Morphing Foul Moods Into Smiles

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Spring had arrived. The snows of winter receded and small specks of bright green grass began to grow through the moist, bare soil.  The once crispy chilled air gave way to warmer breezes and the trees began to sway in joyous anticipation at their new leaves as the buds appeared on their limbs.

Ah, yes. It was spring again beneath the mountain. Deer began to frolic to and fro as they called out for new mates. The sun decided it would stay out later and later each day, giving its energy to all who bathed in its glow. And through all this beauty, through all this new life popping up here and there – there was a lonely caterpillar. 

The world seemed so big to him. Everything was moving so fast. Nobody ever stopped to talk, to say hi, to check in. He crawled over this leaf and ate, each day hoping that something would come to appreciate him as he appreciated those around him. But day after day, as the sun shown brighter and the deer nursed their young, nobody came.

Finally, as all hope left his small squishy body, the caterpillar decided he’d had enough. If the world didn’t want to converse then neither did he. So he spun himself a cocoon. “I’m just going to stay in here and live out my days as a hermit”, he thought to himself. But it wasn’t long before an insatiable feeling of fatigue fell over him. Soon, the caterpillar was sleeping, and unbeknownst to him, changing into something truly magical…

Walk away your blues

You could pop in an old movie that makes you smile or maybe listen to that classic album that got you all pumped up in high school. Oh, what’s the use? Your mood was ruined the moment the alarm clock went off and work was on your mind. Is there any way to soothe the “life sucks” blues?

Turns out, there just may be…and it may be as simple as taking a walk.

Exercise has long been studied from all angles. Its benefits are as wide reaching as the largest ocean. Fresh studies are coming up with results that say along with all the positive physical and mental attributes, that it also may hold the key to something even more powerful….your emotional health. 

Duke University conducted a study to see if exercise was beneficial to heart attack patients. Doctor James Blumenthal, the lead researcher, enlisted the help of 92 different medical centers and almost 2500 patients. One group received doctor’s orders for 3 sessions of moderate exercise 3 times a week. The other group, the usual medications and rest. After 12 months, the group that did exercise on the treadmills or stationary bikes showed improvement not only in their physical health, but also were way ahead of the curve regarding their depression. They were happier, sleeping better and their hearts were on the mend! 

For the past fifty plus years, scientists have been hard at work continuing to examine the link between exercise and positive brain function.  The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center recently did a study asking the question if in fact exercise can really battle depression. The results were pretty amazing!

All the patients were already on antidepressants (however those drugs weren’t working so well) and exercise was prescribed as the “second” form of treatment for their condition. 126 people in all. Two groups. One group gentle exercise. One group went full on for 30 minutes or more! Four months later, the group that exercised for a half hour saw a 30% success rate in COMPLETE REMISSION of their depression. That is a huge number in the scientific world! 

Sometimes even the loneliest days and foulest of moods can be transformed into happiness and energy. All it takes is a little change. Let’s start with the next ten minutes and see where it takes us.

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