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Mood News<br />
Norem says. “Find one or<br />
two concrete actions, even<br />
small ones, that will improve<br />
things for you, other people,<br />
or the community, and<br />
you’ll be less depleted by<br />
negative events.”<br />
For instance, after watching<br />
a news broadcast about<br />
global warming, donate a<br />
few dollars to a related cause<br />
or join an environmental<br />
organization as a volunteer<br />
to help turn things around.<br />
“We find it hard to believe<br />
that we have any power over<br />
the big problems, like climate<br />
change or health care policy,<br />
but small actions multiplied<br />
by thousands of people<br />
can have real effects,” Norem<br />
says. “And they also help<br />
energize and inspire us.”<br />
Create a sense<br />
of satisfaction<br />
Devote more time to artistic<br />
activities like sketching,<br />
scrapbooking, cooking,<br />
playing music, gardening,<br />
or knitting. “Creating something<br />
makes you feel useful<br />
and helpful, which reduces<br />
stress and anxiety,” Norem<br />
says. In fact, these activities<br />
may protect your brain<br />
and body from the effects of<br />
stress in a similar way<br />
to meditation, research from<br />
Columbia University finds.<br />
The key is to choose projects<br />
that give you a sense of<br />
satisfaction and require<br />
total immersion, which<br />
is the best way to reap<br />
the energizing benefits.<br />
Do one<br />
positive thing.<br />
Small actions<br />
multiplied<br />
by thousands<br />
of people<br />
can have real<br />
eff ects. And<br />
they also help<br />
energize and<br />
inspire us.<br />
Breathe,<br />
count, breathe<br />
Every time you catch yourself<br />
sinking into “catastrophic<br />
thinking,” when it seems like<br />
everything—your training routine<br />
for an upcoming 10K, your job,<br />
the economy—is faltering, count<br />
down from 10 while breathing<br />
deeply through your nose. This<br />
simple stress-reducing ritual<br />
helps give you a sense of control,<br />
reducing anxiety and improving<br />
performance, says Alison<br />
Wood Brooks, Ph.D., an assistant<br />
professor at Harvard Business<br />
School who has researched the<br />
phenomenon. And the more<br />
often you do it, she adds, the<br />
more effectively it will calm<br />
your anxiety and bolster your<br />
confidence and energy.<br />
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