by Wyn Lydecker
Many of us believe that our emotions can make us weak. But did
you know that you can use your emotions to give you power over stress, and in
the process, improve your health? This surprising news was unveiled by former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy
at a symposium in Philadelphia sponsored by Leonard
Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. “This is what
science tells us,” Dr. Murthy said in an interview with Patti Williams, a
professor of marketing at the Wharton School.
Positive
emotions enable us to perform better and makes us resilient. Chronic stress, on
the other hand, is a form of pain that can harm us physically and lead to illness.
When felt over
long periods, stress creates high levels of cortisol in the bloodstream, which
can increase the risk of heart attacks, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other illnesses. Murthy said that as
a nation we need to work on reducing chronic stress so that we can raise the
level of wellness.
He cited two
practices that can help us reduce stress and become healthier:
1. Practicing
gratitude: simply writing down three good things that happen each day can raise
the feelings of happiness
2. Feeling
socially connected: building social ties in your community.
Murthy noted that we all need to
work on social connectedness because loneliness is becoming an epidemic in our
country. Since the 1980s, the percentage of people who say they are lonely has
doubled from 20 percent to 40 percent.
In fact, an article in the
Washington Post said that the feeling of isolation has become a worse health
hazard than smoking or obesity, putting lonely people at greater risk for
illness. Psychologist Steve Cole and his colleagues at the UCLA School of
Medicine, along with collaborators at the University of California at Davis and
the University of Chicago, have been conducting research to learn why. They’ve
discovered that social isolation changes our health at the cellular level, increasing
the activity of genes responsible for inflammation, while dampening the
activity of genes that produce antibodies to fight infection.
How to Get Out and Get Connected
We’re fortunate in Darien to have many
organizations that provide easy and fun ways to meet people and socialize. A
quick look at the At Home In Darien monthly newsletter shows dozens of group activities
– from walking at Selleck’s Wood to lectures about World War II at the Mather
Community Center. The Darien Community Association also offers interest groups
and luncheons, as well as providing a home for the Darien Men’s Association
with its own weekly lectures and other special interest activities. Houses of
worship, nonprofits, and the local YMCA and YWCA provide countless ways to join
a community, attend activities, do volunteer work, and get exercise in social
settings.
The Darien Library hosts 1,400
programs each year including armchair yoga, free screenings of films, a short
story discussion group, a Senior Moments monthly coffee and conversation group,
lectures, and hands-on workshops. Mallory Arents, Director of Adult Programming
said, “Over and over again we hear from our seniors that they’re looking for
two different things when attending an event at the Library: 1. To massage
their intellectual curiosity, and 2. To feel connected to the community.”
If you cannot drive, At Home In Darien
can provide transportation to any local activity or event in our town car or
accessible minivan. Volunteer drivers are also available after-hours.
Friendly Callers
For people who cannot go out, At
Home In Darien offers other ways to be socially connected: Friendly Visitors, Friendly
Shoppers, and a just-launched Friendly Caller program, in which volunteer
callers are matched with seniors who would like to receive regular phone calls.
Peter Sosnow is one of those
callers. He has worked in health care his whole life, and when he was a child,
he went on home visits with his grandmother, who was a home health aide. “When
I heard about At Home In Darien and this new program, I knew it was something I
could do,” said Peter. “It’s rare today to have an uninterrupted conversation
on the phone. Seniors have so much to offer. They give me a different
perspective.”
Debbie Evans, another Friendly
Caller, said, “It’s incredible. When I talk with the senior I’m paired with, I’m
connected to another world. It works the same way for her. She has a very quiet
life, and she says she enjoys hearing about my life and my family. The more you
learn about someone, the more you can share.”
Debbie said it’s not hard to
imagine what it would be like to be by yourself. And a phone call can make a
very big difference for someone who has limited ability to get out. “It’s
two-way. Both the volunteer and the senior benefit.”
To learn how you can get involved
with the Friendly Caller Program or to find out about other community programs,
call At Home In Darien at (203)
655-2227 or visit the website at: www.AtHomeInDarien.org.
This article first appeared in the "Out and About" newsletter. Wyn Lydecker was a founding board member of At Home In Darien. She is the co-author (with Ed "Skip" McLaughlin) of a book on
entrepreneurship, “The Purpose Is Profit.”
