Health and Wellness
Wellness= Mind-Body-Spirit-Gratitude By Dr. Asha Bajaj, Resident Since 1986
W
ell-being is a healthy balance between mind, body, spirit and environment. It requires you to nourish your body through a good diet, eat real food; exercise -walk stretch yoga, gym, tennis, just get moving! Try and get good quality sleep – turn off screens an hour before bedtime, practice mindfulness via meditation, prayer and expressing a daily sense of gratitude. Keep your mind active-read, write, and solve problems. Feed your spirit- socialize, listen to music, volunteer service, art, creative writing and express your gratitude-list the things you are grateful for in your life and see it harness the power of the mind. Power of the Mind. The mind has the power to make you heal ; if you think something is going to work for you, it’s called the “Placebo effect.” In contrast, if you think a certain therapy is not going to help, it will not work creating the “Nocebo effect.” In studies using the same drug on one group and a sugar pill in the other group, both groups experienced similar effects. The ‘sugar pill” group believed that what they were getting was a miracle drug; it produced healing and relief due to the placebo effect. On the other hand, if they believed they had no cure left, even the highest dose of the drug failed to produce a positive result, resulting in a nocebo effect. Studies confirmed that placebo produces dopamine and the body’s natural pain killers, it recruits the parasympathetic or relaxation response. Nocebo effect inhibits internal pain killer, recruits the sympathetic system, increasing cortisol and stress hormone levels. Gratitude: Gratitude is more than a “Thank You.” It serves as a key link between receiving and giving. The current “Culture of Complaining” fosters bitterness, makes you a victim, feeling selfrighteous keeps you from taking responsibility and magnifies your problems. Studies have shown that gratitude expression results in a stronger immune system and lowers blood pressure. A higher level of positive emotions is correlated with more joy, optimism, and happiness. Acting with more generosity and compassion makes you feel less lonely and isolated. Humility reminds you that your success is not just your doing, it takes a “village” and may be is due to factors outside your control. Science of Gratitude: At the end of the 10 weeks, participants who kept a gratitude journal, felt well about their lives as a whole-25% happier; were more optimistic about the future and reported fewer health complaints. They spent more time exercising than the others resulting in better sleep pattern and less illness.
Why is Gratitude Good? Gratitude strengthens social ties and individual’s sense of interconnectedness; it increases one’s sense of personal worth. Gratitude can be a powerful antidote to a depressed view of life-that the world is cruel and against us. Gratitude forces us to accept kindness; benevolence begets another kindness-giving and receiving in a chain of inter-dependence. Gratitude practices: • Do one small and unobtrusive thoughtful or generous thing for each member of your family •
Express admiration for someone’s skills or talents
•
Don’t counterattack- Share the feeling
•
Count your blessings-go for deep gratitude
•
Remember it could be worse-think bigger and remember everything is impermanent
Dr. Asha Bajaj, PT/DPT has 30+years experience in a variety of settings including the management and operation of an outpatient private practice in Walnut Creek. Asha has served in Bhutan, India, Vietnam and Malawi, Africa with Health Volunteers Overseas to train and develop their Physical therapy program. Asha has a special interest in Women’s health and did her doctoral project in the area of Bone health and Osteoporosis. Her goal is to promote health and lifelong wellness. BLACKHAWK LIVING 19
