment to an exercise program. There’s speculation that exposure to direct sunlight, known to affect mood, plays a role.

 “Now shall I walk or shall I ride? 'Ride,' Pleasure said; 'Walk,' Joy replied.” ― William Henry Davies

Walk anywhere anytime.

You’ll reduce your risk of high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol profiles, diabetes, and heart disease compared to your sedentary peers.
Researchers Paul Williams and Greg Fonarow compared the total running expenditure based on amount of (self-reported) time/distance participants ran or briskly walked. They looked at six years of data from the National Runners Health Study (pool of 33,000 runners) and Walkers Health Study (pool of 15, 000 walkers) — conducting a large survey at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California. All runners were between the ages of 18 and 80 (with many clustered in their 40s and 50s), with men representing about 20% of the walkers.
The study, published April 4, 2013 in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, reported at cbsnews and webmd and citing this article* (below) – found
-walking reduced the risk of being diagnosed with high blood pressure by 7.2%, compared with the runner's reduction of risk by 4.2%.
- walking lowered the risk of high cholesterol by 7%, compared with 4.3% for running.
- walkers were 12.3% less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes, compared to runners at 12.1.
- walking reduced heart disease risk by more than 9%, compared with 4.5% for running.

“Warning: Before beginning a program of physical inactivity, consult your doctor. Sedentary living is abnormal and dangerous to your health.”  ― FRANK FORENCICH, Exuberant Animal: The Power of Health, Play and Joyful Movement

Less than one-half of Americans engage in the minimum-recommended amount of physical activity of 2.5 hours a week, a 2012 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found. The report, however, did show 62% of Americans went on a 10-minute walk each week, up from 56% five years ago.

Especially since it’s summer (where I live) it can be altogether pleasant to be outside, and engaged in movement. May you find many moments to enjoy moving – dancing, gardening, running, walking – this July.
Always I wish for all wellness goodness to you!  

PostScript: For you runners – there IS an advantage to running over walking: greater weight loss, possibly due to significantly higher blood levels of a hormone called peptide YY, which has been shown to suppress appetite. In a study published in April issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, reported on here, you can find more.
 *Paul Williams, Ph.D., staff scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, life science division, Berkeley, Calif.; Gregg Fonarow, M.D., spokesman, American Heart Association, and professor, cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles; April 4, 2013, Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology

A few quotes/poems to encourage or bring a smile --

"With beauty before me, may I walk 
With beauty behind me, may I walk 
With beauty above me, may I walk
With beauty below me, may I walk
With beauty all around me, may I walk
Wandering on the trail of beauty, may I walk"
-  Navajo: Walking Meditation 

“Love God, your God. Walk in his ways. Keep his commandments, regulations, and rules so that you will live, really live, live exuberantly, blessed by God, your God,” - Deuteronomy 30:16 (The Message)

Listen up

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. -Leo Buscaglia, author (1924-1998)

“Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue…” - James 1:19a, The Message paraphrase

I admit, I have a bias. I think being able to listen well is an amazing skill. So I gravitate toward the content of this blurb in a Bottom Line Health publication (a piece of advertising junk mail, really, but I’m always looking for interesting wellness tidbits). 

“Several university studies have found that people who interrupt conversations are at greater risk for heart problems. In fact, one study at Duke University found that people who interrupt are up to 7 times more likely to get heart disease! The researchers theorize that people who interrupt are excessively competitive and controlling, two hallmarks of the worst “Type A” personality traits. Now here’s the amazing part: These high-risk people can lower their risk without totally altering their personalities…and without any drugs, exercise or dietary changes. All they have to do is practice being good listeners.”

It took me many minutes – even with the powers of Google search engines – to track down the source. To my dismay the research is really old – definitely not cutting edge. Still it was a longitudinal study (22-year study of 750 white, middle-class men, published in Jan. 23 issue of the Journal of the American Psychosomatic Society, 1997) possibly worth the time to read.
Here’s what DukeHealth.org says, in an article published in 1997 and updated in 2004 (bullet points added for readability):

·         "Men who monopolize conversations, interrupt others and excessively compete for attention -- a personality trait known as social dominance -- have a higher rate of early death (60 percent more likely than all the other subjects to die of any cause) than men who have a more relaxed approach to communicating, according to Michael Babyak…

·         Conversely, men who spoke calmly and quietly had lower than normal rates of heart disease and early death compared to all other personality subgroups in the study.

·         "We don't know why this effect exists, but we theorize that socially dominant men are more chronically aroused and stressed, so they release more of the damaging stress hormones," said Babyak, a researcher at Duke University Medical Center, with co-authors include Margaret A. Chesney and George Black, UCSF; David Ragland, UC Berkeley; and Houston.

·         Babyak says that social dominance is not the same thing as being excessively outgoing or achievement-oriented because dominance is driven by feelings of insecurity whereas the latter traits are driven by self-confidence and the desire for personal fulfillment. Socially dominant people tend to be attention-seekers who are trying to get ahead at the expense of others and are struggling to prove their self worth."

Continuing, I read these words (still on Bottom Line Health, without any substantiation – why don’t they provide the research link!?!) 

“In one study, the test subjects focused on being silent while others talked. Result: They lowered both their blood pressure and their stress hormone levels!                

Okay, so I wanna say: maybe it’d be good for our own health and the wellness of the world if we listened more than we talked? Just a question to consider.

Finally we get summer here in Minnesota, and that means time outside with neighbors and friends, and possibly more opportunities to talk and LISTEN. If you’re curious to learn more on listening, follow this link for 10 Tips to Effective &Active Listening Skills.

May you enjoy listening and learning in this month of June. And may all goodness and wellness be yours, Dee

“I like to listen. I have learnt a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.”  - Ernest Hemingway

“Understand this, my beloved brethren. Let everyone be quick to hear (a ready listener), slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry…” - James 1:19

PS: Here’s an extra, on a totally different subject ‘-) In my searching for substantiation of research on the dukehealth.org site, I came across this which supports another of my biases (with some good research to back it up) – and that is that breast milk is best! If interested, follow the link (this research is more current, Aug 2012; in brief “breast milk, but not infant formula, fosters colonies of microbiotic flora in a newborn’s intestinal tract that aid nutrient absorption and immune system development.” Yeah!).