Inside your motivational minute, we’ve got ten tips to help you enjoy your day a little more…
Check these out:
leasure No. 1: Getting your zzz’s: Our experts unanimously agreed: Sleep is free and has virtually zero health drawbacks, making it the one treat no one should skimp on. Pillow time gives you energy, bolsters your immune system, boosts your memory, and even helps you get (or stay) slim.
Cut slumber short, and you’ll find it harder to make decisions (no surprise to anyone who’s struggled through a workday after a too-late bedtime). Plus, you’ll increase your risk for anxiety and depression.
“Lack of sleep has also been associated with hypertension, glucose intolerance, and belly fat — all risk factors for heart disease,” says Nieca Goldberg, M.D., medical director of the New York University-Langone Women’s Heart Program.
Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep a night, the amount that studies show is ideal. If you’re up-and-at-’em on less, don’t sweat it: Some people are just wired that way, Goldberg says. But if you have trouble falling or staying asleep, or can’t seem to drag yourself out of bed on a regular basis, talk to your doctor about possible underlying causes, such as anxiety or sleep apnea.
Pleasure No. 2: Playing hooky: There’s a reason it’s called a mental-health day. Studies confirm that time off — whether on a trip out of Dodge or a 24-hour staycation — relieves stress, lowering your blood pressure and your risk for heart disease.
It also promotes creative thinking (attention, bosses!). And women in a 2005 study who took two or more vacations per year were less likely to be depressed than women who took one every two years.
Can’t swing more than a few days away? No problem: The length of a vacation had no bearing on how happy it made people, according to a recent study in the journal Applied Research in the Quality of Life.
What’s more, the biggest thrill came before the vacation. So spread around the joy of that sweet anticipation by planning short jaunts throughout the year instead of one big blowout trip.
Pleasure No. 3: Sexual healing: Getting frisky is, hands-down, the most pleasurable form of physical activity there is. Having sex releases feel-good endorphins and oxytocin, the hormone that promotes attachment.
“That component of feeling connected to another person really benefits mental health,” says Alice Domar, Ph.D., the executive director of the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health.
Another plus: Subjects in one study who did it once or twice a week had higher levels of the antibody immunoglobulin A, which shields you from colds and other infections. Why doesn’t sex rank higher on our list? It can bring unintended consequences, from sexually transmitted infections (especially if you’re not currently monogamous and not practicing safe sex) to “oops!” pregnancies.
Click here for more from ELEV8.
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