A Valentine from You…to You
By: Dr. Amy Whittington, Trilogy’s Naturopathic Physician
February is the official month of love. Most of us take time this month to show special affection and attention to our closest loved ones. This year, I propose that you consciously love not just the people around you, but also yourself. In the scientific community, happiness with yourself is described with many terms, including sense of well being, positive affect, and of course, simply happiness, which psychologically seems to be closely tied to satisfaction with yourself. Regardless of the terms used, the scientific data leans heavily towards a positive association between your sense of well-being and your health, and even your longevity. Last year, in a study of twins, it was once again concluded that sense of well-being, independent of lifestyle choices and genetics, led to a longer life. People that are happy with themselves live longer. Beyond confirming this association, scientists have also studied several scenarios that improve your sense of well-being. Below is just a sampling of proven methods to promote your self-love and appreciation, so that you can live a healthier, happier, and longer life.
Many studies focus on goal setting and its association with mood and happiness. Although in the wellness industry we often serve to help patients set and achieve goals, goal setting must be conscientiously done in a constructive way. In this manner, setting and attaining goals has a positive impact on your sense of well-being. However, there is a phenomenon called “conditional goal setting” in which commitment towards an important goal results in the expectation that happiness will be associated with the attainment of that goal. Conditional goal setting has been identified as a significant factor in the development and maintenance of depression. In other words, if you associate happiness with the attainment of a goal (i.e., “If only I could lose this 30 pounds, I would be happy”), you are more likely to not have a good sense of well-being. Imagine if you consciously change that thought to “I am making positive changes to my lifestyle and this makes me happy.” With this change in your thought patterns you can start to improve your mood and self-satisfaction immediately, instead of having to wait for the day that your scale reads 30 pounds lighter. Additionally, if you don’t lose all of the weight, you haven’t subconsciously condemned yourself to a life without happiness. This “mindful” change of thought, as it is technically known, can be applied to nearly every caveat of your life, from fitness to health to satisfaction with work. Take a moment to list your goals, and consider if you have made achieving them conditional to your happiness. If so, make a second list, and mindfully change those goals into positive, attainable processes as opposed to end-goals, and you should immediately feel an improved sense of well-being.
On a larger scale, mindful thoughts to enhance your self-worth should include cultivating your sense of purpose. Having a sense of purpose in your life is directly related to a positive sense of well-being. What many of us forget is that we get to define our own sense of purpose. Occasionally, we are caught off-guard when it seems that others alter that purpose (i.e., with the loss of a job or when the kids leave home). To recover a sense of purpose, you might have to re-define it. The key is to remember that it is yours to define. Perhaps your current purpose will be as simple as growing a garden, volunteering, or doing projects around your house. Even if you can’t currently define your “life’s purpose,” get moving, and an improved mood and sense of well-being will follow.
Beyond positive thoughts and mindfulness, there are a myriad of nutrients, dietary, and lifestyle changes that have proven to be relatively easy ways to improve your affect and self-satisfaction. You had to suspect that exercise would make an appearance in this article, but did you know that studies have shown that exercise can be just as effective as prescription anti-depressants in improving your mood and outlook? “Feel good” chemicals in the body called endorphins, which are released during exercise, make you feel successful and engaged and, you guessed it, give you a sense of well-being. In smaller studies regarding exercise, the mode and intensity needed to gain these effects seems to vary. Benefits have been seen with small additions of cardiovascular, anaerobic, and even lower impact yoga. Just get moving.
Nutrients that improve mood and happiness are the very same ones that help with so many of the systems of the body, and therefore play a starring role in many of these articles. The omegas in both fish oil and ground flax seeds have been shown to improve mood and decrease depression (1200-1500mg EPA and DHA per day). Likewise, those with low, or even low-normal Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D report higher rates of depression and disturbed mood. Vitamin B12, used sublingually or by injection (usually 500-1000mcg sublingually, or weekly to monthly by injection) can lead to improved affect for many of us. Vitamin D in the form of cholecalciferol (D3), at around 1000-2000IU per day (but often prescribed at even higher doses), has also shown to be effective in promoting happiness.
Finally, another proven way to improve your self-love and support your sense of well-being is to love and appreciate others. In 2010, Harvard Women’s Health showed that strong connections to others positively influence your health and length of life. Beyond a strong relationship to your loved ones, it has also been shown that those with altruistic behaviors and emotions are also happier with their own lives. This altruistic behavior can range from overt actions to help others to simply having positive thoughts regarding others. There is a caveat to this method of promoting well-being, however, in that an inverse relationship is noted with altruistic behavior that includes overwhelming tasks. In other words, to improve your own self-worth and happiness, give what you can, help where you can, and have positive regard for others, as long as these tasks don’t cause you undue stress.
This Valentine’s Day, I encourage you to love and appreciate yourself, to improve not only your outlook, but also your spiritual and physical health. Take these steps to improve your sense of well-being, and you will have many more Valentine’s Days in your future.
Take Care & Be Healthy,
Dr. Amy Whittington