lecture 13

Mind-Body Relationship

• Meaning in life is associated with improved immune function, lower cholesterol, better glucose control, improved cardiovascular health, quicker recovery from illness, better adjustment to chronic conditions, and reduced mortality.

Positive Emotions and Health

• Positive emotions are linked to longevity, less risk of catching colds, and induced positive thinking reduces cortisol response.
• Optimism is associated with better health, lower levels of pain, and lower risk of stroke in older people, and is also linked to greater exercise, healthier diet, and not smoking.
• Supportive social relationships are linked to longevity and less cognitive decline with aging.

Gratitude Interventions

• Gratitude interventions improve sleep, cardiovascular function, and may also help glycaemic control, asthma control, and eating behavior.
• Positive psychology interventions can improve health behaviors or outcomes, such as increasing physical activity in type 2 diabetes and decreasing symptom severity in newly diagnosed HIV patients.

Sleep and Wellbeing

• Sleep is essential for good health and wellbeing, and protects against the impact of stress on subjective wellbeing.
• Sleepiness can result in lower grade point averages, increased risk of academic failure, compromised learning, impaired mood, and increased risk of motor vehicle accidents.

Nicotine and Tobacco

• Nicotine releases pleasure hormones, but is not good for physical health.
• Never smokers and ex-smokers are happier, and there are strong associations between mental illness and tobacco smoking.

Beer and Happiness

• Alcohol can make people happy in the moment, but is linked to increased risk of problem drinking, decreased life satisfaction, and lower wellbeing.
• Alcohol is a depressant, linked to suicide risk, and having a heavy drinker in your life can lower wellbeing.

Exercise, Diet, Sleep, and Wellbeing

• Exercise, diet, sleep, cigarettes, and alcohol all have an impact on wellbeing.
• Sitting for long periods can be detrimental to health, and exercise may be more powerful than antidepressant medication.

Body and Mind

• The body and mind influence each other, with neurotransmitters, self-esteem, body image, and social connections all playing a role.

Diet and Happiness

• A healthy diet can help improve mental health, with a randomized controlled trial showing a 32% vs 8% remission from depression in a group receiving dietician sessions.
• A bad diet can lead to overweight, diabetes, and unhappiness, while a lack of key nutrients can lead to fatigue and unhappiness.