Make friends, live longer
That's the conclusion of a new U.S. study, which found that the secret to a long, healthy life is having a strong social network.
Researchers at Brigham Young University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that people with adequate social relationships -- friends, family and community involvement -- were 50 per cent less likely to die during study periods than those with sparse social support. It's an effect comparable to that of quitting smoking.
And, turning it around, people with little social support have a mortality risk equal to alcoholism and even higher than either obesity or physical inactivity, the study found.
The analysis compiled data from 148 studies. More than 300,000 people were in the data pool, followed for an average of 7.5 years.
The link between social support and mortality risk was found for men and women of all ages, regardless of initial health condition, years of a study or cause of death.
In concrete terms, that 50 per cent number means that socially connected people would live an average of 3.7 years longer than less-connected people, said study co-author Timothy B. Smith, a psychology professor at Brigham Young.
However, Dr Antonio Gomez, assistant clinical professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, said doctors should take note of the study, but that it has its limitations.
"We can't make the broad, sweeping claim that social relationships cause increased survivability - at least, not yet," The LA Times quoted him as saying.
Love is a powerful painkiller
London, Oct 14 (IANS) Intense romantic love is like a drug and can be as effective as morphine in relieving pain, says a new study.
Passions triggered by the early flushes of a relationship block physical pain in a similar way to painkillers and drugs.
Scientists in the US tested the theory on a group of male and female university students who were in the passionate early stages of a love affair.
They were shown photos of their partners while a computer-controlled heat probe placed in the palms of their hands delivered mild doses of pain, reports The Telegraph.
At the same time, the students had their brains scanned by a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machine.
The study showed that feelings of love, triggered by seeing a photo of one's beloved, acted as a powerful pain killer.
Focusing on a photo of an attractive acquaintance rather than a relationship partner did not have the same benefit.
The scans revealed that the effects of love could be compared with those of morphine and cocaine, both of which target the brain's 'reward centres'.
Sean Mackey, study leader at Stanford University Medical Centre in California, said: 'When people are in this passionate, all-consuming phase of love, there are significant alterations in their mood that are impacting their experience of pain.
14 Ways to Keep Your Relationship Happy
1. Communicate-not just about your feelings- but about your day. Share stories with one another about what is going on at work or in a friend's life; share what you saw on the news or in a magazine with your significant other if you found it interesting. Discussing regular day to day occurrences is just as important as staying in tune with each others' feelings. It keeps you in tune with your spouse on a daily basis.
2. Take showers together- it doesn't have to be sexual! My husband and I have done this from the beginning of our relationship, did it start out sexual? Probably. But over time it became an intimate thing, just extra time that we can spend together catching up on the day- it just happens that we are naked and in the shower!
3. Go to the park and swing, slide or just play-it's a young and fun thing to do. It keeps you playful and is a great way to relieve stress. Real life can get so with overwhelming with work, kids, bills, laundry, chores- sometimes a play break is what's needed to alleviate all of that, even if it's only for half an hour.
4. Take walks-morning walks are a great way to start your day, not a morning person? Take an evening walk. Getting fresh air and exercise together is good for your health and the health of your relationship. Walking relieves stress, keeps you fit and allows quality time to be spent together.
5. Date nights-put everything on hold for an hour or two and plan on just doing something alone with your spouse. It can be dinner, a walk, the mall, whatever, just make the time for just the two of you with no one else around, catch up on your day or week or just joke around and have fun. But making time for just the two of you is important.
6. Play video games or wrestle-a healthy dose of competition is always good and it can be an entertaining way to not only have fun but a great stress buster as well. Just don't take it too seriously and be a sore loser because that would defeat the whole purpose.
7. Have sex-even if you don't want to, you need to keep the sexual chemistry between you and your significant other alive. Being intimate and showing your love for one another is a significant part of your union.
8. Hold hands- it may seem insignificant; however, this small but intimate gesture shows that you care about each other even when you are doing something simple like walking from the car to the grocery store.
9. Give praise-telling your significant other that they are great at something can be a huge ego boost. It shows that you care and that you pay attention and like the way he/she does something. It's always nice to know that your spouse appreciates the things you do and the way you do them.
10. Be thankful-a simple thank you for taking the trash out, taking the kids to school, fixing that faucet or simply being a great spouse goes a long way. Letting someone know that you are thankful for what they do means a lot.
11. Have time apart-couples don't need to spend 24/7 together. Spending time away with the girls or the guys makes you appreciate one another. Have your own lives apart from one another. Schedule dinners or mini vacations if you can to keep up with friends.
12. Don't always nag-if you start nagging too much you will create resentment. Reminding someone of something a few times is one thing but becoming obnoxious about it will produce hostility and that's not the outcome that you are looking for. Take a different approach, ask nicely, explain what you need done and by when. The nicer you are the better.
13. Share advice-you never know when great, unexpected advice can come about. My husband and I work in two totally different professions yet we manage to swap advice on work all the time. The advice does not have to be work related, it can be about the kids, the chores, money management, it doesn't matter, be open to sharing different ideas.
14. Pick and choose your battles-Over the years I have learned that life is short and arguments are lame. Now I only get mad at things that I feel are truly important. I've learned to pick and choose my battles. Everyone will have that one battle that they choose to fight, just choose it carefully. Just think "is this really worth getting mad about? Will I still be mad about it this tomorrow morning? Will I even remember this next week?" Most of the time the answer is no. I've learned that this approach makes for a healthier and happier relationship and definitely causes less stress.
