Mental Health Care
Physical closeness through holding hands, hugging, caressing, and intimacy raises your level of oxytocin – the love hormone.
* Make concrete plans to spend time with people you love, such as your partner, family, or friends.
* Look on the bright side and be with cheery people. Positive energy spreads from one person to another like an electrical charge.
* Give your partner a massage.
* Enjoy some cuddle time with your pet.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Social Health
Good friends are good for your health and well-being.
Do you want to live longer? Spend time with friends! Researchers looked at 148 studies that focused on social relationships and longevity. They concluded that people with stronger social relationships had a 50 percent increased chance of survival. This finding held across age, gender, initial health status, cause of death, and length of follow-up period. Specific studies have shown that:
* Women with breast cancer who took part in a support group lived twice as long and had less pain as women who did not.
* People with successful friendships are less likely to have depression and immune problems.
* People with the least variety of social relationships were 4.2 times more likely to catch a cold. This was true even though being around others exposes people to more viruses.
* Having social support increases self-esteem and helps people cope with stress, grief, trauma, and relationship problems.
Benefit from friendships.
* Give and get emotional support.
* Relax and have fun doing things you enjoy together.
* Encourage each other to follow healthy lifestyle habits, such as being physically active and quitting tobacco use.
* Look forward to celebrating good times.
* Be comfortable to express wants, needs, and opinions without being judged.
* Feel a sense of purpose.
* Give and receive unconditional acceptance.
Being a good friend takes work.
* Communication is a two-way street. Discuss what’s going on in your life. Listen to what’s going on with your friend.
* Expect and give respect. Keep your friend’s private issues private. Ask that he or she does the same.
* Focus on solving problems, not just complaining about them.
* Make time for each other no matter how busy you are.
* Offer help whether or not your friend asks you for it.
Action Step
Call, text, email, or write a note to a friend today. Let your friend know how much he or she means to you.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Social Health
* Attend a support group with others who share the same health problem you have.
* Volunteer in a soup kitchen or food bank.
* Take care of your friend’s or family member’s children and let them return the favor.
* Call, text, email, or visit a friend today. Let your friend know how much they mean to you.
Dos
* Share your feelings with trusted relatives and friends.
* Vent your feelings and give and get support on social media networks.
Don’ts
* Don’t let your emotions get “bottled up inside.”
* Don’t post any messages or photos that you would want an employer or stranger to see.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Mental Health Care
Start counting the number of times you laugh a day. Set a goal to laugh more.
* Check out funny YouTube videos.
* Watch comedy shows and movies.
* Get a joke sent to your email every day, such as throughajokeaday.com.
* Act like a kid – tell and laugh at your own knock-knock jokes, hula hoop, or wear a fake mustache and glasses.
* Consider joining a “Laughter Yoga” class. Learn lots of laughter techniques while you move in positions to relax your body and mind.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
SUCCESS OVER STRESS
Spending time with people you care about can be a powerful stress reliever. This is true for every person in your family. Finding activities you all enjoy can strengthen family bonds, reduce everyone’s stress, and bring more fun into your life. Here are some stress-relieving activities that can work for the whole family.
Plan a craft night
Creative activities are a great way to relax together. Put on some music and get out crafting, drawing, or painting supplies. If you’re not much of a crafter, consider signing up the family for a class or a night out at a local craft shop.
Play a sport
Find a sport you all enjoy. Plan a weekly or monthly time to play together as a family. Keep it low stakes and focused on fun. Being active as a family can relieve stress and put everyone in a more positive mood.
Watch a comedy
Turn on a show everyone finds funny or look up some silly online videos. Instead of each family member retreating to their own screens, make time to watch something together. Choose something that will get everyone laughing to reduce stress and promote family bonding.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
HEALTHY EATING
You may already know that your diet can change how you feel mentally. If you’ve ever been really hungry, you may notice that you start to feel upset or angry. And, some high-calorie junk foods are called “comfort foods” for a reason. They make you feel better mentally, but only for a little while.
The link between the mind and what a person eats is complex. That’s why it can be so hard to make good choices when you have a bad day or feel depressed. But there are ways to fight this habit and start to make better choices, even when your mood is down or you feel stressed.
Why we want comfort food
Stress can make you want to eat unhealthy foods. This is your body’s way of trying to get fuel when it thinks you are in trouble. Although this is normal, you have the power to overcome it.
Take a moment to think about a food you are craving. Then think about your current emotions. If you’re feeling sad, angry or stressed, this could be why you want that pizza or ice cream.
If you eat the food, you may feel good for a few minutes. But unhealthy foods with lots of fat and sugar can actually increase the risk of depression or anxiety. This creates an unhealthy cycle that will continue as you eat those comfort foods.
The cycle of mood & food
If you use food to cope with stress or depression for too long, your body will get used to it. Then, when you do try to make a healthy choice, your body and mind may be confused. This could lead to an even stronger craving for those comfort foods. This cycle makes it very hard to make changes to your diet.
You can win!
You’re not stuck in this cycle. Eating fruits and vegetables can make you feel happy. When you’re happy, you’re more likely to reach for healthy foods again. This can start a positive cycle!
Source: American Heart Association
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
FAMILY LIFE
Child abuse affects hundreds of thousands of children each year. Even if you don’t know someone affected by child abuse, you can help prevent it. It starts with knowing its causes and risk factors.
Why does abuse happen?
If a parent or caregiver has these risk factors, child abuse is more likely to happen:
* Low self-esteem
* Poor impulse or temper control
* Untreated mental health conditions like depression or anxiety
* Substance abuse
* Lack of education or knowledge about child development
* Unemployment or poverty
In addition, if a child has special needs or a challenging temperament, they are more likely to be abused. Babies and young children, because they require constant care, are also more likely to be abused than older children. Teens are at a higher risk of sexual abuse than younger children.
Protective factors
Protective factors are things that lower the risk of child abuse or neglect. Protective factors include:
* Having resources for things everyone needs, like food, transportation and housing
* Access to safe schools and health care
* Parents who have ways to cope with stress
* A strong family support system of family and friends
* Children who have self-esteem, confidence and independence
* Parents and children who communicate well with each other
What to do if you suspect abuse
If you suspect that someone is abusing or neglecting a child, there are resources to help.
*State child abuse and neglect agencies:Contact your local child protective services office or law enforcement agency.
*Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline:1.800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453). Professional crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 170 languages. All calls are confidential. The hotline offers crisis intervention, information and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service and support resources.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Child Welfare Information Gateway
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
SUCCESS OVER STRESS
Loneliness is a risk factor for poor physical and mental health. Social support and connection are critical to well-being. While there are many reasons someone may feel lonely, social isolation is often at play.
As we age, many people experience an increase in the amount of time spent alone. If this leads to feelings of loneliness, the risk of chronic disease, stress, and dementia goes up.
Try these ideas to strengthen social support and connection:
* Adopt a pet if you can afford it. Animals provide companionship and comfort.
* Find a group that shares a common interest, such as an activity or hobby.
* Devote time each day to connecting with friends and family. Email, phone calls, texts, and video chats all work to deepen relationships.
* Volunteer with an organization you believe in.
* Join a faith-based community and get active in their programs.
* Join or start a group exercise class or club, such as a walking club.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Stress Management
Counseling can help relieve life’s stresses.
You don’t have to have a mental illness or lie on a couch and confess your dark secrets to benefit from counseling. Sitting upright and talking about everyday stresses, phobias, or life changes with a professional therapist can help you learn how to take control of situations that bother you.
Talk therapy can help you:
* Resolve conflicts
* Relieve anxiety and stress
* Deal with phobias
* Cope with major life changes or physical health problems
* Deal with a substance abuse problem, past trauma, sexual issues, grief or loss
Types of talk therapy:
There are different types of psychotherapy, also called counseling, psychosocial therapy, or simply − therapy.
1. Cognitive behavioral therapy. This type focuses on teaching problem-solving skills to deal with negative thoughts and behavior.
2. Psychotherapy. This uses face-to-face discussions to talk about, define, and resolve problems. It can help you understand the issues that may be behind your thoughts and feelings.
3. Support groups. A therapist conducts treatment in a group setting in which people in similar situations listen to and support one another and share coping techniques.
What you can expect?
During your first appointment, or intake interview, you will describe your reason for being there. The counselor may ask questions for more detail to outline a treatment plan that may include number of visits, how many times a week or month to meet, and type of therapy that will be most helpful to you. Your sessions will last about an hour at a time. Family members or friends may be asked to participate in certain sessions. Don’t feel obligated to stick with the plan if you feel confident enough to deal with situations on your own. On the other hand, speak with your therapist if you feel you need more visits than what was initially advised.
Action Step
Therapists are not all alike. Some may specialize in addictions or phobias while others work best with children and families. Ask questions to make sure the fit is right.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine
Stress Management
Good medicine is just a chuckle away.
Is laughter really the best medicine? Studies show that hardy laughter improves blood flow, reduces stress, lessens pain, and burns calories. Some even say it has healing powers as it sends oxygen throughout the cells of your body. It’s also contagious.
What’s so funny?
Find something to laugh about – a joke, your in-laws, your boss. If that doesn’t trigger so much as a chuckle, look in the mirror. That’s right. Laugh at yourself. Make a funny face, Lift your nose and oink. Stretch your lips. Crinkle your unibrow. If that doesn’t work, fake it. Research shows that the brain can’t tell the difference.
Humor is everywhere.
Surely, there is something within your reach to make you chuckle, snort, or chortle. Here are some tips to tickle your fancy:
* Act like a kid – tell and laugh at your own knock-knock jokes, hula hoop, or wear a fake mustache and glasses. If you don’t laugh, someone around you will.
* Go to a comedy club or listen to a comedy CD.
* Watch your favorite comedy TV show or movie.
* Get a joke sent to your email every day, such as throughwww.ajokeaday.com.
* Check out Online joke websites and funny YouTube videos.
* People watch.
* Spend time with people who laugh a lot.
LOL Tip
Pretend you’re viewing your surroundings through the lens of “Candid Camera.” Focus on silly and offbeat things people do. This helps you lighten up and brightens your outlook.
Action Step
Kids laugh 200 times a day. Adults laugh only 15 times a day. Start counting the number of times you laugh and increase your record every day.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine