Taking a little time to enjoy life every day can help people with chronic conditions such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and asthma make and maintain lifestyle changes that can lead to better health. Three studies of 756 patients done at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell and published online recently in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" showed that people who made a point of thinking throughout the day about small things that make them feel happy and proud of themselves were better able to sustain good health habits.
Participants were given a script to guide them in envisioning life's lovely moments – perhaps seeing a beautiful sunset, inhaling the fragrance of lilacs, hearing a child's laughter, or stroking a beloved pet. They were also encouraged to pat themselves on the back mentally with "self-affirmations," no matter how tiny the accomplishments might seem. These simple interventions went a long way toward giving the participants the strength to make better decisions about taking care of their health.
"This simple approach gives patients the tools that help them fulfill their promise to themselves that they will do what's needed for their health," says Dr. Mary Charlson, a lead author of the studies, which were funded by a $9.5 million contract from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). "For example, if it's raining and they don't feel like exercising, these strategies can help them get past this mental block and into their sneakers."
