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Corporate Wellness: Is Yours Missing a Critical Ingredient?

August 28, 20142

The Current State of Corporate Wellness Programs

Workplace wellness programs are missing the key ingredient to true prevention. They focus on early diagnosis, symptom and lifestyle management while ignoring the elephant in the room-the one common factor at the root of everything.

While meeting with a representative of a large regional health system’s workplace wellness division, I asked him what their solution was for addressing stress. He mentioned their EAP (employee assistance program) offered counseling but said that was all they had. He also said many employers recognize that stress has both a negative effect on worker’s health and on their contributions at work. He was excited by our program but when he took the information back to his employer they said they had all the knowledge they needed in-house. If that is true, why are they excluding stress management skills training from their workplace wellness program?

The research about stress is clear. Workplace wellness programs tend to focus on the same areas and stress management skills would help improve the results in every one of them.

Smoking cessation.

Stress plays a role in the ability of individuals to quit smoking and maintain their status as non-smokers. Anxious individuals find it the most difficult to quit. Anxiety and smoking behavior are highly correlated.

Weight Management/Obesity/Anorexia/Bulimia

Researchers have demonstrated that the old paradigm of weight management is too simplistic because it ignores the impact of stress on the digestive system. The digestive system does not function as well when an individual is stressed and chronic stress contributes significantly to the development of diabetes. Stress also results in unhealthy food choices. Food is the number one anxiety drug.

Eating disorders often have their roots in low self-esteem. The design of our program leads to increases in self-esteem, which could provide relief for those who have eating disorders and prevent their development by those who are at risk of developing an eating disorder.

Diabetes Disease Management

The impact of stress on the digestive function has been linked to the development of diabetes. In 2007, the direct cost of diabetes in the United States was 174 billion. Indirect costs included 2.6 billion for absenteeism, 20 billion reduced productivity during work for the employed population, 7.9 billion unemployment from disease-related disability, and 26.9 billion lost productive capacity because of early mortality. Stress also has a direct impact on adherence to recommended treatments.

Physical Inactivity

Stress levels affect whether or not an individual will be active and choose to engage in physical activities. Highly stressed individuals who do not have an ingrained habit of physical activity are unlikely to develop the habit while they are stressed. Despite the fact that physical activity/exercise is often recommended as a dose dependent stress reduction method, such increases in physical activity do not consistently help stressed individuals because they do not feel sufficiently motivated.

Depression

By the time depression has developed, the individuals has typically been suffering from chronic stress for a sustained period of time. We need to educate employees (and the entire population) that tolerating stress is not the appropriate response. Coping until we’re depressed is a strategy that has made depression an epidemic with 10% of the US population suffering from it, according to the CDC.

Why are they not recommending early intervention to address stress? Because they think it requires expensive one-on-one treatment and because of the ridiculous stigma’s associated with mental health. Stress Management skills are simple to understand and implement. They are simple enough that kindergartners can understand the basics. Adults are a little more difficult and take a little longer to teach because they have developed a lot of false premises throughout their life that hinder their ability to adopt strategies that come quickly and easily to younger children. But it is still far from something that requires expensive one-on-one treatment. I can teach auditoriums full of people how to manage stress in meaningful ways that have a positive impact on their work and home lives right away and continue to increase as the techniques are applied.

Even individuals who suffered from repeated bouts of depression have now reported that they have been free of depressive episodes since learning these skills.

Poor Diet/Nutrition

Stress and happiness are opposite ends of the same continuum. Researchers have linked happiness with better food choices. Individuals in the top 25% of optimism scores ate more fresh vegetables, salads, berries, fruit and low fat cheese that other subjects in a research report comparing optimism to dietary habits. A meta-analysis done by researchers at Harvard and published in 2012 concluded that positivity and optimism led to better food choices and better choices about risky behaviors. Our stress management program increases happiness, positivity, and optimism.

Chronic Stress

The common recommendations for managing stress are all dose dependent. That would be fine if there wasn’t a better way, but there is. Dose dependent stress management is the same as taking a prescription pill to manage the symptoms-it does nothing to affect the underlying cause. Dose dependent means you have to do it in order to receive the positive results and if you don’t do it, you don’t get any results.

Because our program helps individuals change the root cause of the stress, it functions more like a cure. It does not prevent bad things from happening, but the response is more resilient, emotional intelligent, and less stressful than it would have been before they learned to use the skills we teach. The way the individual responds to the same stimulus that may have once made him or her highly stressed may not be at all stressful once the techniques have been applied for a while.

We all know that everyone reacts differently to circumstances. What stresses one person out may be fun to another person. I’ve studied what makes humans thrive for two decades and then developed programs that teach individuals how to develop the habits of thought that help them thrive.

The frequently recommended dose dependent stress reduction methods include exercise, going out in nature, helping someone else, petting your cat or dog, meditation, yoga, tai chi, and massage. While these methods are a good “pill,” they do not provide long-term benefits with the exception of a consistent meditation practice. But even consistent meditation does not address stress at the root cause.

Some recommendations can be counter-productive. One commonly recommended stress reduction method is to discuss the problem with a friend. The outcome of that discussion can go either way. I definitely have friends who would make it worse by focusing on the worse aspects of the situation and reminding me of other bad situations like the current one. I also have friends who would be beneficial to talk to but I’ve never seen this type of recommendation come with recommended parameters for the discussion.

Employee Engagement

This is not a typical focus of Corporate Wellness Programs although the hope is that the program will be perceived in a positive light. Our program also helps engagement in a variety of ways. The first is that it helps create a more inclusive and positively focused employee base. Working with people who are energetic, focused, and optimistic creates synergy and an environment that makes being at work enjoyable. The way any individual views his employer or any other aspect of his life reflects how he views everything in life. Someone who is generally dissatisfied with life is generally dissatisfied with her work. The reason for this is because our habits of thought play a tremendous role in the aspects we focus on in every area of our lives. If we focus on the aspects that we don’t like, we’re not engaged. If we focus on aspects that we find exciting, our engagement increases.

The inherent nature of our program increases the likelihood that employees will focus on aspects of their jobs and the company that they like.

Turnover/Retention

One of the most frequently cited reasons for turnover is not liking the people. A working environment where relationships are harmonious, where workplace conflict is unusual, where conversations are fruitful, and others are supportive would be very difficult to leave. The techniques I teach can accomplish this type of shift in corporate culture. Individuals who understand how to use the skills can even ignore outright attempts to upset their equilibrium without feeling stressed or a need to retaliate. The techniques provide individuals with tremendous stability and equilibrium in their chosen emotional stance.

There is a song by Pharrell Williams that describes the steady emotional state:

“Here come bad news talking this and that, yeah,
Well, give me all you got, and don’t hold it back, yeah,
Well, I should probably warn you I’ll be just fine, yeah,
No offense to you, don’t waste your time
Here’s why

Because I’m Happy”

I know, that to someone who is not generally happy the thought of being around a bunch of happy people is not very appealing but when everyone understands they can be happy and most are, the whole dynamic changes. Those who need a bit of help find it everywhere they look because one of the most natural and frequent behaviors those who learn to be happier demonstrate is a desire to help others do the same.

Research shows that positively focused people are kinder and demonstrate better corporate citizenship.

Cognitive Ability

Stress diminishes our cognitive abilities. The same person is smarter when happy than he is when stresssed. Do you want your employees to make better decisions? Teach them how to reduce the stress in their lives. You can keep the same employees and gain a smarter workforce.

Absenteeism

Immune function decreases as stress increases. Research has shown that the severity of colds and flu are directly tied to positivity, wth the most positively focused experiencing the fewest symptoms and duration of illness. The most positively focused have sometimes not developed an illness at all, even after being deliberately exposed to the virus. The symptoms are not just self-reports. One study in particular actually measured symptoms, going as far as to weigh used tissues so that the results would not be slanted by the more pessimistic attitude. The pessimists reported more symptoms but they also had more symptoms.

Productivity/Presenteeism

The level of productivity is important to employers. In all except the most mindless, repetitive occupations repeated research has shown that optimists produce more than pessimists.

Although you may believe optimism and pessimism are inborn traits, they aren’t. They are habits of thought and individuals can change their habits of thought to make their life feel better.

Optimists are more successful than pessimists in study after study.

Sales

There is very solid evidence that even less qualified optimists outperform more qualified pessimists based on traditional measures of qualification. If optimism is not one of the considerations for hiring your sales staff you are leaving a lot of untapped potential on the table. Teaching your sales staff our stress management techniques would improve sales.

Ethics/Morality

The research is very clear that ethical behavior improves as positivity increases. Think about it. When the economy dips, white collar crime increases. The same stress that reduces cognitive ability leads individuals to faulty conclusions that result in them deciding to commit a crime.

Education Components

There are a number of false premises that hinder individuals from becoming happier and less stressed. One of them is that they should just be strong when they are faced with stressful situations. But the advice, such as think positive and decrease the stress in your life, is worthless without teaching them how.

Stress adversely affects every system in the body fairly quickly. It is something that should be dealt with as soon after it is experienced as possible. I’ll give you an example. Jealousy creates stress in the body. I am almost never jealous of anyone about anything. I recognize that feeling jealous is my seeing someone else experience something that I want but am perceiving I can’t be, do, or have. Earlier today I learned a friend was at a lecture at Harvard on psychoneuroimmunology and I felt jealous. I told my partner to tell our friend I was jealous (he was going to see him before I did). But I manage my emotional state to a really good place. I had not felt jealousy in a very long time. It did not feel good. Within less than five minutes I realized what I was doing and said, “Why am I feeling jealous? Why do I think that is something I can’t do?” Very quickly my jealous was gone, replaced by an attitude of being delighted that I have friends who attend those types of lectures and can intelligently discuss such subjects. I also affirmed that there was no reason I could not also attend a lecture like that. My jealousy is completely gone and I am now excited about the next time I’ll see my friend. I’m looking forward to hearing what he learned and comparing ideas. I can even ramp my emotional state up even higher. I know this man’s heart wants to help a lot of people, especially those who are the last to receive help, whether here in the USA or abroad. I can think about what he might have learned that will help him do that and feel even more positive emotions. I’ll stop there but the process could keep going. I’ve already shifted from jealousy to a bit of a natural high just by changing my perception but I have not begun to tap the potential positive emotions I could milk from this situation.

Do, however, notice that the circumstances did not change. He is still the one who attended the lecture. The only thing that changed was the only thing I could change, my perspective about it. My emotions improved as I assumed a more empowered perspective. My body no longer feels stress from assuming an unhealthy perspective.

I’ve been using these methods for years but it is not much more difficult for a novice to shift perspective and gain similar advantages.

We need to change our tolerance of stress. We need to help everyone understand that they should do what they can as soon as they can. It makes all the difference.

There are other false premises that interfere with optimal health that our program identifies and changes.

Attracting Quality

Attracting quality employees is critical to the success of your business. The iconic work cultures of our era will not have anything on a company that has incorporated the techniques in our program. You’ll have your pick of the best of the best-provided you provide a healthy work environment with opportunities to advance. Our program won’t change what your company does, only how it does it. There is another benefit I have not yet mentioned, that can help create an irresistible work environment.

Creativity

Creativity is just like cognitive ability as it related to stress. Creativity increases as happiness increases and decreases as stress increases. Ideas flow more readily to individuals who are positively focused. There is a second advantage that comes from our program that relates to this area. Many good ideas are wasted because the person who thinks them is afraid of how others will perceive the idea. Our program increases self-confidence and also the ability to feel good even if someone does not agree with us. The impediments that cause many good ideas to die before they are born is eliminated.

Diversity

Even diversity is positively impacted by our program. Research shows that positively focused individuals are naturally more inclusive. We have the ability to take your diversity initiatives to a higher level.

Resilience

We spend a lot of time planning for business continuity in the event of problems from busted water lines to epidemics and wars. But we tend to ignore the fact that people are required to execute those plans. In the disaster planning milieu, we assume people who are not directly taken out by the disaster will be functioning in their assigned roles. We forget that different people respond to stress in different ways and that the stress of a disaster could take out people who are not affected by the direct cause.

The best disaster plan you can create is worthless if your employees lack the resilience to persist during a disaster. Can they fulfill their duties in the midst of so much uncertainty?

I would far rather have resilient people and a mediocre plan than a great plan and staff with mediocre resilience levels. The resilient individual will retain the ability to think in dire circumstances that will be lost to someone who is less resilient. The best planning cannot predict all the variables. The resilient individual will be able to respond in the moment-when it counts. Those hero’s we love to watch on TV, who come through when bullets and bombs are all around? They’re resilient. Whether you adore MacGyver or Jack, it is their resilience that makes them able to persevere. My Dad tells me, Jeanine you could fall into an outhouse and you’d come out with a diamond ring. He has seen me repeatedly respond to circumstances that would devastate less resilient individuals in ways that make the outcome better than if the adversity had never happened.

Our program increases individual resilience, the ability to bounce back will be improved. It won’t matter if the strife is at work or personal, it will not drag them down as long as it would have without our training.

Sleep

Stress can adversely affect the ability to get a good night’s sleep in a number of ways. Stress can cause individuals to stay awake worrying about problems and it can cause them to wake up too early and be unable to go back to sleep. The stress of too many competing priorities can result in individuals simply not giving themselves enough time for adequate rest.

This is a significant concern to employers. Sleep deprivation can lead to more mistakes, including accidents. Inadequate sleep increases the risk of an automobile accident by three times.

Stress management skills reduce stress, allowing individuals to benefit from a better night’s sleep.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Our program increases EQ in three of the four key areas because of the way the program is designed.

Final Question

Does your corporate wellness program offer a stress management solution that satisfies your needs? Does it address stress at the root cause? Why not?

Contact us today to learn more about how Happiness 1st Institute can help your company achieve a lot more of its potential.


Benefits, Blogs, Business, Mental/Emotional Health

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Self-Help with a Scientific Foundation; Suitable for Corporate Environments

August 27, 20140

Helping to Create a Better World…

Until now, self-help and corporate environments have not been good friends. Happiness 1st Institute bridges the gap with scientifically supported stress reduction, optimism increasing skills that are both practical and effective.

The programs we offer are groundbreaking in numerous ways.

The tremendous benefits of decreasing stress and increasing optimism are great for employees, employers, and even customers. Employers benefit from increased engagement, reduced conflict, increased cognitive abilities, and increased emotional intelligence. Employees gain practical skills that make life feel more enjoyable without requiring circumstances to change. The skills improve their relationships at work and in their private lives. They also gain health benefits because stress decreases immune function which helps their bodies natural defenses keep them healthier. Customers prefer to deal with happy and positive employees so their level of satisfaction increases.

If you have salespeople, you may already know that optimistic sales people outsell even better qualified pessimists.

Our program checks all the boxes because the root cause of so many undesired things is the same — chronic stress.

Empowering employees with practical skills that enable them to reduce stress in every area of life, they become happier, more satisfied, healthier and smarter. Yes, smarter. Research is very clear that stress reduces cognitive function and optimism increases it.

Reducing stress has benefits that make many other things easier. Stressed bodies do not process food as well as bodies that are not stressed. Weight management is no longer defined as calories in-calories out. The new definition considers stress and mood, both of which impact how the body processes food and the food choices a person will make, with improved mood associated with healthier food choices.

Chronic stress is often the factor that leads to unhealthy behaviors such as alcohol and drug abuse, risky lifestyle behaviors, and even makes quitting smoking more difficult.

Ignoring chronic stress, or wearing it as a badge of honor-a common unhealthy habit-can lead to depression and other negative health outcomes. It increases the risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes among other things. TRUE Prevention-Optimum Health: Remember Galileo. Wellness from the Root Cause for the 21st Century provides citations that support the statements in this post.

Our society is operating with inaccurate information about the effect of stress and about how much stress is healthy (or not terribly unhealthy, to be more accurate). The decrease in immune function happens quickly enough that researchers have been able to measure changes in very quickly after a stressor is introduced to research subjects. We now know that the negative impact to the immune function, cognitive function, and endocrine systems happen quickly. Stress is not something to “let go” for a while and deal with later. Good stress management requires us to be aware of the increase in stress level when it happens and make smart decisions to proactively apply the stress management skills.

The skills we teach are not the dose dependent techniques commonly recommended. While those do help stress levels, their dose dependent nature has a few pitfalls. The first is that they do not provide long-term benefits. The second is that those who need them the most are least likely to do them. The third is that they treat the symptom, not the root cause of stress. Exercise, helping other people, going outside, petting your cat or dog, and the other most frequently recommended methods are best for short-term relief. For long-term benefits, a skill based approach is best. Even meditation, which varies between dose dependent for those who do not have a consistent practice to providing some long term benefits to those who use it consistently, does not address the root cause of stress.

That is actually good news because that means the best we knew to do in the past has been improved upon, making the potential for good outcomes better than it’s ever been. We refer to our program as self-help with a scientific foundation because each individual is responsible for applying the skills to their own life. But the greatest thing about our program is that applying the skills provides positive emotional feedback each step of the way-creating intrinsic motivation that results in priceless benefits for everyone.

Ask us how we can address your businesses pressing concerns. We’re glad to help.


Benefits, Blogs, Business

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TRUE Prevention-Optimum Health: Remember Galileo

July 27, 20140

In the future, humans will view modern medicine as little better than we view the healing practices of the middle ages. Science evincing that we currently treat symptoms, not the root causes of illnesses, exists. True Prevention: Remember Galileo takes up the challenge of building a bridge to the future where prevention is done at the root cause. In layman’s terms, practical solutions are provided to improve human thriving now. We remind readers to remember Galileo because the tendency to resist information that conflicts with what we believe we know persists. History reveals humanity repeatedly delays the benefits of many significant advances due to this resistance to new ideas. The life enhancing benefits revealed in this book are too great to ignore.

Step-by-step, Ms. Joy guides us through information supporting a new approach to health and wellness with far reaching implications. Pulling information from a vast array of scientific fields including biology, chemistry, neuroscience, quantum physics, sociology, cultural anthropology to positive psychology, criminology, and more, the pieces of the puzzle snap into place revealing the potential for a far better world than most of us can imagine.

In science, the Parsimony Principle requires us to choose the simplest scientific explanation that fits the evidence. When an incorrect or incomplete theory has become accepted as truth, its complexity increases over time as exceptions and modifications are made to make new information fit the existing theory. Current explanations for illness and disease are rife with exceptions because they address symptoms instead of the root cause. The solutions put forth herein are the opposite, beautiful in their simplicity and ability to explain the myriad exceptions that plague other perspectives.

True Prevention is filled with clarifying concepts and practical steps that will help corporate wellness programs, physicians, and individuals achieve a clear understanding of where to focus their energy for optimum health.


Blogs, Books

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The absence of negative emotions ≠ the presence of positive emotions.

July 27, 20140

The absence of negative emotions ≠ presence of positive emotions.

“The absence of the negative is not the same thing as the presence of positive emotions.

“The absence of the negative is not the same thing as the presence of the positive. We found that factors such as optimism, life satisfaction, and happiness are associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease regardless of such factors as a person’s age, socioeconomic status, smoking status, or body weight,” said lead author Julia Boehm, research fellow in the Department of Society, Human Development, and Health at Harvard School of Public Health.

Chronic positive emotions, optimism, and happiness provide benefits that increase vitality and longevity but also benefits that improve relationships and even success.

Over the years I have found that many individuals accept their current emotional state and have no idea how to change it.

They attempt to be stoic and insist they are “OK” but being OK does not afford the health benefits that happiness does. Nor is it healthy for relationships and it does not contribute to the level of success you experience. We are not in a contest to see who can suffer or endure the longest. In the long run there are not prizes for ignoring your emotional state and toughing it out.

Many see weakness in asking for help yet the path to happiness is often not clear and quick fixes seldom work.

It is possible for anyone to enjoy more positive emotions, optimism and happiness if they know the skills and knowledge that helps them. Often skills are given without the knowledge so people give up because of the lack of knowledge. Sometimes the knowledge is given without the requisite skills.

When you have the whole puzzle the path to happiness is easy to navigate and there is truly no end to how happy an individual can become.

Once you are on the right path it becomes easier and easier as if circumstances are bending over backwards to help you. Those days when things are easy and things seem to fall into place easier than they used to is one of the symptoms you will experience continually as you move toward greater happiness. There are scientifically proven reasons for this and if you take the class you will understand those reasons.

The best health benefits are derived from the higher emotional levels which you would experience as things like love, appreciation, joy, enthusiasm, eagerness, interest, passion, awe, inspiration and so forth. If you are in a low emotional place you won’t get there overnight but you can get there and there are health benefits every step along the path. There are also benefits to your relationships and other activities as well.

Contented is not at the highest levels. It can make a good emotional resting place for a while but many people stop there, because feeling content is not a bad feeling, they stop moving toward the better feeling emotions. The trip is so worth while.

Many people have been taught to put others needs before their own and use that as their excuse to ignore their own emotional needs. Yes, you do need to be happy. Why do you think bodies function better when the person living in it is happy? That evidence is clear and compelling.

So, let’s look at it from the perspective of helping others. The following is based upon scientifically proven benefits of increased positivity.

“When you are happy you are at your best. You are in the best health. You are in the best mood. You are able to think with greater clarity. You are able to see solutions to problems far more readily. You need less from others (pumping up, assistance of all types, etc.). You contribute more by being happy so being happy is a priority for you. When you are happy you contribute to others by inspiring them to happiness. You contribute to others because when you feel great you want to help others feel just as wonderful. Sometimes, when someone feels rotten it makes them feel better to see someone else feel rotten too or see someone who is even worse off then they are. When you are happy it lifts you even higher to help others up and you gain no happiness or relief from their not being in a good place. Minding your happiness is minding your health because when you are happy you will be inclined to make good decisions about your diet and exercise and other habits. Happiness reduces the stress on your body and enables it to more easily maintain or regain its health. Your happiness is good for you and good for the world. Happiness is the path to peace.”

Studies have shown that increased happiness actually reduces racism and increases corporate citizenship.

Aren’t the benefits of happiness the things you want to see in the world? Healthier people being nicer to one another, family and strangers alike? Children confident in themselves - not fake pumped up self esteem - but real, they understand to the core of their being that they can be successful, that they can find solutions to problems, that they can decide to pursue their dreams? Better relationships among people and even peace. In our class you will understand the relationship between peace and happiness.

Interested in our classes? We are accepting enrollments for new classes now.


Benefits, Blogs, Science

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Do you Want Better Employees?

July 27, 20140

Do You Want Better Employees?

 

The benefits of increased happiness include increased intelligence, creativity, emotional intelligence, resilience, and improved health, relationships and well-being.

At Happiness 1st Institute, we know how to teach individuals to increase their level of happiness with tools and techniques that make the increased level of happiness easily sustainable.

All the goals of corporate wellness programs (and much more) can be accomplished by increasing the happiness level of employees.

Many businesses have been using well-known methods to obtain a competitive advantage. New scientific breakthroughs are changing the definition of the best way to gain competitive advantage. At Happiness 1st we use information supported by recent scientific studies to help businesses gain a competitive advantage by developing the most valuable resources that they already have – their employees. Our methods will increase productivity, sales, engagement, and retention while reducing health care costs, absenteeism, and turnover. This can be done with a minimal investment of time and resources, yet the returns are fantastic. This has been shown over and over again in businesses ranging from insurance sales to high tech engineering to law enforcement. The theory of developing employees’ strengths toward a culture of hope, confidence, resilience, optimism and happiness makes sense, and the benefits have been proven by scientific research.

This is not a program that requires managers to offer compliments and be the motivator of employees.

Everyone wants to be happier. Increased happiness in employees confers great benefits on the employer. When an employee begins feeling happier the employee is self-motivated to continue practicing the skills we teach because it feels good. These skills work for anyone willing to do the work. Pessimists can learn to have a more optimistic outlook.

Plato said it best in The Republic when he wrote, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” During these challenging economic times, employers are seeking alternative solutions to control rising health care costs in order to maintain market share and profitability while continuing to provide benefits their employees rely upon. According to the National Coalition on Health Care, employee health care costs are rising at a rate of 6.9 percent annually, which is two times the rate of inflation. Health care spending in the United States represents 17 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and the average cost of care for each person in the United States is around $7,900 per person.

Much of the burden for covering the cost of care for employees falls upon employers. In 2008, the annual premium for an employer health care plan covering a family of four was $12,700. This was the first year that the annual employee health care premiums surpassed the gross pay of full-time, minimum wage workers at $10,712.

Other more inventive employers are actively looking for alternative ways to reduce health care costs through a variety of cost cutting methods. Corporate wellness programs are quickly becoming the solution of choice with an average return of $3 for every $1 spent. There are many reasons employers choose to offer employee wellness programs. While the return on dollar spent is an average of $3 the programs are not as effective as they could be.

New scientific findings are causing a paradigm shift that feels as big as the shift from believing the Earth was flat to round. These findings are neon signs pointing to a fairly simple strategy that is scientifically proven to work and achieve the goals hoped for from a corporate wellness program.

What is this shift? Increased happiness causes:

Improvements in health including fewer illnesses, less severe illnesses when there is illness, and quicker recovery.

  • Significant reductions in absenteeism
  • Significant reductions in turnover
  • Increased productivity
  • Increased clarity of thinking
  • Increased ability to make good decisions and good evaluations of facts

The same employee is literally more intelligent and more creative when they are happier.

The same employee is healthier when they are happier.

The same employee has better relationships with others when they are happier.

Think about how good it would feel to come to work every day and feel good yourself and work with others who feel good. Staying in such an environment would be very attractive to employees.

We love sharing with businesses, organizations, governments, veterans and individuals information about the scientific studies that show that every goal of corporate wellness programs (and then some) is addressed beautifully by increasing the happiness level of employees and that there are proven methods of not only increasing employee happiness levels but sustaining them.

Please visit Happiness 1st for more information on the science behind happiness and how to enroll in our classes.

Scientists have also shown that happiness can be learned through development of new skills.

The benefits of happiness are too great to list here. Here are some results of increased happiness:

  • Happy sales people do much better than even more qualified but pessimistic sales people in sales and their turnover is lower.
  • One company experienced a 1.5 day per month per employee reduction in absenteeism with 1,000 employees (18000 days a year equivalent).
  • Being happy vs. unhappy contributes more to longevity than smoking status!
  • Intelligence (IQ), creativity, emotional intelligence (EQ), and resilience all increase in tandem with increased happiness.
  • Even when they become sick, happy people recover faster and do not experience as many symptoms as an unhappier person with the same illness.
  • The higher level of emotional intelligence means less time dealing with petty grievances that steal valuable time.
  • Happy people see solutions more than problems.
  • All relationships tend to improve with increased happiness, so the impact at work from turmoil at home lessens.

Imagine working in an environment where employees have learned happiness skills. How difficult would it be to leave such an environment for one where that training had not been provided?

We need many things to make our company one of the leaders that comes out of the decline in a great position to thrive.

We need intelligent leaders with creative solutions and high levels of emotional intelligence.

We need to retain our key employees. Turnover is one of the biggest risks during recovery.

We need competitive edges. Happiness is a huge competitive edge and it increases the chances of developing other creative and inspired competitive edges.

Is it time to lift your company out of the doldrums?

Get Happiness 1st Institute to help you capture these benefits of happiness.


Benefits, Blogs, Business

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A Happier You

July 25, 20140

A Happier You

~ Benefits everyone in your life ~

Your increased happiness benefits your family, your friends,

your community, your health, well-being, and success.

This course is designed to increase resilience, self mastery, optimism, happiness, emotional intelligence, well-being and improve relationships.See the programs tab to check out the course offerings and register to make your life better.

You will understand and be able to implement the keys to sustainable happiness.

You will feel more empowered and feel more confident in your ability to succeed in anything you set your mind to.

The benefits provided by this class have been shown to increase many life skills that make the difference between a mediocre life where dreams are put aside and one where thriving is the order of the day.

We want you to thrive. We know you can. All you need is some knowledge and skills.

Some would say increasing your happiness is selfishly oriented. We (and science) disagree. When you are capable of managing your own life you require fewer resources from others and science has shown that when individuals are happy they are far more likely to help others. The bottom line is that science has shown that an individuals happiness does not just benefit that individual but also his or her family, friends, co-workers and community.

Your very capacity for kindness and ability to love will increase.

The benefits of increased happiness are tremendous. You will learn why relationships are easier when you are happy.

Happiness also provides health benefits including 50% risk reduction for heart disease, reduced risk for some cancers, reduced risk of diabetes and Alzheimer’s, improved immune function, fewer colds and flu and so much more. See our website for more information on the scientifically proven benefits.

It has been shown that depression during pregnancy has many adverse impacts on the baby including sleep and behavior problems, depression, and asthma. These scientific findings point to the importance of learning these skills.

Many will tell you to be more positive. We do not just tell you, we show you how.

You’re made a wise decision. Your life will be better because of it.

Click on the Programs tab for course and registration information.

The terms we use to refer to areas the class will benefit are defined differently by different people. This is especially true of happiness. Our meanings are reflected below.

Happiness is a deep sense of inner stability, well-being, peace and vitality that is consistent and reliable.

Resilience is an individual’s ability to cope with stress and adversity. Increased resilience helps individuals recover from setbacks (illness, depression, adversity, etc. ) faster than they would without the coping strategies that our course strengthens.

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to effectively understand oneself and others which impacts the ability to relate well to people and higher EQ levels help individuals be more successful in meeting the demands and pressures of life.

Optimism is an inclination to project a positive point of view upon actions and events and to anticipate favorable outcomes. Optimists tend to be much more successful than pessimists and to experience better health throughout life.

Self Mastery is the ability to be aware of your emotions and rule them rather than have them rule you. Self mastery is the ability to make the most out of your physical, mental, and spiritual health, to be the best you can be.

Well-Being ~ high levels of well-being mean that we are more able to respond to difficult circumstances, to innovate and constructively engage with other people and the world around us. As well as representing a highly effective way of bringing about good outcomes in many different areas our lives, there is also a strong case for regarding well-being as an ultimate goal of human endeavor. It contributes to the individual ability to realize his or her own potential, to cope with the normal stresses of life, to work productively and fruitfully, and the ability to make a contribution to her or his community.


Benefits, Blogs

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Some of the Scientifically Proven Benefits of Happiness

July 25, 20140

Some of the Scientifically Proven Benefits of Happiness

The benefits of increased positive emotions, optimism and happiness extend to all areas of life.

Scientists in many fields have been working, primarily in the past 20 years, on discovering the benefits of happiness. The results have been conclusive and surprising.

Positive emotions, optimism and happiness have positive impacts on health, well-being, relationships, emotional intelligence, creativity, cognitive ability, decision-making, resilience, substance abuse, crime, teen pregnancy, imune system function, and of course, depression.

Some Scientifically Shown Benefits of Increased Happiness

Positive emotions, optimism, and happiness have been scientifically shown to:

· Reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 50%[i]

· Provide a protective defense against breast cancer[ii]

· Increase resilience “We contend that the cognitive broadening that accompanies states of positive emotion expands and improves the ways people cope during crises”. [iii]

· Increase problem solving abilities and negotiating skills[iv]

· Have the potential to create chains of events that carry positive meaning for others, positive emotions can trigger upward spirals that transform communities into more cohesive, moral and harmonious social organizations. [v]

· Reduce stress which is being researched as contributing to Alzheimer’s disease[vi] and [vii]

· Be the best coping strategies for life’s ‘downs’. [viii]

· Significantly reduces risk of stroke (study only considered optimism)[ix]

· Improved relationships of all types[x]

· Increase success[xi]

· Research suggests that negativity in social relationships is an important predictor

· of (adverse) mental health in its own right[xii]

 

This is just a sample of the scientifically proven benefits. Research has found enough benefits to fill several books. I apologize for the copious citations but I wanted you to see that the statements are based upon solid research.

• Improved immune system function

• Reduced risk of heart disease and stroke

• Reduced risk of Type II diabetes

• Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease

• Reduced risk of depression

• Reduced incident of illness

• Shorter duration when illness occurs

• Reduced inflammatory response to stress

• Increased longevity

• Lower blood pressure

• Less pain

• Improved sleep

• Greater resiliency and adaptability

• More likely to make good choices

• Increased creativity

• Increased success

• Increased productivity

• Increased optimism

• Improved relationships of all types

• Improved social support networks

• Feel love and appreciation more

• More likely to marry

• More likely to be happily married

• Become more likable

• Greater clarity of thinking; the mind sees more possibilities

• Increased ability to see the ‘big picture’

All of our course offerings provide health and well-being benefits

Citations and greater details are in programs and books by Jeanine Joy available on Amazon and other fine book sellers.

 

[i]Boehm, J. K. , & Kubzansky, L. D. The heart’s content: The association between positive psychological well-being and cardiovascular health. Psychological Bulletin, April 2012

AmericanAcademyof Neurology (2001, July 13). Keeping up your overall health may keep dementia away, study suggests. Science Daily

Cardiovascular disease is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s so this risk is also reduced. AmericanAcademyof Neurology (2001, July 13). Keeping up your overall health may keep dementia away, study suggests. Science Daily.

[ii]Ronit Peled, Devora Carmil, Orly Siboni-Samocha and Ilana Shoham-Vardi. Breast cancer, psychological distress and life events among young women. BMC Cancer

[iii]What good are positive emotions in crisis? A prospective study of resilience and emotions following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001. Fredrickson, Barbara L. ; Tugade, Michele M. ; Waugh, Christian E. ; Larkin, Gregory R. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 84(2), Feb 2003, 365-376. doi: 10. 1037/0022-3514. 84. 2. 365

[iv]Content analyses revealed that physicians who felt good were faster to integrate case information and less likely to become anchored on initial thoughts or come to premature closure in their diagnosis. In yet another experiment, Isen and colleagues showed that negotiators induced to feel good were more likely to discover integrative solutions in a complex bargaining task. Overall, 20 years of experiments by

Isen and her colleagues show that when people feel good, their thinking becomes more creative, integrative, flexible and open to information. The Value of Positive Emotions. Barbara L. Fredrickson, Ph. D.

[v]The Value of Positive Emotions. Barbara L. Fredrickson, Ph. D.

[vi]Ioannis Sotiropoulos, Caterina Catania, Lucilia G. Pinto, Rui Silva, G. Elizabeth Pollerberg, Akihiko Takashima, Nuno Sousa, and Osborne F. X. Almeida. Stress Acts Cumulatively to Precipitate Alzheimer’s Disease-Like Tau Pathology and Cognitive Deficits. Journal of Neuroscience, May 25, 2011; 31(21):7840-7847 DOI:10. 1523/JNEUROSCI. 0730-11. 2011

[vii]Robert A. Rissman, PhD, assistant professor of neurosciences, said the findings may at least partly explain why clinical studies have found a strong link between people prone to stress and development of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which accounts for up to 95 percent of all AD cases in humans. Robert A. Rissman, Michael A. Staup, Allyson Roe Lee, Nicholas J. Justice, Kenner C. Rice, Wylie Vale, and Paul E. Sawchenko. Corticotropin-releasing factor receptor-dependent effects of repeated stress on tau phosphorylation, solubility, and aggregation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012 DOI: 10. 1073/pnas. 1203140109


Benefits, Science

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An Open Letter About Optimism

July 25, 20140

An open letter about Optimism

Is the glass half full or half empty?

For many years we have just taken our ‘seemingly’ natural slant toward optimism or pessimism as a fact of life, as something that is an intrinsic part of ourselves, unchangeable.

Those with a pessimistic attitude have not fought against or resisted their ‘seemingly’ natural state, believing it unchangeable and probably not all that important.

Science has now shown us that we do have control over whether we are optimistic or pessimistic. If we decide to change ourselves we can do so. Both outlooks are merely habitual patterns of thought.

Science has also shown us that there are many benefits to being more optimistic than pessimistic. These benefits, in general, include:

Optimists are healthier

Optimists live longer

Optimists are better salespeople

Optimists are more successful in most endeavors

Optimists are not as susceptible to depression

Optimists have better relationships

The saying “Blondes have more fun” might be more accurately stated as “Optimists have more fun”.

So, what can you do about it?

You can take our Keys to Happiness course which not only increases happiness but optimism, emotional intelligence and resilience. The course is fun and easy and will give you all the skills and knowledge necessary to shift your focus from being pessimistic to optimistic.

Does your pessimism serve you in your profession? One of the other benefits of our course is that you can choose to be flexible. You can focus upon becoming more optimistic in your personal life while retaining your professional skepticism. The two can cohabitate successfully when you consciously choose this path. Even if your pessimism serves you in some aspects of your profession it is not benefiting your relationships with co workers, bosses and employees. You can fine tune your optimism/pessimism switch so that the attitude that is most beneficial to you in the moment is the one you apply.

Pessimists may have difficulty believing they can change or that this course will be helpful. Feel free to check out our Science section where citations from many studies are provided. You can use the citations to locate and read the studies. You will also be able to see for yourself as students answer a questionnaire about optimism and pessimism at the beginning and end of the course to determine their progress.

Deciding to take the course is a small investment of time and money that has the potential to improve your life experience in countless ways.

If you would like to be happier, if you would like to feel less trepidation, fear, anxiety, worry and concern take the class.

If you tend to focus on the negative aspects of your family and friends take the class.

If you have dreams and goals that you believe are impossible to reach take the class.

You will be happy you did.

Best Wishes for a happy life,

Jeanine Joy, President

Happiness 1st Institute

www. happiness1st. com

PS: Recent findings show that optimism is a trait associated with a 50% risk reduction in the nation’s # 1 cause of death, cardiovascular disease.


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Positive Attitudes and Open Minds Lead to Upward Spirals

July 25, 20140

Positive Attitudes and Open Minds Lead to Upward Spirals

An open mind and positive mindset create for individuals an ability to see more possibilities. This helps build resiliency. When a problem is encountered, the ability to see various possible solutions creates an expectation that future problems will be solvable as well. The increasing level of expectation and openness to solutions causes increasing levels of positivity. A corresponding increase in trust, not just in oneself, but in others, occurs as the upward spiral of positivity continues.

How does one create upward spirals? He or she trains his or her mind to think with a bias in favor of positive outcomes. Our classes teach you how to do this, providing skills, tools and the knowlege necessary to be successful.

Citations:

Fredrickson, B. L. , and T. Joiner (2002), “Positive emotions trigger upward spirals toward emotional well-being,” Psychological Science 13: 172-75

Burns, A. B. , J. S. Brown, et al. (2008), “Upward spirals of positive emotion and coping: Replication, extension, and initial exploration of neurochemical substrates,” personality and Individual Differences 44: 360 - 70

Tags: Upward spirals, open minds, coping, resiliency

Happiness 1st Institute takes the best information from a variety of disciplines including Positive Psychology, neuroscience, quantum physics, emotional intelligence and ancient philosophies to create courses that provide skills and tools individuals can use to make themselves happier, more optimistic, more resilient and more emotionally intelligent.

Visit our website today for more information and to enroll.

www. happiness1st. com

© Jeanine Joy 2011 - 2014


Benefits

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Having a Positive Focus Increases Longevity

July 25, 20140

Having a Positive Focus Increases Longevity (The Nun Study)

Studies show that maintaining a positive attitude and positive emotions results in greater health and longevity.

One particular study followed nuns, using their childhood journals to rate the nuns’ positivity levels. Many years later the nuns with positive attitudes were shown to live longer and maintain their health longer than those with less positive attitudes. “The Nun Study” is considered especially reliable because the subjects’ vocation (being a Nun) meant they shared many more lifestyle factors than is usually found in study participants, allowing for other variables to be ruled out as causing the differences in aging and health deterioration. Family history was considered when comparing the experiences of the nuns.

This study also speaks to the causative nature of happiness contributing to longer lives since the Nuns could not have known in their youth that they would live longer. The longer life did not cause the higher level of positivity.

The less positive nuns not only died an average of 10 years earlier, their health deteriorated further in advance of death. For example, a positive nun might have begun experiencing debilitating illnesses 2 - 3 years prior to death (or not at all) while the more negatively focused nuns began experiencing debilitating illnesses many years prior to death resulting in even fewer years of quality life. For many this addresses a health risk that is often found surrounded by more fear than death itself which is inevitable, eventually, for all of us. That factor is the fear of not being able to care for oneself or being confined to a nursing home. The greater positivity reduces this risk.

Citation: Danner, D. D. , D. A. Snowdon, and W. V. Friesen (2001), “Positive emotions in early life and longevity: Findings from the nun study,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 80: 804-13

Happiness 1st Institute takes the best information from a variety of disciplines including Positive Psychology, neuroscience, quantum physics, emotional intelligence and ancient philosophies to create courses that provide skills and tools individuals can use to make themselves happier, more optimistic, more resilient and more emotionally intelligent.

Click on the Programs link for more information about our programs.

© Jeanine Joy 2011-2014


Benefits

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An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

July 12, 20142

 

Politicians are you paying attention? Do you really have the well-being of the people in mind? Then pay attention-we know what we need to know to solve most of the problems on the agenda. Let’s stop treating symptoms and solve them at the root cause level.

This is an excerpt from the North Carolina 2012 Research Divisions (for the NC House and NC Senate) that I felt could be beneficially impacted by knowledge and skills training in positivity, optimism, stress reduction, and happiness based on the current state of the knowledge base contributed to by many branches of science including positive psychology, biochemistry, neuroscience, epigenetics, psychoimmunology, and many more.

Federal legislators and the Surgeon General are also ignoring these potential benefits. Why? Is it a case of following the money to see the real motivation?

Do we need a grass roots effort to demand that state of the art knowledge be put toward solving problems?

These benefits P R E V E N T illnesses and societal problems - not just address symptoms. There is no reason to wait!

 

  • The category is listed first.
  • The individuals assigned are listed second.
  • The third aspect are statements (not exhaustive) of the benefits science has demonstrated would be attributed to that area with the implementation of training in increased positivity, optimism and happiness.

 

The comments are made by Jeanine Broderick, President of Happiness 1st. This is based on many years of research across many scientific disciplines fueled by passion for learning everything possible about the benefits of positivity to individuals, their families, their employers and their communities.

 

I was writing to all the NC elected representatives and came across this listing. I felt inspired by the numbers of areas that have potential to be beneficially impacted.

There is solid science behind the statements made.

 

2012

A

Abortion Shawn Parker, Amy Jo Johnson,

Janice Paul, Kelly Quick

Reduces Teen Pregnancy and repeat teen pregnancy

 

Adult Care Homes Theresa Matula, Sara Kamprath,

Susan Barham

End of life debilitating diseases onset is later and closer to death

Adult Day Care Theresa Matula, Sara Kamprath,

Susan Barham

End of life debilitating diseases onset is later and closer to death

 

Aging Theresa Matula, Sara Kamprath,

Susan Barham

End of life debilitating diseases onset is later and closer to death

Studies show that attitude about aging has tremendous impact; positive outcomes can be greatly increased.

 

AIDS Shawn Parker, Amy Jo Johnson

Improves decision-making

 

Alcohol Abuse Shawn Parker, Janice Paul, Susan Barham

Reduces substance abuse

Often feeling unhappy is a strong factor in onset

 

Assisted Living Theresa Matula, Sara Kamprath,

Susan Barham

End of life debilitating diseases onset is later and closer to death

B

C

 

Child Abuse & Neglect Drupti Chauhan, Janice Paul,

Susan Barham, Kelly Quick

Reduces substance abuse

Improves relationships of all types

Improves ability to think

Stress reduction skills can help avoid reaching that crisis point

 

Children, Family & Marriage Wendy Ray, Drupti Chauhan, Janice Paul,

Kelly Quick

Improves relationships of all types

More harmonious relationships

Increases stability

Reduces marriage for wrong reasons

Make earlier course corrections - with knowledge and skills

Colleges Drupti Chauhan, Kara McCraw,

Sara Kamprath, Patsy Pierce, Dee Atkinson

Depression is rampant among college students

  • reduces substance abuse
  • reduces ‘comfort’ sexual encounters
  • increases true self-esteem
  • Reduces teen pregnancy

Suicide is a major problem in this age group - would reduce it

Increases emotional intelligence

Increases IQ

Community Colleges Kara McCraw, Drupti Chauhan,

Sara Kamprath, Patsy Pierce, Dee Atkinson

Depression is rampant among college students

  • reduces substance abuse
  • reduces ‘comfort’ sexual encounters
  • increases true self-esteem
  • Reduces teen pregnancy

Suicide is a major problem in this age group - would reduce it

Increases emotional intelligence

Increases IQ

 

Corrections Brenda Carter, Susan Sitze, Hal Pell,

Kelly Quick

Strongly believe it would reduce recidivism - would like to study

D

 

Disabled Persons Shawn Parker, Susan Barham,

Amy Jo Johnson, Patsy Pierce

There are many incidents of positivity improving ability beyond where physicians believed they could go

Helps with depression

 

Discrimination Hal Pell, Brad Krehely, Kara McCraw,

Amy Jo Johnson, Kelly Quick

There is discrimination in the world but there is also perceived discrimination when it does not exist and both are damaging to living harmoniously as a society. Helps with both types as increased positivity has been shown to reduce racism.

 

Diseases Shawn Parker, Amy Jo Johnson, Susan Barham

50% risk reduction in cardiovascular disease (Harvard Meta-Analysis)

One skill has been shown to reduce death, disability and stroke in those who already have heart disease

Provides preventative effect on cancers studied (including breast cancer)

Reduces risk of Type II diabetes

Reduces depression and chronic depression

Reduces impact of negative life events (which typically increase risk of disease & death)

Shown to have a positive impact on Alzheimer’s

Positive impact on stroke

 

Divorce

Wendy Ray, Janice Paul

Improves relationships of all types

More harmonious relationships

Increases stability

Reduces marriage for wrong reasons

Make earlier course corrections - with knowledge and skills

 

Domestic Violence Hal Pell, Wendy Ray, Susan Sitze, Janice Paul, Susan Barham

Improves relationships of all types

More harmonious relationships

Increases stability

Reduces marriage for wrong reasons

Make earlier course corrections - with knowledge and skills

 

Drugs – Crime Hal Pell, Wendy Ray, Susan Sitze,

Kelly Quick

Reduces substance abuse

Often feeling unhappy is a strong factor in onset

 

Drugs – Pharmaceutical Shawn Parker, Barbara Riley,

Susan Barham, Amy Jo Johnson

There are a number of drugs where the placebo effect is almost as beneficial as the strong drug (that comes with side effects). Positivity can be nurtured to gain benefits from the same mechanisms that provide placebo effect deliberately

 

Drunk Driving, DUI & DWI Susan Sitze, Hal Pell, Brenda Carter

Reduces substance abuse

Improves decision making abilities

Provides skills and knowledge to deal with life stressors without need to medicate with alcohol

E

 

Econ. Dev. Incentives, JSC Cindy Avrette, Trina Griffin,

Heather Fennell, Greg Roney, Judy Collier

It would be nice to have some incentives to adopt these practices as employee benefits. The science is sound and the business benefits are robust but getting businesses to listen and understand the benefits is an uphill battle right now. Happiness has a reputation as ‘fluffy’ and something you chase, not attain. Creating case analysis would increase natural adoption of beneficial programs because the benefits include: decreased absenteeism, increased productivity, decreased turnover, increased mental ability, increased creativity, decreased health care costs, less bickering in the office and more.

 

Economic Development Cindy Avrette, Trina Griffin,

Heather Fennell, Greg Roney, Judy Collier

Adoption of programs could give businesses a competitive edge coming out of the recovery.

Education Drupti Chauhan, Kara McCraw, Sara Kamprath, Patsy Pierce, Dee Atkinson

Emotional self-mastery and understanding of emotions will help children thrive at all ages.

I believe that the ones I read about (at the bottom) who can’t seem to improve no matter how many resources are thrown at them are often suffering from “Learned Helplessness” which is a state of mind where they just do not believe their actions matter. It is possible to unlearn “Learned Helplessness” and a program to do this (both for children and adults) would, I believe, result in thriving like you’ve never imagined in areas previously thought hopeless.

 

Elderly Theresa Matula, Sara Kamprath, Susan Barham

End of life debilitating diseases onset is later and closer to death

Studies show that attitude about aging has tremendous impact; positive outcomes can be greatly increased.

 

Emergency Management (Resilience) Barbara Riley, Janice Paul, Kelly Quick

Resilience increases so the ability to rebound after an emergency and function well would be improved.

 

Employee Benefits Theresa Matula, Karen Cochrane-Brown,

Brad Krehely

Until everyone is learning this in school providing it as an employee benefit is a good way to help those who have completed their schooling. Providing tax advantages for employers to offer the courses would be beneficial. For example, considering it a health care expense that employers can write off. I do not believe we can make it eligible for flex benefits or HSA accounts at the state level but that would also be fantastic.

 

Environmental Health Jennifer Mundt, Jeffrey Hudson,

Jennifer McGinnis, Mariah Matheson

Why does one person get sick and another not when exposed to the same environmental toxins? The level of positivity plays a part with positivity providing some protections. The science showing that the immune system functions better when someone is positively focused, optimistic and happy is strong and clear.

 

Eugenics Denise Huntley Adams, Susan Barham, Janice Paul

There is clear evidence that a positive environment has a beneficial impact on future generations (out up to 8 generations in the research I have seen on rats) but even more importantly, there is science showing negative impact on the next generation from depressed Moms-to-be including adverse impact on behavior, sleep patters, and increased incidence of asthma and depression in the offspring.

Epigenetics is a rapidly advancing science and the newest findings demonstrate the benefits of being positively focused.

 

F

Families Drupti Chauhan, Wendy Ray, Janice Paul,

Patsy Pierce, Kelly Quick

Improves relationships of all types

More harmonious relationships

Increases stability

Reduces marriage for wrong reasons

Make earlier course corrections - with knowledge and skills

 

 

Federal Health Care Reform Shawn Parker, Amy Jo Johnson

I was gravely disappointed that the National Prevention Council Action Plan: Implementing the National Prevention Strategy did not include taking advantage of the knowledge that exists regarding the impact of positive emotions on prevention across the board. I would be happy to participate in developing programs and recommendations to bring the advantages and known benefits of increased optimism to North Carolina. On the bright side, this affords the state of North Carolina to be a leader in this change.

 

Food Stamps Shawn Parker, Susan Barham, Janice Paul

Poverty is impacted by many factors that improve with the knowledge and skills including self-esteem, overcoming Learned Helplessness, re-framing failures as learning experiences and more.

The program makes individuals feel more empowered and thus more likely to take positive actions under their own volition.

 

Foreclosure Karen Cochrane-Brown, Bill Patterson, Greg Roney, Janice Paul, Drupti Chauhan

Poverty is impacted by many factors that improve with the knowledge and skills including self-esteem, overcoming Learned Helplessness, re-framing failures as learning experiences and more.

The program makes individuals feel more empowered and thus more likely to take positive actions under their own volition.

Financial woes are currently made worse by some of the practices of the lenders. They will often have the delinquent customer rehash the reasons for their late payments over and over again. This focus further depletes their resilience and makes them feel even more of a failure which then becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. As Henry Ford said “If you believe you can, you can. If you believe you can’t, you can’t. Either way you are right. ” Reviewing practices that tend to further deplete the resilience and emotional resources of someone who is already struggling and making modifications that will help them recover instead of furthering the misery would be beneficial to both sides.

 

Freedom of Press Kara McCraw, Brad Krehely

I believe in a free press but right now the press is actually very damaging to our society. They focus upon negative events and circumstances. They do not inform (if they wanted to inform them would tell us when things were fixed, resolved, etc. ) They sensationalize.

I attended a class by Dr. Robert Holden in NYC last November and my Mom was worried sick because I stayed in Times Square and the news reported that Times Square had been taken over by Occupy Wall Street. My parents who diligently watch TV daily for hours to ‘be informed” believed, from the reports, that I was in a virtual war zone. I not only walked several blocks from my hotel to the class every day but also walked at night and never felt frightened nor did I see evidence of Occupy. The news had clearly reported an erroneous picture of the true situation, one much worse than it actually was.

They are doing the same thing with Greece and Spain. I have been asking those I meet who have been there recently about conditions because, once again, my Mom is quite frightened by the reports knowing that I am going there soon. Everyone I have spoken with has enjoyed good experiences and not been frightened.

I do not watch television. I turned it off in 1995 because the characters were people I would ask to leave if they were physically in my home. Sometimes I go to a friends home and the news is on. It can make me physically ill to listen to it in a few minutes.

There is so much good and wonderful in our world. If the news was reported proportionately good and bad the bad news would last less than 1 minute in each 24 hours. With the evidence we already have about the negative impact of this and the number of televisions that are on in most homes the negative impact is astronomical in terms of health care costs and illness. I would like to see public service announcements educating people about the benefits of positivity, optimism, and happiness. I would like to see a requirement that for every so much airtime of negative news, during the same show, a public service announcement made.

We have a Surgeon General Warning on cigarettes yet smoking only takes an average of 7 years off a life. Negativity takes 10 years.

Negativity also has a negative impact on our offspring.

Negativity has a detrimental impact on our success, our health, and our relationships.

 

G

 

Genetics Amy Jo Johnson, Susan Barham

See comments above re: eugenetics

 

Grandparents Wendy Ray, Janice Paul

Studies show that positively focused individuals maintain better relationships with their families because family members are more motivated to spend time with them.

 

H

 

 

H. Commerce Sub. on Science and Technology

Bill Patterson, Greg Roney

More studies need to be commissioned. It is time to take the vast knowledge and create programs to benefit society and study the results so that tweaks can be made.

 

H. Education Sara Kamprath, Drupti Chauhan,

Kara McCraw, Patsy Pierce, Dee Atkinson

Right now the only positive psychology program in the country (for a doctorate) is at Penn State. There are scientists who actually believe that understanding emotional self-mastery will eliminate many of the mental health diseases that currently exist. They are seeing the correlation between not properly addressing negative emotions when they occur and developing those illnesses. Understanding the benefits of positivity even further and across disciplines (many fields of science are contributing to the research including neuroscience, biochemistry, psychology, quantum physics, and more.

 

H. Health and Human Services Shawn Parker, Amy Jo Johnson,

Barbara Riley, Janice Paul, Susan Barham

Many of the chronic issues can be resolved using the knowledge and skills already developed.

 

H. Military and Homeland Security Hal Pell, Tim Hovis

What is the difference between post adversarial growth and PTSD? Often it is mental state and having either knowledge and skills to deal with the trauma or following instinctive ideas that lead one to post traumatic growth instead of PTSD.

 

Health Shawn Parker, Amy Jo Johnson, Susan Barham

Some Scientifically Shown Benefits of Increased Happiness

Positive emotions, optimism, and happiness have been scientifically shown to:

 

  • Reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 50%[i]
  • Provide a protective defense against breast cancer[ii]
  • Increase resilience “We contend that the cognitive broadening that accompanies states of positive emotion expands and improves the ways people cope during crises”. [iii]
  • Increase problem solving abilities and negotiating skills[iv]
  • Have the potential to create chains of events that carry positive meaning for others, positive emotions can trigger upward spirals that transform communities into more cohesive, moral and harmonious social organizations. [v]
  • Reduce stress which is being researched as contributing to Alzheimer’s disease[vi] and [vii]
  • Be the best coping strategies for life’s ‘downs’. [viii]
  • Significantly reduces risk of stroke (study only considered optimism)[ix]
  • Improved relationships of all types[x]
  • Increase success[xi]
  • Research suggests that negativity in social relationships is an important predictor
  • of (adverse) mental health in its own right[xii]

 

This is just a sample of the scientifically proven benefits. Research has found enough benefits to fill several books. I apologize for the copious citations but I wanted you to see that the statements are based upon solid research.

 

 

• Improved immune system function

• Reduced risk of heart disease and stroke

• Reduced risk of Type II diabetes

• Reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease

• Reduced risk of depression

• Reduced incident of illness

• Shorter duration when illness occurs

• Reduced inflammatory response to stress

• Increased longevity

• Lower blood pressure

• Less pain

• Improved sleep

• Greater resiliency and adaptability

• More likely to make good choices

• Increased creativity

• Increased success

• Increased productivity

• Increased optimism

• Improved relationships of all types

• Improved social support networks

• Feel love and appreciation more

• More likely to marry

• More likely to be happily married

• Become more likable

• Greater clarity of thinking; the mind sees more possibilities

• Increased ability to see the ‘big picture’

 

Please see our website, www. Happiness1st. com, for greater details.

Scientific Citations

[1]Boehm, J. K. , & Kubzansky, L. D. The heart’s content: The association between positive psychological well-being and cardiovascular health. Psychological Bulletin, April 2012

AmericanAcademyof Neurology (2001, July 13). Keeping up your overall health may keep dementia away, study suggests. Science Daily.

  • Cardiovascular disease is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s so this risk is also reduced. AmericanAcademyof Neurology (2001, July 13). Keeping up your overall health may keep dementia away, study suggests. Science Daily.

 

[1]Ronit Peled, Devora Carmil, Orly Siboni-Samocha and Ilana Shoham-Vardi. Breast cancer, psychological distress and life events among young women. BMC Cancer

[1]What good are positive emotions in crisis? A prospective study of resilience and emotions following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001. Fredrickson, Barbara L. ; Tugade, Michele M. ; Waugh, Christian E. ; Larkin, Gregory R. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 84(2), Feb 2003, 365-376. doi: 10. 1037/0022-3514. 84. 2. 365

[1]Content analyses revealed that physicians who felt good were faster to integrate case information and less likely to become anchored on initial thoughts or come to premature closure in their diagnosis. In yet another experiment, Isen and colleagues showed that negotiators induced to feel good were more likely to discover integrative solutions in a complex bargaining task. Overall, 20 years of experiments by

Isen and her colleagues show that when people feel good, their thinking becomes more creative, integrative, flexible and open to information. The Value of Positive Emotions. Barbara L. Fredrickson, Ph. D.

[1]The Value of Positive Emotions. Barbara L. Fredrickson, Ph. D.

[1]Ioannis Sotiropoulos, Caterina Catania, Lucilia G. Pinto, Rui Silva, G. Elizabeth Pollerberg, Akihiko Takashima, Nuno Sousa, and Osborne F. X. Almeida. Stress Acts Cumulatively to Precipitate Alzheimer’s Disease-Like Tau Pathology and Cognitive Deficits. Journal of Neuroscience, May 25, 2011; 31(21):7840-7847 DOI:10. 1523/JNEUROSCI. 0730-11. 2011

[1]Robert A. Rissman, PhD, assistant professor of neurosciences, said the findings may at least partly explain why clinical studies have found a strong link between people prone to stress and development of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which accounts for up to 95 percent of all AD cases in humans. Robert A. Rissman, Michael A. Staup, Allyson Roe Lee, Nicholas J. Justice, Kenner C. Rice, Wylie Vale, and Paul E. Sawchenko. Corticotropin-releasing factor receptor-dependent effects of repeated stress on tau phosphorylation, solubility, and aggregation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012 DOI: 10. 1073/pnas. 1203140109

[1]Joachim Stoeber and Dirk P. Janssen. Perfectionism and coping with daily failures: positive reframing helps achieve satisfaction at the end of the day. Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 2011

[1]Eric S. Kim, Nansook Park, Christopher Peterson. Health and Retirement Study. Stroke, 2011; DOI:10. 1161/STROKEAHA. 111. 613448

[1]Relationships have been linked to lower blood pressure, better immune functioning and decreases in the length of hospitalizations, the authors write, citing previous studies. Social contact has also been linked to oxytocin, the bonding hormone, which regulates stress. This is excerpted from a study by Prof. Holt-Lunstad who co-authored a large-scale report on mortality and social relationships, which was released on July 2010 and published in journal PLoS Medicine. The report looks at 148 studies involving 308,849 people. The average age was 64. The participants were evenly split between the sexes, and followed for an average of 7. 5 years. They found close relationships correlated to 3. 7 more years of life. Conversely, a relative lack of social ties is associated with depression and later-life cognitive decline, as well as with increased mortality. One study, which examined data from more than 309,000 people, found that lack of strong relationships increased the risk of premature death from all causes by 50% — an effect on mortality risk roughly comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and greater than obesity and physical inactivity.

[1]” A decade of research in the business world proves that happiness raises nearly every business and educational outcome: raising sales by 37%, productivity by 31%, and accuracy on tasks by 19%, as well as a myriad of health and quality-of-life improvements” Shawn Achor, Former Harvard Professor and author of The Happiness Advantage.

[1]Rook, 1984; Sandler & Barrera, 1984

 

Health Care Providers Shawn Parker, Amy Jo Johnson, Susan Barham

The power of expectation has been shown time and again in so many ways books have been written about it. It is evident in Placebo and Nocebo effect as well as many other areas of life.

Health Care Providers today expect certain illnesses to develop at specific ages and communicate this to their patients. Ophthalmologists expect eyesight to decline by a certain age and communicate this to their patients. Expectation plays a role in developing illnesses and aging. There are many studies that reflect the impact of expectation on aging.

I personally had reading glasses on every flat surface in my life at age 47. Until I realized I ‘expected’ to need them at age 47 and called the bluff. Within two weeks of changing my expectation I no longer needed the reading glass and now, going on four years later still do not need them. Cell degeneration is not necessary at the rate our society experiences it. The combination of expectation and negative emotion play a tremendous role in our actual experiences.

I am happy to sign a release for anyone who would like to see my ophthalmologists records to verify the initial decline in my sight and subsequent improvement.

Many people have physicians on a pedestal and when the doctor tells them that they are morel likely to develop an illness a nocebo effect often occurs with harmful results.

 

Health Insurance Tim Hovis, Bill Patterson, Kory Goldsmith, Amy Jo Johnson, Susan Barham

Perhaps premium discounts for positivity training?

 

Housing - Public Housing & Section 8 Brad Krehely

Poverty is impacted by many factors that improve with the knowledge and skills including self-esteem, overcoming Learned Helplessness, re-framing failures as learning experiences and more.

The program makes individuals feel more empowered and thus more likely to take positive actions under their own volition.

Also, positivity decreases substance abuse, crime and teen pregnancy

 

Human Services Shawn Parker, Susan Barham, Janice Paul

Not sure but seems applicable

I

 

Insurance, Life & Health Tim Hovis, Bill Patterson, Kory Goldsmith, Amy Jo Johnson, Susan Barham

See Health Insurance above

In time I am sure actuaries will want to consider positivity in ratings for life insurance and possibly health insurance. Implications of that should be considered.

 

J

 

Juvenile Delinquency Susan Sitze, Janice Paul, Kelly Quick

Reduces substance abuse

Reduces crime

Improves relationships

Increases SAT scores

Increases self-esteem

Improves decision making ability

Helps see alternate (more acceptable) paths to personal goals

L

 

Law Enforcement Officers Susan Sitze, Brenda Carter, Hal Pell,

Erika Churchill, Kelly Quick

Law enforcement officers are at risk because of the often negative experiences and focus (thinking about negative things like crime, dealing with fighting, etc. ). The high divorce rate for this job category is impacted by the negativity. For this type of job related risk it is very beneficial to have skills and knowledge that allow a shift in focus from looking for problems to a better state of mind before interaction with family and friends. Taking the ‘problem focused’ mindset home results in looking for the negative aspects of your spouse and family which is not a recipe for harmony in the home.

 

Long Term Care Theresa Matula, Sara Kamprath,

Susan Barham

End of life debilitating diseases onset is later and closer to death

 

M

 

Malpractice Bill Patterson, Barbara Riley, Tim Hovis

Malpractice claims are negatively impacted by negative patterns of thought. Nurses that have frequent interaction with pre-surgical patients will relay that fearful patients are the ones that have the complications and that after a while they get to the point where there are certain patients to whom they want to say “Don’t do it” because the patients negative expectations are going to negatively impact the recovery and benefits of the surgery.

 

I see a time when a psychological evaluation will be used pre-surgery to determine whether the patient is ready to benefit fully from the treatment. Counseling before the surgery to change mindset and create a more positive outlook would help reduce complications that result in suits.

 

Also, a negative focus will increase the likelihood of someone filing a claim because a person with a negative focus is more likely to blame someone else than accept any personal responsibility for self.

 

Managed Care (HMOs) Tim Hovis, Kory Goldsmith,

Bill Patterson, Amy Jo Johnson

I am sure there are impacts.

 

Marriage Wendy Ray, Janice Paul

Improves relationships of all types

More harmonious relationships

Increases stability

Reduces marriage for wrong reasons

Make earlier course corrections - with knowledge and skills

 

 

Medicaid Shawn Parker, Susan Barham,

Amy Jo Johnson, Janice Paul

See health

See Food Stamps

 

Medicare Theresa Matula, Susan Barham

See aging

See Nursing home

 

Mental Health Shawn Parker, Susan Barham, Janice Paul

There are scientists who actually believe that understanding emotional self-mastery will eliminate many of the mental health diseases that currently exist. They are seeing the correlation between not properly addressing negative emotions when they occur and developing those illnesses. Understanding the benefits of positivity even further and across disciplines (many fields of science are contributing to the research including neuroscience, biochemistry, psychology, quantum physics, and more.

 

Military Hal Pell, Theresa Matula, Kelly Quick

What is the difference between post adversarial growth and PTSD? Often it is mental state and having either knowledge and skills to deal with the trauma or following instinctive ideas that lead one to post traumatic growth instead of PTSD.

 

Minorities Hal Pell, Brad Krehely, Kelly Quick

Many impacts.

See discrimination.

Believe would help equalize disparate income detrimental health and mortality impact.

If incomes relatively equal (eg 50 - 60,000) in a community health and longevity are better for those in that income range than others in a community where incomes have a wider range but same cost of living (e. g. 50 - 120,000). The same cost of living negates a lack of access to care for one group and not the other. However, the negativity that people self impose through negative comparisons to others correlates perfectly. It is the negativity, not the income, that causes the negative impact. In areas with disparate incomes the training can raise positive emotions (“If they can do it so can I”, instead of “Why can’t I do it; they did it” and so forth thought processes). The more empowering thoughts are healthier.

 

Minors Susan Sitze, Wendy Ray, Janice Paul

Improve emotional self-mastery

Improve family relationships

Increase intelligence

Decrease teen pregnancy

Much more

 

More At Four Drupti Chauhan, Patsy Pierce,

Sara Kamprath, Kara McCraw, Dee Atkinson

Not sure what this is but am sure it is relative.

 

Nursing Homes Theresa Matula, Sara Kamprath,

Susan Barham

End of life debilitating diseases onset is later and closer to death

 

O

 

Occupational Licensing Boards Karen Cochrane-Brown, Shawn Parker,

Harrison Moore

I would like to see standards. Perhaps reviews like CE credits are reviewed to establish minimums.

In the securities and insurance industries we were plagued by individuals who attended weekend shops and “earned” a credential that lay persons would believe established them as an “expert” - in elder care, in divorce or pre-marital financial counseling, in as many diverse specialties as could be imagined. FINRA (rightly) out and out outlawed the use of some of these “designations” because of lack of substance.

An organization has been created (it is in its infancy) but it has the goal of setting the bar for training, including minimum requirements for professional designations which would include CE requirements.

Historically, many fields are damaged (reputation) by early comers who do not truly have the knowledge or expertise but the lack of regulation allows their entry.

I would like to see this important field, that impacts so many areas of well-being, addressed sooner rather than later.

The potential benefits are so great but individuals whose first encounter is with an unqualified individual passing themselves as qualified and credentialed could turn someone away forever even when there are truly great benefits for them.

For further ideas on this please see the website, www. TheISHP. org

 

P

Parental Control Drupti Chauhan, Janice Paul

I am not sure what this category is but parent/child relations are definitely impacted by the emotional state of both.

 

Parks & Recreation Jennifer McGinnis, Jennifer Mundt,

Jeffrey Hudson, Mariah Matheson

Programs that help children master their emotions would be beneficial

 

Police Susan Sitze, Brenda Carter, Hal Pell,

Kelly Quick

Law enforcement officers are at risk because of the often negative experiences and focus (thinking about negative things like crime, dealing with fighting, etc. ). The high divorce rate for this job category is impacted by the negativity. For this type of job related risk it is very beneficial to have skills and knowledge that allow a shift in focus from looking for problems to a better state of mind before interaction with family and friends. Taking the ‘problem focused’ mindset home results in looking for the negative aspects of your spouse and family which is not a recipe for harmony in the home.

What is the difference between post adversarial growth and PTSD? Often it is mental state and having either knowledge and skills to deal with the trauma or following instinctive ideas that lead one to post traumatic growth instead of PTSD.

 

Preschools Drupti Chauhan, Sara Kamprath, Kara McCraw, Patsy Pierce, Dee Atkinson

It is never too early to begin teaching emotional self-mastery

 

Prisons Brenda Carter, Hal Pell, Susan Sitze, Kelly Quick

Strongly believe it would reduce recidivism - would like to study

 

Probation Hal Pell, Susan Sitze

Strongly believe it would reduce recidivism - would like to study

 

Public Assistance Shawn Parker, Susan Barham, Janice Paul

Poverty is impacted by many factors that improve with the knowledge and skills including self-esteem, overcoming Learned Helplessness, re-framing failures as learning experiences and more.

The program makes individuals feel more empowered and thus more likely to take positive actions under their own volition.

 

Public Health Shawn Parker, Barbara Riley, Susan Barham, Amy Jo Johnson, Jennifer Mundt

See Health

 

S. Ed/Higher Ed Drupti Chauhan, Sara Kamprath, Kara McCraw, Patsy Pierce, Dee Atkinson

Depression is rampant among college students

  • reduces substance abuse
  • reduces ‘comfort’ sexual encounters
  • increases true self-esteem
  • Reduces teen pregnancy

Suicide is a major problem in this age group - would reduce it

Increases emotional intelligence

Increases IQ

 

S. Health Care Shawn Parker, Theresa Matula,

Amy Jo Johnson, Susan Barham

See Health

 

S. Insurance Tim Hovis, Amy Jo Johnson,

Kory Goldsmith

See Insurance

 

 

S. Mental Health & Youth Services Shawn Parker, Patsy Pierce, Janice Paul,

Susan Barham

See Mental Health and Minors

 

Schools Drupti Chauhan, Kara McCraw,

Sara Kamprath, Dee Atkinson, Patsy Pierce

See schools

 

Sex Crimes Hal Pell, Wendy Ray, Susan Sitze,

Kelly Quick

Emotional self-mastery and higher self esteem would help; especially with the crimes committed by those who were once victims

 

Sexual Harassment Hal Pell, Susan Sitze, Brad Krehely

While there is real sexual harassment there is also perceived sexual harassment that interferes with ease in relationship of co-workers. Negative emotional states increase the likelihood that innocent comments will be perceived as threatening. That is why an action or comment is barely (or not) remembered by one person and vivid to another.

Increased positivity would reduce the perception of harassment where it does not exist but would not overlook real situations that require attention.

 

Sheriffs Susan Sitze, Kelly Quick, Erika Churchill

See Law Enforcement

 

Smart Start Drupti Chauhan, Patsy Pierce, Sara Kamprath, Kara McCraw, Dee Atkinson

See pre-school

 

Smoking Shawn Parker, Amy Jo Johnson

This is the type of decision that improves with positivity. Even the decision to quit in more likely when someone is optimistic and positively focused.

 

Social Services Shawn Parker, Susan Barham, Janice Paul

Not sure but am positive there are many relevant aspects

 

Special Education Drupti Chauhan, Kara McCraw,

Sara Kamprath, Patsy Pierce, Dee Atkinson

Positive expectation makes a tremendous difference in potential progress.

Also, increased self esteem is beneficial

 

State Employees Health Plan Karen Cochrane-Brown, Theresa Matula,

Kory Goldsmith

The state could save many millions by implementing positivity training for employees. Service levels would also improve.

 

Studies Authorizations Brad Krehely, Giles Perry, Wendy Ray,

Kory Goldsmith, Kelly Quick

While there is plenty of evidence, more than enough, to begin applying positivity training and reaping the benefits there is more to be known. As programs are implemented some should be studied to determine both the benefits derived and areas that we may wish to tweak for even better results.

 

Substance Abuse Shawn Parker, Susan Barham, Janice Paul

See drug abuse

 

Unemployment Brad Krehely, Theresa Matula, Janice Paul

Increased positivity increases the likelihood of finding new employment.

It opens the mind to possibilities that are closed when a person is negatively focused.

They are more attractive and more likely to be hired when they are positively focused.

 

Universities Drupti Chauhan, Sara Kamprath,

Kara McCraw, Patsy Pierce, Dee Atkinson

See Colleges

 

V

Veterans Hal Pell, Theresa Matula, Kelly Quick

See Military

 

Victims of Crime Brenda Carter, Susan Sitze, Kelly Quick, Janice Paul

Statistically, a rape victim is 7 times more likely to be raped again than someone who has never been raped.

In self defense classes they teach that appearing confident deters crime.

That is true.

Once you have defined yourself as a victim it is difficult to appear otherwise. It is like an invisible neon sign.

You can change what is written on that sign by changing your definition of self.

That is just one impact.

Victims of domestic violence also have a similar neon sign.

 

Vocational Education Kara McCraw, Sara Kamprath, Drupti Chauhan, Patsy Pierce, Dee Atkinson

I see self esteem issues here.

Some would view a vocational education as ‘less than’ a college education.

That negative comparison of self to others has detrimental impacts on health and relationships

Structuring healthy, valid self perceptions would improve health, well-being and even success. There are some vocations where an individual can be very successful but most in that sort of work do not see themselves as having that potential. Back to expectations.

W

 

Welfare Shawn Parker, Susan Barham, Janice Paul

See food stamps

 

Women’s Rights Brad Krehely, Kara McCraw, Kelly Quick

Some women still perceive women as less than men. This perception is damaging to self.

 

Work Release Brenda Carter, Hal Pell, Susan Sitze

See Incarceration, prisons

 

Worker Training Hal Pell, Brad Krehely

Many applicable and beneficial applications

 

Workers’ Compensation Tim Hovis, Bill Patterson, Brad Krehely

Negativity does not just impact health via illness, there is evidence it impacts accidents

 

Workplace Safety Hal Pell

See Workers’ Compensation

 

 

[i]Boehm, J. K. , & Kubzansky, L. D. The heart’s content: The association between positive psychological well-being and cardiovascular health. Psychological Bulletin, April 2012

AmericanAcademyof Neurology (2001, July 13). Keeping up your overall health may keep dementia away, study suggests. Science Daily.

  • Cardiovascular disease is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s so this risk is also reduced. AmericanAcademyof Neurology (2001, July 13). Keeping up your overall health may keep dementia away, study suggests. Science Daily.

 

[ii]Ronit Peled, Devora Carmil, Orly Siboni-Samocha and Ilana Shoham-Vardi. Breast cancer, psychological distress and life events among young women. BMC Cancer

[iii]What good are positive emotions in crisis? A prospective study of resilience and emotions following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001. Fredrickson, Barbara L. ; Tugade, Michele M. ; Waugh, Christian E. ; Larkin, Gregory R. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 84(2), Feb 2003, 365-376. doi: 10. 1037/0022-3514. 84. 2. 365

[iv]Content analyses revealed that physicians who felt good were faster to integrate case information and less likely to become anchored on initial thoughts or come to premature closure in their diagnosis. In yet another experiment, Isen and colleagues showed that negotiators induced to feel good were more likely to discover integrative solutions in a complex bargaining task. Overall, 20 years of experiments by

Isen and her colleagues show that when people feel good, their thinking becomes more creative, integrative, flexible and open to information. The Value of Positive Emotions. Barbara L. Fredrickson, Ph. D.

[v]The Value of Positive Emotions. Barbara L. Fredrickson, Ph. D.

[vi]Ioannis Sotiropoulos, Caterina Catania, Lucilia G. Pinto, Rui Silva, G. Elizabeth Pollerberg, Akihiko Takashima, Nuno Sousa, and Osborne F. X. Almeida. Stress Acts Cumulatively to Precipitate Alzheimer’s Disease-Like Tau Pathology and Cognitive Deficits. Journal of Neuroscience, May 25, 2011; 31(21):7840-7847 DOI:10. 1523/JNEUROSCI. 0730-11. 2011

[vii]Robert A. Rissman, PhD, assistant professor of neurosciences, said the findings may at least partly explain why clinical studies have found a strong link between people prone to stress and development of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which accounts for up to 95 percent of all AD cases in humans. Robert A. Rissman, Michael A. Staup, Allyson Roe Lee, Nicholas J. Justice, Kenner C. Rice, Wylie Vale, and Paul E. Sawchenko. Corticotropin-releasing factor receptor-dependent effects of repeated stress on tau phosphorylation, solubility, and aggregation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012 DOI: 10. 1073/pnas. 1203140109

[viii]Joachim Stoeber and Dirk P. Janssen. Perfectionism and coping with daily failures: positive reframing helps achieve satisfaction at the end of the day. Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 2011

[ix]Eric S. Kim, Nansook Park, Christopher Peterson. Health and Retirement Study. Stroke, 2011; DOI:10. 1161/STROKEAHA. 111. 613448

[x]Relationships have been linked to lower blood pressure, better immune functioning and decreases in the length of hospitalizations, the authors write, citing previous studies. Social contact has also been linked to oxytocin, the bonding hormone, which regulates stress. This is excerpted from a study by Prof. Holt-Lunstad who co-authored a large-scale report on mortality and social relationships, which was released on July 2010 and published in journal PLoS Medicine. The report looks at 148 studies involving 308,849 people. The average age was 64. The participants were evenly split between the sexes, and followed for an average of 7. 5 years. They found close relationships correlated to 3. 7 more years of life. Conversely, a relative lack of social ties is associated with depression and later-life cognitive decline, as well as with increased mortality. One study, which examined data from more than 309,000 people, found that lack of strong relationships increased the risk of premature death from all causes by 50% — an effect on mortality risk roughly comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and greater than obesity and physical inactivity.

[xi]” A decade of research in the business world proves that happiness raises nearly every business and educational outcome: raising sales by 37%, productivity by 31%, and accuracy on tasks by 19%, as well as a myriad of health and quality-of-life improvements” Shawn Achor, Former Harvard Professor and author of The Happiness Advantage.

[xii]Rook, 1984; Sandler & Barrera, 1984


Benefits

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