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**LET'S TALK**

S • A S A F E P L A C

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| ####### FALL 2004 HEALTHY BODIES ● SOUND MINDS ● A SAFE PLACE TO WORK |
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**E TO WO**

## Taking Care of Yourself

# 

Do you have a "to-do" list that seems to go on and on? Does it include
not only chores and errands, but also items that help you take care of
yourself? It should. Here are a few ideas.

-   Plan a weekend of fun activities with your family. Include something
    active such as bike riding or hiking.

-   Forgive someone you're angry at.

-   Eat slowly. You'll eat less food and digest it better.

-   Exercise your mind by reading a book, learning a new card game or

trying a new hobby.

-   Take an elderly family member, friend or neighbor to lunch. It will
    do you both good.

-   Don't forget to schedule time for exercise. A brisk daily walk will
    give you energy and calm you.

-   Set aside a daily "worry period." Take 30 minutes a day to
    concentrate

on what's bothering you and contemplate solutions --- then free yourself

from worry for the rest of the day.

# 

# Secrets to Finding Happiness

**CONTRARY TO THE BELIEF** that happiness is hard to explain,
researchers have identified the core factors in a happy life. The
primary components are number of friends, closeness of friends,
closeness of family and relationships with coworkers and neighbors.

"Studies also have shown that one of the best predictors of happiness is
whether a person considers his or her life to have a purpose," says
David Niven, Ph.D., author of *The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People*.

After analyzing thousands of studies, Niven offers the following
research-based secrets of happy people.

-   **CULTIVATE FRIENDSHIPS.** Rekindle past relationships and take
    advantage of opportunities at work or among your neighbors to expand
    your friendship base.

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-   **ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE.** When an unhappy person must interpret
    the world, eight of 10 times he or she will see the negative in an
    event. When a happy person does so, eight of 10 times he or she will
    see the positive.

-   **DON'T CONFUSE STUFF WITH SUCCESS**. You're neither a better nor a
    worse person because of the kind of car you drive, the size of your
    home or the job you have.

-   **VOLUNTEER.** Research shows a strong consensus that volunteering
    contributes to happiness by creating an increased sense of purpose
    in people's lives.

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-   **SHARE OF YOURSELF.** Don't hold your feelings, thoughts and hopes
    inside. Share them with your friends and family.

-   **ENJOY WHAT YOU HAVE**. Satisfied people appreciate what they have
    and

don't compare themselves to others.

-   **CHERISH ANIMALS.** Animals provide both immediate joy and
    long-term positive feelings. "Animals have so much to teach us about
    love," says Niven. "The closer we get to animals, the more joy they
    give us."

-   **DON'T FACE YOUR PROBLEMS ALONE**. "Problems can appear to be
    unsolvable," he says. "But we're social creatures who need to
    discuss our problems with others."

Above all, remember that money can't buy happiness. One study of life
satisfaction looked at 20 different factors that might contribute to
happiness. Nineteen of the factors did matter. The one that did not was
financial status.

*Barbara Floria spoke with David Niven, Ph.D., author of* The 100 Simple
Secrets of Happy People*.*

**what 's new**

# Late-Breaking Health News

**EATING MORE FRUITS AND CEREALS MAY REDUCE THE RISK FOR HEART ATTACKS
AND CORONARY HEART DISEASE. An analysis of studies of 91,058 men and
245,186 women found the dietary fiber**

**in fruits, grains and cereals may reduce the risk for heart disease by
lowering blood pressure and reducing cholesterol levels.**

**Researchers found for each 10 gm. Per day more of fiber consumed from
fruits and whole-grain cereals, there was a 14 percent**

**decreased risk for heart attack and a 27 percent decreased risk**

**of dying of coronary heart disease. The study results were published
in *The Archives of Internal Medicine*.**

***Fall 2004*** 2

**Parents who smoke at home may be causing chronic asthma in their
children.** About 13 percent of parents of asthmatic children smoke ---
even

though secondhand smoke is known to trigger asthma symptoms. And a new

study shows these children are twice as likely as children of nonsmokers
to

have symptoms of asthma all year long.

The study was based on interviews with 896 parents of asthmatic children

ages 2 to 12 by researchers in the pediatrics department at the
University of

Michigan in Ann Arbor.

The study echoes previous research by the Centers for Disease Control
and

Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, which looked at children who had severe
asthma symptoms more than 300 days per year. The CDC study found a
strong connection to parental smoking among those with symptoms more
than 300 days.

**Aspirin may reduce breast cancer risk.** According to researchers at
Vanderbilt University's Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, the wonder drug
that helps prevent heart attacks and strokes also appears to reduce
women's chances of developing breast cancer.

The reduced risk was found for tumors whose growth is fueled by the
hormones estrogen or progesterone. About 70 percent of women who

develop breast cancer have this type of cancer.

Women in the study who took aspirin at least four times a week for at
least three months were almost 30 percent less likely to develop
hormone-fueled breast cancer than women who used no aspirin.

The researchers analyzed data on 1,442 women with breast cancer and

a comparison group of 1,420 women without the disease. The link with

aspirin was strongest in women who took seven or more aspirin a week.

The authors of the study said the findings are promising but that more

research is needed before doctors can recommend women take aspirin to

prevent breast cancer.

*See your physician for guidance and advice regarding a specific health
condition.*

# VITALITY-ON-DEMAND

**A world of additional health information available via your
computer.**

You may think of this publication as just a newsletter. But would you
believe it's also an access index to one of the largest databases of
family health and personal self-care data around? With our free
Vitality-on- Demand (VOD) service, you can get all of the information
you need any time you want it!

***Fall 2004*** 3

**Visit www.vitality.com for more articles and to search for topics
you**

**would like to learn more about.**

**It's simple. And it's free.**

**Via the Internet:** Visit our home page at *www.vitality.com* and
press the Vitality-on-Demand button to search by keyword. Or click on
Special Reports to access the articles listed below.

#### SPECIAL REPORTS

**540** How to Quit Smoking

**541** Sensible Weight Loss

**542** Lowering Your Cholesterol

**543** Reducing Your Stress

**544** Walking for Fitness

**545** Workstation Comfort

**546** Fixing an Aching Back

**547** Start An Exercise Program

**548** Controlling Allergies

**549** Lowering Health-Care Costs

**550** Living With Arthritis

**551** Dealing With Headaches

**552** High Blood Pressure

##### IT

Effectively Caring for Aging Parents

**AS MORE AMERICANS LIVE LONGER**, millions of middle-aged adults find

themselves caring for their aging parents. It's not an easy task,
especially for those with children still living at home.

"Care-giving can be so overwhelming, it's almost impossible," says Donna
Cohen, Ph.D., coauthor of *Caring for Your Aging Parents.* "But it can
be done if you develop specific skills and tailor them according to your
parents' needs

and your family's circumstances."

**Don't Parent Your Parents**

As your parents age and become frail or ill, resist the urge to regard
them as children. Instead, think of care-giving as a family business and
yourself as an executive with problems to solve.

*For example:* Your mother can't see well anymore but insists on
driving.

Instead of taking away her car keys, sit down with her and begin a
dialogue. Say, "Mom, I'm worried about you. Aren't you worried about
your driving?"

###### 

###### Don't Do It Alone

To manage care-giving effectively, seek help and advice from
professionals

and your siblings.

***Fall 2004*** 4

Work with physicians to understand your parents' health problems and the
treatments they're getting. Talk to a pharmacist to learn the potential
side effects of their medications and to make sure those medications are
compatible.

Meet with your siblings over breakfast, not at the end of the day when
everyone's tired. Describe the problem you're facing and share your
feelings about it with them. Let them do the same.

**Stay Optimistic**

Within limits, there are things you can do now to maximize comfort and

improve your parents' quality of life. "Even holding someone's hand is a
powerful way to ease pain and loneliness."

All told, "caring is more than loving," Cohen says. "It's a series of
discreet skills that involve listening to your parents, making decisions
about their needs and taking action, if necessary."

# Don't Worry Needlessly

Are you worried? Or are you just concerned? The distinction is an
important

one. If you keep thinking about the problem and don't take action, you
worry. If you take appropriate action, that's concern.

The key is change. If you can make a change for the better, then act on
your concerns. If not, don't worry.

Worry means not accepting things you can't change, or not taking action
on things you can change. People can learn that concern is a sign of
caring and worrying is absolutely non-productive.

Here are some strategies to cut down on the floor-pacing:

-   Set aside a "worry hour." Try putting off your worrying until a
    predetermined worry time. Then, use that time to write about your
    fears. Writing them down will help you manage your worries.

-   Face fears with logical arguments: "Even if it snows, I have snow
    tires on my car and flares all ready. I'm prepared; I'll be fine."

-   Need a healthy outlet for anxiety? Exercise. It relieves tension and
    also helps control weight and strengthens your heart.

-   When worries preoccupy you, try reading a soothing book or watching
    an upbeat movie.

-   Catch worrying early. Anxiety tends to spiral.

-   Cut the worry chain. Instead of focusing on the worst possible
    outcome, analyze the chain of events you've envisioned. Think of
    ways to solve the problem before it gets worse.

***Fall 2004*** 5

# Coping With Major Life Changes

**MAJOR LIFE CHANGES** such as getting a new boss or having a baby
affect all aspects of your life. Even positive changes can cause
adjustment

problems.

As a result, most people going through major life transitions can expect
to feel varying levels of anxiety, stress, confusion and possibly self
doubt.

But you can do things to make change easier on yourself.

####### Expect disruption

In the midst of change, many people expect to go on without missing a
beat.

But this attitude isn't realistic. "If you're starting a new job, don't
expect to be up to speed immediately," says Cara DiMarco, Ph.D., author
of *Moving*

*Through Life Transitions With Power and Purpose.*

###### Focus on the known

To avoid needless worry and self-doubt about changes at hand, focus on
the

known elements that are present in the new situation.

**Anticipate change**

Change is inevitable, so it's helpful to plan for it. "Being prepared
allows you

to have more options and be aware of potential obstacles," DiMarco says.
To

establish several game plans, sit down with someone --- an EAP
counselor, a

career counselor or trusted friend --- and use the person as a sounding
board.

**Pinpoint patterns**

How do you move through change? What sorts of feelings and reactions
tend

to consistently recur? These are the kinds of questions to ask yourself
when

your life is stable so you can develop coping strategies when change

happens.

**Look for meaning**

Even the most difficult changes can be useful. "You can learn from every
experience," DiMarco says.

You might have never chosen that life-changing experience or the lesson
it taught you about yourself or the world, but if you can find the
meaning or valuable outcome behind it, that experience will become part
of your internal world, rather than an external agent acting on you.
That increases your sense of personal control.

**Every day, try to reserve five to 10 minutes for quiet time** ---
perhaps

to read a novel, write in your journal or stretch. Solitude helps
recharge your body and calm your nerves.

*Susan Evans, Ph.D., director, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
Program, New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, NY.*

***Fall 2004*** 6

**Borrow the phrase Mi arrangio from the Italians** to help stay calm in
tense situations. The phrase means "I'll make do," and it helps Italians
avoid pessimism and send themselves "can-do" messages when the going
gets

rough.

*Raeleen D'Agostino Mautner, Ph.D., author of Living La Dolce Vita,
Sourcebooks.*

**Use your good china more often,** perhaps for pizza night with the
family. Light a few candles, put on some soft jazz and serve up the
slices on your best dishes. Doing so will help you celebrate the simple
joy of being alive.

*Susyn Reeve, author of Choose Peace and Happiness, Red Wheel/Weiser.*

**Displaying fresh flowers in your home every week** will help relieve

tension and soothe your soul by celebrating beauty. If you can't afford
a fresh bouquet weekly, a single bloom also will do the trick.

*Woman's Day, 1633 Broadway, 42nd Floor, New York, NY 10019.*

**These healthy snacks will give you an energy boost:** a teaspoon of

peanut butter on each of four saltine crackers (180 calories), two
tablespoons of honey on a medium banana (233 calories) or an 8-oz.
serving of plain, low-fat yogurt with one-quarter cup of raisins (251
calories).

Kristine Clark, Ph.D., R.D., director of sports nutrition, Pennsylvania
State University, University Park.

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| **The Federal Consortium EAP provides assessment, counseling,         |
| referral, training and consultation to federal employees and agencies |
| throughout the United States.**                                       |
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| *Information published in Let's Talk is the opinion of the sourced    |
| authors. Personal decisions regarding health, finance, exercise and   |
| other matters should be made after consultation with the reader's     |
| professional advisers. All models are used for illustrative purposes  |
| only.*                                                                |
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| *Copyright © 2004 Health Ink & Vitality Communications. All editorial |
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***Fall 2004*** 7