Weight loss following bariatric surgery sustained long-term

Obese patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) lost much more weight than those who did not and were able to sustain most of this weight loss 10 years after surgery, according to a...



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“I Realized that My Calendar Was Full of Commitments to Other People, But Few Commitments to Myself.”

Happiness interview: Amy Whitaker.

Amy and I met many years ago. She has a fascinating background: she got both an MBA and an MFA in painting (not a combo you see every day), and she has spent many years thinking about the conjunction of her two interests.

She teaches business to artists and designers, and lectures widely on creativity in the workplace. She’s also an assistant professor of visual arts administration at New York University.

Amy has a new book that just hit the shelves: Art Thinking: How to Carve Out Creative Space in a World of Schedules, Budgets, and Bosses.

I know from talking to people over the years that one of the habits that people most want to form is the habit of doing creative work. We have so many claims on our time, energy, and money that it can be hard to fit in that element — even when we know it will make us happier.

So I was very eager to hear what Amy had to say.

Gretchen: What’s a simple habit that consistently makes you happier?

Amy: The mind naturally goes to worrying about what could go wrong. While that’s evolutionarily helpful if you’re being chased by a cheetah, it can make it hard to soak up the joy that’s around you. I have learned some mental habits for when I worry that help me to separate out the facts, to notice any conclusions I’m jumping to, and to question what might or might not be true. You could call it the Habit of Injecting Skepticism.

What’s something you know now about forming healthy habits that you didn’t know when you were 18 years old?

That you have to actually do them, over and over, until they become rituals that support you.

Do you have any habits that continually get in the way of your happiness?

I just had a book come out, Art Thinking (Harper Business). In switching from writing it (a.k.a., long romantic getaways, just me and the Microsoft Word doc) to sharing it with people (social reentry and the dawning realization that a project is real), I noticed that I had a habit of acting like my life was happening on a five-second time delay, the way that live television has a lag for bleeping out swear words. Someone would make an offer to help with the book, and I would have to think, oh, this is happening right now. I had to remind myself to show up presently, as if we were all doing improv comedy.

Which habits are most important to you? (for health, for creativity, for productivity, for leisure, etc.)

I live on my own, so every morning I walk across the street, in New York, to get a cup of coffee, from people whose names I know and who know my standard order. It wakes me up and gives me a sense of community.

Would you describe yourself as an Upholder, a Questioner, a Rebel, or an Obliger?

I’m an Obliger, with a dash of Rebel and Questioner thrown in. I’d like to think that I’m less of a people pleaser than I was growing up, and that my “Obliger” nature comes from an old-fashioned belief that you are only as good as your word. If I tell someone I will do something, I have to do it, even if I have to put something on the back-burner to do it.

 Does anything tend to interfere with your ability to keep your healthy habits? (e.g. travel, parties)

I’m a social creature and a Southerner originally, so I hate for people to eat or drink alone. That means that if I have any habits related to food or drink, I need to go cold turkey. Otherwise, I think, well, I’ll have that one Manhattan / glass of red wine / cookie / entire chocolate cake because what is life without a shared sense of occasion?

Have you ever been hit by a lightning bolt, where you changed a major habit very suddenly, as a consequence of reading a book, a conversation with a friend, a milestone birthday, a health scare, etc.?

Several years ago, a friend looked at my calendar and said, “Wow, this doesn’t look at all like what you’re talking about!” I realized that I was putting down all the things that were commitments to other people (see Obliger, question #6) and few of the ones that were commitments to myself. So I started putting everything in my calendar. (Like a time-traveler, I still keep a long-hand calendar in a giant leather-bound book I buy every year.) It was a breakthrough in being able to see the whole landscape of my life—something I actually found myself writing about not long after.

Do you embrace habits or resist them?

I think I resist habits—or that I work episodically and have different habits within different episodes of my life.

There’s a feeling as a writer that you should have habits, because people will ask you what your writing routine is. And you’re supposed to Ernest-Hemingway the question and explain how you write in the morning and drink with friends in the afternoon. Or that you make yourself get up and write from 5-8 am every day.

I was writing a book about how to carve out creative time in the midst of busy working life, while working full-time. So, I wrote a little on a regular basis time, and then took a deep dive periodically when I had school breaks or bracketed weekends.

When I am writing intensively like that, I have a habit of starting the day with coffee, going for a midday walk, even around the block, and then going for an evening run.

When I was working full-time, I used one of the tools from Art Thinking – the habit of “studio time.” I would decide how much time I had to devote to a creative project—whether a half hour or two hours—and then set it aside and commit to it.

I also used the studio time habit to learn something new—video editing, hip-hop dance—because it renewed my ability to take a risk on feeling (and looking) like an idiot, which I’d argue is an important part of creative process. Risë Wilson, the director of philanthropy for the artist Robert Rauschenberg’s foundation, once described being an artist as “the act of being vulnerable in public.” I use habits to force myself to do that on a regular basis.

Has another person ever had a big influence on your habits?

I made a new friend a few years ago who is one of the most remarkably punctual people I have ever met. She arrives fifteen minutes early. She reminded me of the importance of punctuality. I practice the habit of being on time, and it makes me happier when I do it.

The post “I Realized that My Calendar Was Full of Commitments to Other People, But Few Commitments to Myself.” appeared first on Gretchen Rubin.

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Natasha lost 180 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Natasha lost 180 pounds with gastric bypass surgery and hard work. She had to change her eating habits and workout 4-6 days a week for these great results. An unhealthy relationship led to lot of emotional eating, binge eating, high blood pressure and weight gain. Check out what she shared with us […]

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5 Stress Reducing Activities to Benefit People with Bipolar Disorder

You're reading 5 Stress Reducing Activities to Benefit People with Bipolar Disorder, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

Keeping stress levels low is a key component to coping with bipolar disorder. Too many people with bipolar disorder will turn to unhealthy forms of self-medication with over half experiencing addiction in their lifetime. Stress can exacerbate the mood swings experienced by people suffering from this mental illness, meaning stress-reducing activities can be a very healthy and beneficial way to make living with bipolar disorder easier. Here are a few ways to lower stress levels among people living with bipolar disorder:

Exercising Regularly

Consistent exercise is an important part of anyone’s life. It improves the health of both the mind and the body. In bipolar people, it’s an ideal way to relieve stress. Since set routines are so important for those who are living with bipolar disorder, it becomes much easier to simply add exercise into that routine. A few good forms of exercise might be swimming, yoga, or even just a morning walk. For people with busy work schedules, “Deskercise” can be a good replacement.

Meditating or Praying 

Any form of mental focus that allows the mind to drop whatever it is worrying about is good for stress reduction. The goal of meditation is to empty the mind entirely, making it an ideal method of releasing one’s grip on stress. Prayer can be a very soothing thing if a person is religious, shedding their worries and passing them on to their religious figure. Yoga is also a great form of “meditation” if you want to combine exercise with meditative practice, effectively killing two birds with one stone.

Eating a Balanced Diet

Eating an unhealthy, standard American diet can have a negative impact on anyone. However, it is especially important for those who are living with bipolar disorder to eat well, reducing stress to the body and increasing the potential for balanced moods. Avoid fatty foods, red meat, and carbohydrates. Include fish or fish oil as some studies have shown evidence that fish oil can improve symptoms of bipolar disorder. You should also be sure to moderate caffeine intake. Suddenly stopping caffeine can have a negative effect as well, meaning it is important to reduce caffeine levels slowly. Eating consistently, at the same time each day with a similar variety of healthy foods, reduces the likelihood of unnecessary stress. Eating more nutritious foods and reducing any excess body fat can also work to limit stress.

Preparing a Response Plan for an Episode

If a person suffering from bipolar disorder feels prepared to handle an episode, they will experience less anxiety and stress from being around others. They should know the symptoms of both a depressive episode and mania so that they can put their plan into action and feel in control of themselves.

Find Fulfilling Work

An overly stressful job can sometimes exacerbate symptoms of bipolar disorder. If you think your work is contributing to your depression, consider moving into a career that is more fulfilling. For example, if you enjoy gardening, you might look into getting a job at a local greenhouse. If you prefer animals to humans, you might start your own dog walking or pet sitting businesses. Or if you enjoy writing, you might try your hand at freelancing. These days many writing projects are made available via sites like Upwork and Craigslist.org. Image via Pixabay by HannahWells

You've read 5 Stress Reducing Activities to Benefit People with Bipolar Disorder, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you've enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

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Jody lost 39 pounds

Jody lost 39 pounds. Learning how to fuel her body with proper nutrition and working out hard were key to her success. She also had a great coach and support group that helped her stay motivated. Check out her journey. What was your motivation? What really motivated me during my journey was seeing the weight and inches […]

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Health ministry calls for ban on smoking in indoor public spaces

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The report—called the “Tobacco White Paper”—is the first revision of the current version in 15 years. In the report, the ministry for the first time categorizes the causal links between diseases and secondhand smoking into four risk levels, based on pas

The post Health ministry calls for ban on smoking in indoor public spaces appeared first on The Center.

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Bill allowing landlords to bar medical pot use is dropped

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A lawmaker has dropped a bill that would have allowed landlords to bar tenants from smoking medical marijuana in apartments... Wood had said AB 2300 is needed because secondhand smoke can easily travel through windows, doors and shared ventilation system

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