Women’s Health USA – September 2019

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WOMEN’S HEALTH SEPTEMBER 2019

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Sources: Lara Fielding, PsyD, clinical psychologist in L.A.;

Social Science & Medicine (study)

Sources: Joseph Reiff, PhD candidate at UCLA; Social Psychological and Personality Science (study)

Meditation may be a

strategy for stress relief, but

it requires focus—which,

unless you practice on the

reg, is in short supply in

crucial moments. If tuning

in doesn’t work for you,

tap into these techniques to

quiet your mind.

Pressure

Pointers

Thinking you’ll remain the same over time actually

leads to greater life satisfaction than imagining how

much better your world would be if you did X or Y,

according to new research. The reason? Fantasizing

about the future detaches you from your current

self, which leaves you less likely to notice opps for

improvement. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set

goals—doing so can stave off anxiety and depression.

But to crush life and feel happy in the process, focus

less on adopting a trait and more on changing your

behavior to align with a trait you already have. So

instead of thinking, I want to be more generous,

make specific actions—like sending birthday gifts to

friends—your goal. This closes the gap between your

two selves and gives you an action plan.

Be a Better Goal-Getter

MINUTES

2. TRY “WILLINGNESS HANDS.”
   Sit with your palms faceup on your lap,
   shoulders down, belly relaxed, feet
   flat on the floor. The position—one
   you’d never adopt if you were in dan-
   ger—sends a safety signal throughout
   the body. Sit this way for as long as
   you need to quell the urge to react in a
   way you might regret later.


3. TAKE AN EXTREME SHOWER.
   Stand under super-cold or extra-
   steamy water for a minute or a few.
   The physical relief that comes
   after the uncomfy temps will shift
   your mind into a calmer state too.


4. BOOST YOUR INTAKE OF FRUIT
   AND VEGGIES.
   Even one extra daily serving has
   the same soothing effect as eight
   days of long walks, found a recent
   study. Researchers aren’t totally
   sure why, but they do know that peo-
   ple reported mental well-being just
   a s high af ter eating more produce a s
   after doing other calming activities.

Source: Sleep Health (study)

The amount of lost sleep it takes

to dramatic a lly impair nex t- day

job performance. (Eek!) Blame

worsened judgment and ability

to stay on task, per a new study.

Good news: A 10- to 20-minute

power nap can refresh you.

WARM UP MIND