Views: 1 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2014-11-27 Origin: Site
New scientific research offers surprising ways to shower yourself with tranquility, creativity, longevity and more.
1, Optimism.
Never mind if you don't have hours a day-- Even a few minutes spent in quiet contemplation once in a while yields noticeable benefits.
A group of adults who meditated an average of six hours and 13 minutes over the course of five weeks developed patterns of brain activity typically associated with positive moods.
2, Serenity
When mice were fed a stain of probiotics found in some yogurt, they became calmer under stress, Irish and Canandian scientists observed.
They were less likely to panic like their brothered brethren, and they produced fewer stress hormones-Effects similar to those brought on by antidepressants. look for yogurt that has active probiotic cultures, and say"Mmmm"
3, Creative thinking
Volunteers who worked in rooms lit by a lamp with in incandescent lightbulb instead of overhead fluorescents solved problems requiring novel thinking more successfully.
Scientists say the symbolism of the bulb led to the subjects bright ideas, and cited "a growing body of research showing that perception of objetcs can subtly influence our behavior.'
4, Belonging
Undergraduates who considered chicken soup a comfirtable food and then were fed some scored higher on a phycological test of social connectedness than those who weren't given an soup. When given a word fragment like incl, they converted it into a relationship word such as include, instead of a neutral term, like incline, because the dish stirred a sense of connection.
5, Vitality
Tired? Draggy? Stuck in your office? Picture yourself outside beneath an arching sky and canopied branches. Daydreaming about nature is energizing, according to a new study.
And if you can go outdoors, even better: as little as 20 minutes in a natural setting demostrably increase people's energy levels for the day
6, Longevity
Using data from about 10000 adults tracked over 50 years, scientists discovered that volunteering, especially for altruistic motives, can be a lifesaver. People who reported giving their time because they wanted to help others outlived those who did so mostly for their own satisfaction.
7, Bliss
Researchers asked volunteers to rate their level of happiness the last time they spent money on themselves or no someone else. Not only were the givers happier but when presented with extra cash to use as they wished, they were more apt to spend it on others. they study's authors concluded " a positive feedback loop" exists between offering gifts and well-being.
8, A healther Diet
To make better choices at the grocery store, bring dollar bills, a revelatory study shows. Analyzing 1000 households, researchers found that shoppers who paid by credit card tended to select chips, cookies, and other junk food. The theory: shelling out cash is more psychologically painful, so people are less likely to spend it on unhealthy goods.
