\u201cImagine a Ms. A \u2013 a wellness junkie who dutifully attends her trampolining and Pilates classes several times a week, eats five or more servings of fruits and veggies a day, watches out for saturated fats, avoids sugar, and has never smoked. Now imagine a Ms. B \u2013 an overweight couch potato who loves cookies and chips and sometimes has a few shots of tequila too many.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMs. A is also a slightly neurotic workaholic who feels like she is always running around.\u00a0 She is single, lives on her own, and doesn\u2019t know her neighbors.\u00a0 She also doesn\u2019t have time to go out with friends and often feels lonely.\u00a0 She doesn\u2019t volunteer, and if you were to ask her about the purpose of her life she would be lost for an answer.\u00a0 On the other hand, our cookie-loving Ms. B leads a very socially engaged life.\u00a0 She has two very close friends and a loving husband and often pops over to her neighbors\u2019 for a chat.\u00a0 She volunteers at a local charity and is very committed to its cause.\u00a0 She sings in a choir and does shopping for her elderly aunt once a week.\u00a0 She likes to sit on her porch enjoying sunsets.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWho will live longer?\u00a0 Of course, no one can ever predict the longevity of any particular person.\u00a0 But research that compares the effects of healthy eating and exercise on longevity to those brought by healthy social lifestyles shows that the lonely fitness freak Ms. A and the junk-food crazed yet very social Ms. B probably have a similar shot at becoming centenarians.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Working in the mental health world, I know that diet and exercise can only take a person so far, although diet can have a dramatic impact on mental health (check out Grain Brain<\/strong><\/a> by David Perlmutter, MD).\u00a0 Emotions also play a critical role in our mental and physical health<\/a>.\u00a0 When emotions aren\u2019t resolved and end up buried in our bodies, they create physical dis-ease<\/a>.\u00a0 And our emotions are critically linked to how we see ourselves and interact with the people around us thus affecting our social life.<\/p>\n Every one of us is unique in our biological makeup and our emotional temperament.\u00a0 As humans, we\u2019re social beings.\u00a0 Whether you\u2019re an extrovert or an introvert like me, it\u2019s important to have social contact in ways that work for you.<\/p>\n Diet and exercise may improve the results of your blood tests, but if you\u2019re lonely and disconnected, these things won\u2019t do anything for your happiness.\u00a0 And who wants to live a longer yet unhappy life?<\/p>\n In the first section of Growing Young<\/em>, the author shows how science has proven that boosting social connections is critically important to living a longer, happier life.\u00a0 Doing any of the following can dramatically improve your life:<\/p>\n In the second section, she shows how your relationships and your mind can extend your life.\u00a0 As a science journalist, Marta uses a wide variety of research performed by experts to prove her points.\u00a0 For example, regular exercise can improve your mortality risk by 23% to 33% while a happy marriage can improve it by 49%.\u00a0 Eating at least six servings of fruit and vegetables a day improves your longevity by 26% and a large social network can improve it by 45%.<\/p>\n On the detrimental side, grade 2 or 3 obesity can decrease your mortality by 29% and loneliness can decrease it by 26% with pessimism, unhappiness, and neuroticism decreasing it by 14% each.<\/p>\n Finding ways to connect with others on a regular basis is critically important.\u00a0 Connection includes growing your empathy, checking your attachment style, and doing things in synchrony with others (singing, walking, dancing).<\/p>\n Finding ways to support others can help develop empathy and connection.\u00a0 Donating to charity, caring for others, volunteering for causes you believe in, talking to your neighbors, and engaging in random acts of kindness all help you see things through someone else\u2019s eyes to better understand how you can contribute.<\/p>\n Connecting with others can also help you find your purpose<\/a>.\u00a0 Your purpose gives you your \u201cwhy.\u201d\u00a0 Your \u201cwhy\u201d tells you why it\u2019s important to do whatever it is you choose to do.\u00a0 The more you live in alignment with your purpose, the happier you\u2019ll be.<\/p>\n The book includes an entire chapter on how meditation and mindfulness boost health.\u00a0 Mindful breathing can help lower stress and anxiety.\u00a0 A regular mindfulness practice can reduce worry and rumination.\u00a0 Mindfulness can help you grow acceptance which allows you to better manage anger and cynicism.<\/p>\n Jon Kabat-Zinn developed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program in the 70\u2019s to help hospital patients heal faster.\u00a0 Over the past five decades, it has been developed into a formal program and has been proven to improve overall health on many levels.<\/p>\n \u201cMindfulness interventions make people more aware of their feelings and more collected in their responses \u2013 instead of blowing up at your partner about the car not being fixed, you might just say that you are upset after work and need time to yourself.\u00a0 The fight is averted.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAnother mechanism through which mindfulness-based stress reduction may improve relationships is related to the key ingredients of mindfulness: non-judgment and acceptance.\u00a0 By honing acceptance skills during meditation, partners may become more tolerant of their loved ones\u2019 shortcomings and imperfections.\u00a0 Instead of dwelling on the dirty socks left in the middle of the room, you just breathe deeply and let it go.\u00a0 Studies confirm that greater levels of mindfulness correlate to greater satisfaction in romantic relationships.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n This chapter makes the case that practices like mindfulness, meditation and yoga may not directly improve your longevity (although research continues), these practices do allow you to have better relationships, help reduce feelings of loneliness, and reduce nicotine cravings.\u00a0 They change the way you see and interpret yourself and your world allowing you to feel happier, even when nothing has changed.\u00a0 You learn how to enjoy the simple things in life.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re tired of feeling like you have to follow special diet and exercise protocols to be healthy, this is a book for you.\u00a0 You\u2019ll learn the power of living a simple, mindful life in alignment with your purpose, having good relationships, and helping others can all help you live longer.\u00a0 The book is full of simple steps to a happier life.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The law of attraction suggests that our positive or negative thoughts bring about positive or negative experiences.\u00a0 My latest book, The Mindful Guide to Law of Attraction<\/a>,<\/em>\u00a0pairs that belief with the powerful practices of mindfulness. Through intentional breathing, writing, and engaging, you\u2019ll hone a method for manifesting health, wealth, and love\u2015the elements of happiness.<\/p>\n Let the law of attraction work for you by adopting its basic steps of identifying and visualizing the things you desire. Then use 45 practical meditation techniques included in the book to achieve awareness. By concentrating your positive energy on obtaining your wants, you\u2019ll give yourself permission to receive them.<\/p>\n To your happiness!\u00a0 ~Paige<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n You can find this book at Amazon<\/span><\/a>, Barnes & Noble<\/span><\/a>, Books-A-Million<\/span><\/a>, and Indigo<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Growing](\"https:\/\/media.simplemindfulness.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/18212215\/Growing-Young.jpg)
A Healthy Social Life Matters<\/h2>\n
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Connection is Key<\/h2>\n
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Mindfulness for Relationships<\/h2>\n
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\n<\/p>\nCreate the life you want: Combine the law of attraction with mindfulness<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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