Whistle While You Work

When I hear the word “whistle,” my mind immediately goes to seven dwarves who once sung “When hearts are high, time will fly, so whistle while you work.” The famous Disney song embodies an idea that is psychologically supported. Indeed, whistling while you work takes stress out of an activity and has the power to make a task seem less monotonous and more enjoyable. This is accomplished by distracting the mind from trying too hard and it helps prevent mental overload. However, be prepared, not everyone enjoys listening to the high-pitched noise. To watch the clip from the beloved Disney classic, Snow White, that inspired this blog, follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY3aljAO7qU. Some people take this hobby beyond work, and have made it to the Whistling World Championships: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK1DCWrW02s. Yet others seek a bigger stage and take their whistling skills to America’s Got Talent: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf8vih-h06c.

So if you are facing a daunting task, go on and whistle while you work!

Sources:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1313993/The-Dwarfs-right-Whistling-work-makes-job-better.html

Dance as if No One is Watching

Lord Byron, a famous English poet, wrote “On with the dance! Let joy be unconfined.” I am not a dancer. Sure, I can learn simple choreography and fake it through a few musical numbers, but overall, I am just not a dancer. Despite my lack of graceful talent, I do love to participate in the occasional dance party. Have you ever just let go and allowed yourself to “dance as if no one was watching?” It is a release. The University of London assigned patients with anxiety disorders to a number of physical therapies. Dance therapy was the only one that resulted in significantly reduced anxiety. Moving to music actually provides a satisfactory patterning that activates the brain’s pleasure circuits. Dancing is also an excellent form of calorie-burning exercise, during which endorphins are released, making you happier. On the show So You Think You Can Dance, contestants are challenged to portray a variety of emotions through dance. In this touching video, two dancers tell of a fight against cancer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnguqsMQmg4&feature=related. While that dance revealed a very sad, touching story, Olympic Gymnast Shawn Johnson, shines with joy as she dances through her freestyle on Dancing With the Stars: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNm9uG-f27E/ .  But it isn’t only professionals who can dance with excitement. In a train station in Belgium, a flash mob shows off their skills: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNm9uG-f27E.

Let yourself go. Lower your guards and enjoy the emotional release of dancing.

Sources:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200703/dance-therapy-spin-control

Sing Your Heart Out

Singing is a type of therapeutic release for me. When I sing, everything else is quiet and the world gets a little happier and brighter. A theatre professor once told me that the trick to writing a musical is bringing the character to an emotional state that is so intense that words aren’t able to express their hopes, feelings, or desires. In that moment of emotional overload, they burst out into song, the partnership of lyrics and melody able to convey feelings from the very core of their being. This psychological release is scientific fact. Singing is good for your health, and here are just a few of the benefits. A study at the University of Frankfurt in Germany found that members of the choir had higher levels of immunoglobulin A and cortisol, or in other words, they had a better immune system than other, non-singing students. Psychologically, these choral members also reported higher levels of energy, posture, and feelings of relaxation and confidence. Along with relieving stress and anxiety, singing enhances the quality of your speaking voice and makes breathing easier. The following links are of very different people singing their hearts out and enjoying every minute of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsJCqD4lRc8, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfyJBfqSsUE, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5vrtZKvxWM.

I hope you are inspired to release a little melody today. Sing as if no one can hear you, let it out, and enjoy the release!

Sources:

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/06/06/07/how_singing_improves_your_health_even_if_other_people_shouldnt_hear_you_singing.htm

You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile

Mother Teresa is quoted to have said, “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”  My mother used to tell me that it takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown, so smile! Whether or not that tale is true doesn’t matter. Smiling is good for you, psychologically. Here are the facts: when you smile you use the same muscles that are used by the brain to evaluate mood. Charles Darwin was the first person to develop the theory that our facial expressions intensify our feelings. He called this theory “feedback loop” or “facial feedback hypothesis.” Therefore, simply choosing to put on a smile can brighten even the dreariest of days. Also, smiling makes us more attractive. My favorite part of the show What Not to Wear is at the end when they show the side by side before and after. If you pay close attention, most before shots are missing smiles and without fail, the after picture includes a big, beautiful, teeth-showing smile. No wonder the change is so significant! To see some of the transformations from glum to happy, follow this link to the show’s result page: http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/whatnottowear/slideshows/makeovers.html.  In the Broadway musical Annie, the orphans sing a song devoted to this expression of joy. Listen to it at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry79LzkkDb4. Frank Sinatra sings “Cause when you’re smiling the whole world smiles with you.” Listen to him croon this uplifting melody at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=351l62Yx0oI.

So don’t forget to put on a smile today, because “you’re never fully dressed without a smile.”

                                                                                               

Sources:

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/benefits-of-smiling.htm

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Audrey Hepburn once said: “I love to make people laugh. I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It’s probably the most important thing in a person.” I often get struck by a case of the giggles, an attack of laughter so deep and pure that it can’t be silenced. These moments are some of my favorites in life. But did you know that laughter is actually good for your health? Hearty chuckles relax the body and work against the harmful effects of stress and tension. It boosts the immune system by increasing infection-fighting antibodies. Laughter also releases endorphins which promote a sense of well-being and can even relieve pain. Lastly, laughter protects your heart by improving blood flow, decreasing your chances of a heart attack. Are you craving a good laugh after hearing that? The baby in this link,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P6UU6m3cqk, is full of joy and bound to make you at least smile. Good Morning America showed a video of Ethan, a baby who rolls into uncontrollable laughter at the ripping of paper. With over 37,000,000 viewings on youtube, this baby is famous for his laugh (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXXm696UbKY). Laughter is contagious, check it out at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p32OC97aNqc.

            Don’t hold back. Let yourself explode into fit of laughter. After all, it is the best medicine.

Sources:

http://www.helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm