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Wednesday, November 04, 2009Little Known Way to Avoid the Flu
Because a day in bed is not part of the game
plan...
There already aren't enough hours in a day, let alone being slowed down by a
cold. You've read a hundred times that you should wash your hands -
check. My previous newsletters have already mentioned that lack of sleep will impede
your immune function so you try to get enough Zs - check. You buy
probiotic yogurt because your doctor told you it is an ally in cold prevention
- check. What else can you do to avoid being the next victim of the swine
flu?
New research led by Sheldon Cohen, PhD has monitored a group of participants'
mood for a week before injecting the virus of the cold in their noses (sounds like fun, right?).
They then kept participants isolated in a completely sanitized hotel room for a
few days, and examined who developed the cold versus who didn't, as measured by
level of mucus produced and immune response activity.
Turns out that people who were most positive prior to being
infected were least likely
to develop the cold. Equally interesting, the less happy participants
were also more likely to report unfounded symptoms. In other words, the
better your psychological health, the better your objective and subjective
physical health.
So here's the easy strategy: research by Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, shows that
initiating random acts of kindness is an effective way to increase one's
happiness. For better results, try different ones on different days.
This is great news - and it deserves to be spread as quickly as the cold
itself! Since we know that emotions are contagious, I recommend you pass
it on: the more people around you lift their moods, the easier it will be for
you to do the same.