Health, Fashion, Parenting and Women Related Issues

Taking time for leisure activities apart from the demands of work and other responsibilities helps people function better physically and mentally. In fact, the more time spent doing different types of enjoyable activities, the better a person’s health tends to be, according to a new study.

“People who are engaged in multiple enjoyable activities are better off physically and psychologically,” said study co-author Karen A. Matthews, Ph.D. She is a professor of psychiatry, epidemiology and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

The study appears online in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine.

For the study, 1,400 adults reported how often they participated in a variety of leisure activities, including spending time unwinding, visiting friends or family, going on vacation, going to clubs or religious activities or playing sports.

Adults with higher scores — indicating the most time spent in different leisure activities — had lower blood pressure, waist circumference, body mass index and cortisol measurements, all markers of good health. Read more

Wondering what you can do to nurture healthy, vibrant skin from the inside out? Tackle stress! Make Dr. Amy’s seven habits — which are the heart and soul of her book, The Mind-Beauty Connection — part of your life. Then, watch every inch of you — but especially your face — start to look younger, less stressed, more alive. Each step chips away at the nonstop pressure and tension that can age you 6 years or more. Use the 9-Day Renewal Plan to get the stress wrecking-ball rolling.

1. Practice Deep Breathing
Shift your body’s balance of oxygen versus carbon dioxide in favor of energizing, stress-squashing oxygen by doing slow, controlled breathing exercises. Here are three good ones.

How often? Aim for twice a day.

Why do it? When you focus on your breathing, you’re not focusing on anything else (your to-do list or the late babysitter). That mental shift helps remove stressors, bringing you to a deeper level of consciousness, a place where you can put things into perspective. Read more

Here’s one walk that can help you unwind and unload some of the stress that may be weighing you — and your looks — down:

1.Step outside and leave your stresses — and your iPod — behind.

2.Take in the details of your surroundings — the buzz of traffic, the chirp of a bird, the curvature of plants and trees, the precise color of the sky, the shape of moving clouds.

3.You will find yourself becoming hyperaware and in the moment. At this point, think about what you are thankful for in your life. It can be general or specific: your health, your family, your experiences at work, your life partner, your children, your last birthday party, and so on.

4.Let your mind and memory run free.
Becoming very present like this gets you thinking in a whole new light and connecting in ways you never imagined. You also get inspired by thinking more broadly rather than focusing on your own inner world and trivial frustrations. It’s a great way to beat down stress while at the same time appreciating where you are right now. Also, one of Dr. Amy Wechsler’s seven habits for healthy skin (number four, to be exact) entails focusing on the good things. When you’re done with your walk, take 5 minutes to write down some of your revelations in a journal.