Dear Gentle Reader - a repost from the Globe and Mail on the power of choosing your attitude and how it can shape your life. Full credit to the author. Best regards, Dr. Wayne Coghlan

PSYCHOLOGY

Harnessing the power of positive emotions

Eileen Chadnick

Special to The Globe and Mail, Oct. 24 2013. 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/career-advice/harnessing-the-power-of-positive-emotions/article15056756/

Jon and Solange are both on the short list for a promotion at work. Jon has more experience and technical know-how. Solange is newer to the job but is known for her exceptionally positive attitude and a track record of resilience, even in stressful conditions. Who has the greater edge?
Before minimizing Solange’s positive attitude as a soft skill, think again. Positivity matters, and in recent years a great deal of science has affirmed that positivity can bolster one’s capacity for critical thinking, resilience, personal growth and, ultimately, greater well-being and success.

Positivity is a very brain- and body-friendly emotion, conducive to bringing our best to our work. How so?

According to Barbara Fredrickson, a professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, positivity does more than just replace bad thoughts with good ones.
The pre-eminent scholar on the science of positive emotions says the right dose of positivity can actually change how we think and, over time, even increase our success in life.
In her books, Positivity and Love 2.0, Prof. Fredrickson attributes this to her “broaden and build” theory, based on more than 20 years of research:

BROADEN

Positivity can broaden your mind and open your heart, thus making you more creative and open to new perspectives, she found. A positive attitude can also boost critical thinking skills and ultimately help you to see more possibilities, too. Conversely, negative emotions (such as fear and worry) can limit your thinking and narrow your mindset.

BUILD

People who practise positivity are more apt to build new skills and social connections, acquire new knowledge and reach for bigger goals. Over time, this can create an upward spiral of effectiveness and success.

Paradoxically, whereas negative emotions tend to stick and endure, positive emotions don’t reside in a permanent state. They can be fleeting. To reap the rewards of positivity, one needs to create a steady supply of positive emotions over time.

Prof. Fredrickson is currently teaching a class on the science of positivity through the training organization MentorCoach. (Disclosure: I am a participant.) In a recent lecture, she said positive emotions are more than “icing on the cake” but rather essential nutrients needed for success and well-being.

How much is enough? The more the better, but it turns out the the ideal ratio is at least three positive emotions per negative one. This ratio distinguishes those who thrive from those who merely get by, or worse, languish.

There are many ways to experience more positivity in your life – even when circumstances are challenging. Here are a few ideas that might be helpful:

Commit: Much as people must commit to eating better or exercising more, they must commit to bringing more positivity into their daily lives. Often this calls for reframing situations or trying new perspectives.

Diversify: Prof. Fredrickson cites 10 positive emotions that have been proven to bolster well-being: joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe and love.

Savour: Slow down and enjoy the positive moments – and then savour them again by capturing them in a journal. Identify at least three good things that happened in any given day and talk about them with others. See the rewards compound as you replay them.

Connect: Prof. Fredrickson says the most powerful of all the emotions is “positivity resonance,” when two or more people share a positive emotion. A passing smile, a shared joke, a moment of celebration – the possibilities are endless and can happen with anyone, not just people you know well.

Tap inside: We can have an infinite supply of positivity if we empower ourselves to tap into our internal well. Those who rely only on good things happening externally will find themselves struggling in times of challenge. Positivity can be just a thought away.

Rinse and repeat: It takes repetition to build new habits and to rewire our brains to have a more positive outlook. The good news is that our brains have a tremendous ability to build new neural pathways. You can indeed teach an old dog new tricks if you try.

Eileen Chadnick is a work-life coach and principal of Big Cheese Coaching in Toronto. Follow her at Twitter@Chadnick. Her book, Ease, will be available later this fall.

Rebloged by: Wayne Coghlan, B.Sc., M.A., M.A., D.C.  in Counselling Psychology. Anger Management Collingwood. Anger management; Men's issues; Family and Marital Counselling; Stress Management; Personal psychology and counselling. As also a Doctor of Chiropractic I have a special appreciation of the mind-body connection.

Fibromyalgia and Exercise

Exercise can help treat fibromyalgia

Adapted from:  William R. Yates, MD September 20, 2011

http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2011/09/exercise-treat-fibromyalgia.html

 

What is fibromyalgia and what exactly what does exercise have to do with the treatment and long-term outcome of the condition?  A recent study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise is helpful in understanding the relationship between fibromyalgia and exercise and how clinicians (and patients) might find better strategies for treatment.


Fibromyalgia is a clinically defined pain syndrome estimated to affect about 5 per cent of the general population with criteria for diagnosisdefined by the American College of Rheumatology to include:

• Pain in all four quadrants of the body
• Pain along the spine
• Presence of 11 of 18 specific tender points

The 18 specific tender points (or trigger points) are outlined in the accompanying public domain figure from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and Wikipedia.

Women have higher prevalence rates for fibromyalgia.  The reason for this gender discrepancy in unknown as is the cause of the disorder.   Patients meeting criteria for this medical pain disorder commonly have significant cognitive and emotional symptoms as well.   Endorsement rates for problems with cognitive impairment (poor concentration, memory problems, psychomotor speed problems and diminished attention span) are common in fibromyalgia.  Additionally, rates of anxiety and mood symptoms and disorders appear high.  The cause for this association is also unknown.

Like many pain syndromes, exercise seems to be helpful in the long-term management of fibromyalgia.  Although a natural response to pain is to reduce activity, this physical withdrawal can be counterproductive to a good long-term outcome.  It is important for people with fibromyalgia and their health professionals to assess and monitor response to exercise as a key component to treatment.

McLoughlin and a research team from the University of Iowa and the University of Wisconsin studied the relationship between self-reported exercise and actual exercisein a group of women with fibromyalgia and a group of women without fibromyalgia.  They utilized an accelerometerthat was worn on the hip for 7 days to compare actual activity levels to what the women were reporting.   The key findings from the study were:

• Fibromyalgia subjects reported less physical activity (confirmed by accelerometer data) than controls
• Both those with fibromyalgia and controls reported higher levels of activity than could be validated by accelerometer data
• Self-report activity levels were poorly correlated with accelerometer activity in fibromyalgia but not controls
• High depression scores in fibromyalgia correlated with lower physical activity

For clinicians, the take home message here is you can’t rely only on your fibromyalgia patient’s self-report of exercise.  I think we will be seeing more use of devices such as accelerometers in clinical practice to get a more objective measure of physical activity.  Similar movement measurement capabilities (like those found in accelerometers) are available in the iPhone and iPod Touch.  Such tools may also be used to monitor change in activity with a new intervention, i.e. attending Jazzercise on a regular basis.  Targeting depression treatment in women with fibromyalgia may be one method to improve the chances of getting activity levels up.

The need for implementing activity programs is not limited to the medical illness of fibromyalgia.  Similar programs in obesity, heart disease, diabetes and lung disease are needed.  Collecting activity levels in these and other medical conditions may give clinicians additional insight into the effects of inactivity on disease progression.

Getting activity levels up in fibromyalgia can lead to significant improvement.  A recent trial of exercise in fibromyalgia by Fontaine and colleagues found regular activity reduced pain and reduced functional impairment.  This intervention paired education with a pedometer data that would be monitored by the research team.  When accountability is incorporated in exercise trials, compliance and benefits go up.


Wayne Coghlan, B.Sc., M.A., D.C. M.A. in Counselling Psychology. Anger Management Collingwood. Anger management; Men's issues; Family and Marital Counselling; Stress Management; Personal psychology and counselling. As also a Doctor of Chiropractic I have a special appreciation of the mind-body connection.

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Anger Management Collingwood Wasaga Beach Simcoe County

Anger Management 101

·         A psychological -educational approach to anger management

·         Offered in a group counselling or individual counselling format.

Topics covered include: 

·         What is anger – how to make it useful – how to avoid toxic anger?

·         Developing self control over your thoughts and actions.

·         Alternatives to passive and aggressive anger.

·         Communication and conflict resolution skills.

·         How to get along better with yourself and others. 

Why you should attend:

·         Your inability to manage your anger has created conflict in your significant relationships, employment, your community, your success in life.

·         You seek skills to better cope with other people’s anger.

·         You are tired of being angry and bitter and fighting with the world.

·         You seek life-skills to promote success in your relationships and employment. 

Presented by:

Wayne Coghlan, B.Sc., M.A., D.C. drwaynecoghlan@gmail.com, 705 445-5401. 

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