A Harvard study called
A Wandering mind is not a happy mind (2011) confirms the benefit of the practice of
mindfulness - keeping your focus on the present moment. The practice of Mindfulness brings peace, and provides an escape from depression, and prevents us from thinking unhappy thoughts.
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Beat Depression, without drugs. Stay present, stay hydrated[/caption]
How the Harvard study on mindfulness was done
Psychologists Matthew A. Killingsworth and Daniel T. Gilbert conducted the study on Mindfulness using an iPhone app to gather 250,000 data points on subjects’ thoughts, feelings, and actions as they went about their lives. The iPhone app used was developed by Killingsworth for the study. The app contacted 2,250 study volunteers at random intervals to ask how happy they were, what they were doing at that moment, and it asked the study subjects if they thinking about their current activity, or about something else. If the study subjects thoughts were elsewhere, the app asked them if their thoughts were pleasant, neutral, or unpleasant.
The study looked at 22 daily activities, such as working, eating, walking, and even making love. The study showed that subject’s minds were wandering an average of 46.9 percent of the time, and no less than 30 percent of the time during every activity
except making love. Killingsworth and Gilbert report that people are happiest when they are making love, exercising, or engaging in conversation. People are generally the least happy when resting, working, or using a home computer.
A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy Mind
According to Killingsworth and Gilbert: “A human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind,” their research indicates that our ability to focus on things other than the present moment comes at a price. “The ability to think about what is not happening is a cognitive achievement that comes at an emotional cost.”
Killingsworth states that our minds wander constantly: “Mind-wandering appears ubiquitous across all activities. This study shows that our mental lives are pervaded, to a remarkable degree, by the non present.” He goes further to state that our state of Mindfulness is actually more important than the activities we are engaged in when it comes to happiness: “How often our minds leave the present and where they tend to go is a better predictor of our happiness than the activities in which we are engaged.”Killingsworth and Gilbert’s analysis of the study results suggest that mind-wandering was usually the cause, not a consequence, of a person’s unhappiness.
Depression is made worse by dehydration
Another
factor in depression is dehydration. According to the study:
Mild Dehydration Affects Mood in Healthy Young Women (2011) as little as 1% dehydration can trigger depression, headaches, and makes daily tasks more stressful. In fact, if you feel depressed and have frequent headaches, you may be able to help yourself “snap out of it” simply by drinking more water.
You should be concerned about dehydration if you frequently have these symptoms:
- Dry skin
- Low energy levels
- Headaches
- Constipation
- Difficulty concentrating
- Dry lips
Self Test: Are You Dehydrated? Place on hand flat on the table. Pinch the skin about 1 inch behind any knuckle, then release it. The skin should snap back into position right away. If it takes longer than a second to snap back, or doesn’t snap back at all, you are dehydrated.
Ionized Alkaline mineral-rich water hydrates better than plain water
If you find that you are frequently dehydrated; improving your hydration status, then maintaining it, is likely to improve your health and your mood. Alkaline water should be your “go-to” beverage for hydration. Two studies conducted at Montana State University (2009, 2010) show that alkaline water hydrates better than plain water. A third study on Firefighters (2013) combating severe dehydration confirms that finding. Alkaline water hydrates better than plain water.
Want better hydration?Alkaline water super hydration - timing is everything
Love should be an Important Part of your Alkaline Lifestyle
The Harvard study appears to vindicate two core principles of the Alkaline Lifestyle:
- Living in the moment keeps those unhappy thoughts away
- Exercise contributes to our happiness.
Perhaps the best news to come out of the Harvard study is that we are happiest when we are making love. This would seem to suggest that when you are mindfully present in the loving embrace of another, that you are living the Alkaline Lifestyle to the fullest. It seems that in those loving moments that we bring joy to another are the exact same moments that we are fully present, mindful, and joyful ourselves!
Start your own alkaline lifestyle. Call us at 855-790-8121 to get signed up!
Reference
Bradt, S Wandering mind not a happy mind
Harvard Gazette Nov 11, 2011
http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2010/11/wandering-mind-not-a-happy-mind/
Armstrong, Lawrence E. Matthew S Ganio. and et al. “Mild Dehydration Affects Mood in Healthy Young Women.” . The Journal of Nutrition, 21 Dec. 2011. Web. 18 July 2014. <
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/142/2/382.full>.
Heil, P and Seifert, J. Influence of bottled water on rehydration following a dehydrating bout of cycling exercise
. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
Springerlink July 2009.
http://www.springerlink.com/content/kn41764j65165u3x/fulltext.pdf
Heil, D. “Acid-base balance and hydration status following consumption of mineral-based alkaline bottled water..”
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 13 Sep 2010. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <
http://www.jissn.com/content/7/1/29>.
Holsworth, R, , and et al. "Effect of Hydration on Whole Blood Viscosity in Firefighters."
ebscohost. Alternative Therapies, n.d. Web. 27 Dec 2013. <
http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d19a888b-bdf2-4a84-8138-f
