Sunday, November 9, 2008

Exercise Without Motion

"Your physician could assign you gratitude exercises and savoring training to reduce your unhappy moods and create more positive emotions in you. Among the proof that happiness is beneficial to health is the fact that people who are happy become sick less often than unhappy people. Just imagine a life with fewer doctor's office visits, shorter hospital stays, and more health and vitality! In scientific studies of happy people, those who are satisfied with their lives and have an optimistic outlook tend to report fewer symptoms of illness, and actually get sick less often when measured objectively." - Ed Diener

Some of my exercises:

- Listening to or singing an upbeat song. Though it involves motion, playing the guitar helps wake me up in the morning, which also helps raise my mood.

- Visualizing something I'm looking forward to. This is especially helpful as I'm waking up or falling asleep.

- Counting blessings, such as by thinking of someone less fortunate than me, or just recalling the events of the last day.

Bonus: Though it involves a little motion, drinking water early and regulary through the day helps stave off unwanted hunger pangs, just like brushing teeth keeps plaque away.

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