Mood

Forgiveness and Health

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ForgivenessMental health is a huge area of concern and public interest in recent decades. In particular, there has been much research into the effect our attitudes can have on our health. Forgiveness is one of those attitudes that can greatly affect our health in the moment and later on in life. This does not only include forgiveness of others but also includes forgiveness of ourselves. I would challenge you to explore your own thoughts and see if there are any areas of your life where you notice patterns of un-forgiveness. I do recognize that this is not an easy or comfortable process, but I challenge you to consider it and if you feel led to act to remedy the un-forgiveness, then do so for the benefit of your health.

Signs of Un-forgiveness

These may be some useful questions to ask yourself when reflecting on a particularly harmful situation or event that has transpired against you. For more information on un-forgiveness please see the source below from which this questionnaire was retrieved.

  • When you think of that person, does your heart leap up with love and joy for him?
  • Do you desire to have fellowship with them or do you try to avoid them?
  • Do you have no blame or condemnation of them or for them?
  • Do you say or feel in your heart: “I forgive them, but I don’t have to like them”?
  • Do you still make up speeches of what you are going to say to them, or what you should have said to them?
  • Do you still think that they should hurt or should pay for what they have done to you?
  • Do you still think of ways to get even with them?
  • Do you sometimes think hard thoughts and have to repent, only to think those hard thoughts again and have to repent, over and over?
  • Do you have strong emotional reactions when you think of or see the person who hurt you?
  • Can you sincerely pray for this person and bless them, sincerely desiring to see them blessed?
  • Can you, and do you honestly rejoice when good things happen for the person who wounded you?

Source: http://www.thhmi.org/Transformation_and_Sanctification/Symptoms_of_Unforgiveness/

Health Benefits of Forgiveness

  • Decreased stress
  • Improved mood
  • Positive attitude
  • Improved conflict management
  • Improved sleep quality
  • Decreased heart rate
  • Decreased pain
  • Improved overall health
  • Improved life satisfaction

Practical Ways to Incorporate Forgiveness

It is important to understand that a lot of these exercises will not work if there is not a direct intention behind them. If these are done just for the sake of doing them, it is similar to not having done them at all. It is important to be mindful and have a direct intention to forgive and be well when practicing these exercises. In addition, a lot of these exercises are not easy and they can even hurt when you do them. Embrace the discomfort, but remember to work within what is safe for you. If it is not wise to confront someone about the hurt, for example, do not do so. I also encourage individuals that sometimes you have to “fake it until you make it”. What I mean by this is that in some cases you try to forgive someone, but deep down inside you know you can’t. It may then be helpful to start speaking that you forgive them until you feel you are ready to forgive. It may also be important to seek more help on this issue from a spiritual leader, counsellor, psychologist, etc.

  1. Forgive quickly. When someone wrongs you, as hard as it might be, attempt to forgive quickly. This will prevent any bitterness, anger, or negative thoughts from setting in.
  2. Confront the person who has done you wrong and express forgiveness. Please note that this may not be safe or wise in all situations.
  3. Write down “I forgive _______” on a piece of paper.
  4. Do something kind for the person who hurt you.
  5. Speak out loud “I forgive myself. I am not mistakes”, or “I forgive _____. They are not their mistakes.”
  6. Pray for help to forgive.
  7. Consider the perspective of the other individual and attempt to empathize with them. Literally getting up and switching to a different seat may be helpful.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

Source:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09638280903166360?journalCode=idre20

http://pss.sagepub.com/content/12/2/117.short

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10865-005-3665-2

 

 

 

Gratitude Practices

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GratitudeAs Thanksgiving approaches this weekend, it is important to consider what one is thankful for. However, as some may have heard before, an “attitude of gratitude” is a type of attitude that should be adopted year round. This type of grateful thinking on a regular basis can have many health benefits including, but not limited to:

  • Increased ability to achieve life goals.
  • Increased happiness
  • Strengthened and built relationships
  • Increase alertness and energy
  • Longer and better quality of sleep
  • Increased immunity
  • Increase overall physical health

For more detail on the mechanism and precise estimates on how much gratefulness can benefit your health, see my previous blog on the health benefits of being thankful. Now that we know what being thankful can do for our health, one needs to know how one can adopt this gratitude mindset. Different individuals may choose to do this differently. For some it will be more of an outward expression, for others it may be more internal. The bottom line is choose what suits you best, and go from there. The list below provides some examples of what has been researched and shown to have positive health benefits, but you do not need to limit thankfulness practices to these suggestions. Get creative and get thankful in the way you deem best! I challenge you to try and conduct a thankful exercise of your choice every day and see how it benefits you.

  1. Record happy events – improve well – being and positive emotions
  2. Express gratitude – improve well-being and positive emotions
  3. Give thanks to God for all you have both tangible and non-tangible – In some studies when expressed toward God caused decreased stress and improved health in stressful situations
  4. Record things grateful for – improve emotional well-being and interpersonal benefits
  5. Look in the mirror and say I appreciate you and am thankful for you – For the health benefits of positive self-talk and for some other self-affirmations you can speak over yourself, refer to my past blog on positive self-talk.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

Sources:

http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/content/29/6/12.full

http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-XLKX200903022.htm

http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/psp/84/2/377/

http://roa.sagepub.com/content/28/2/163.short

 

Adapting to the Season

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A Climate Change Concept ImageRecently, I stumbled across some articles that pointed out some interesting information regarding the changes that occur within our bodies based on the season. The articles pointed out that our immune systems go through several different changes depending on winter versus summer months. Vitamin D levels are very much impacted based on the amount of sun provided, and so, levels are increased in the summer versus the winter. One of the studies also suggested that inflammation in the body is increased in the winter versus the summer. These changes could be due to a number of different things. Many instinctively suggest that the sun causes the changes, but I would also think that the changes that we make as individuals has a part to play as well i.e. diet and lifestyle changes. For example, exercise has a profound effect on our immune systems and level of inflammation in the body. I think it is safe to assume that many individuals are more active in the summer than they are in the winter.

Despite all of this, the article also expressed something very interesting. It stated that different immune system genes are turned on/off based on the season that an individual is in. My interpretation of this is that our bodies know how to respond and prepare for the season ahead of us. I think that this is something that we can take a little further when we discuss an individual’s health as a whole: body, mind, and spirit. Many of us try to keep up with the constant demands on us, regardless of the season. But similar to our bodies, it is important to adjust and adapt to our needs for that season. For example, in winter months, our immune systems may have to prevent a cold as opposed to in summer, we may be more susceptible to parasites because we are outside more. We need to take a similar approach when it comes to our mental health, and appreciate and allow ourselves to accommodate those different seasons. What I am suggesting is that it is okay to slow down, rest, breath and be at peace. However, it is also okay to have stress (in moderation) and be on the go. We need both and we need a state of balance. So often we do not take the time to slow down our pace and rest. If we are always in “fifth gear”, this mentality can only lead to burn out.

With this I prompt you to ask yourself “What season am I in? How do I need to respond to it?”, and to ask your body “What do I need?”, and provide that for yourself.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

 

Health Benefits of Sun Exposure

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Autumn Girl enjoying nature on the field. Beauty Girl Outdoors rMany public health campaigns are aimed at reducing sun exposure to address potential skin cancer risks and concerns. However, completely abstaining from sun exposure in general could be more detrimental to your health than good. As with many of the recommendations I give, everything in moderation. That being said, 10-15 minutes of direct sun exposure (including not having sun glasses on but obviously not looking directly into the sun) can have many different health benefits. Please be aware that this timing might be different for individuals who are sun – sensitive or those taking medications that increase your sensitivity to the sun. It is also important to use sun protection when the UV index is above 3.

This blog serves to provide you, my readers, with some information on how your health may improve from soaking up some sun.

Vitamin D Production

It is difficult to talk about sunlight exposure without talking about vitamin D. Our bodies need sunlight in order to produce vitamin D, which could benefit many conditions including depression, cancer, colds, illness, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), immune functioning.

Improved Sleep

With adequate sun exposure, we allow the natural processes and hormone regulation in our bodies to take place, specifically for melatonin. When we are exposed to sunlight (or artificial light) in the mornings, we are able to produce melatonin sooner in the evening, leading to an easier time falling asleep at night. This has been shown to be beneficial for insomnia, premenstrual syndrome, and SAD.

Mood Enhancement

Neurotransmitters are also impacted by sunlight, specifically serotonin. Serotinin is what I like to call a “happy neurotransmitter”. It helps to elevate mood and bring about mental clarity in general when it is in adequate supply. Serotonin is directly impacted by melatonin, and so, serotonin becomes higher when we receive enough sunlight exposure. As a result, the serotonin received could help with depression, SAD, poor energy, and poor concentration.

Immune System Regulation

Sun exposure can aid the immune system through many different mechanisms. Ultimately it helps the immune system remove immune cells that might attack your own body (self – reactive T cells) and thus prevent or help with the management of autoimmune conditions such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Psoriasis, Vitiligo, Multiple Sclerosis, Cancer, and some forms of Hypothyroidism.

Decrease Oxidative Stress

Though too much sun exposure can cause oxidative stress, adequate amounts can help limit oxidative stress. This can help with gene repair and limit DNA damage.

Increase Endorphins

Direct sun exposure has also shown to increase blood levels of endorphins, which could help to decrease pain and improve mood overall.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, please contact Elisha Cook at the Contact portion of the website for more information.

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2290997/