We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily difference we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.

-- Marion Wright Edelman

The effect of giving on mental and physical health seems to be in the air these days.  A new book by Cami Walker -- 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life -- was recently brought to my attention.  Diagnosed with a progressive illness, holistic healer gave the author a prescription for feeling better:  giving a gift to someone every day for 29 days.  Walker's book is a description of how that benefited not only those who received, but how she -- the giver -- also reaped rewards.

Giving is a practice that researchers have studied.  The benefit seems to be about two things:  giving meaning and a biological boost that may be hardwired. Hands-on volunteering -- that is, work that involves direct contact with people -- seems to hold the most benefit (Psychology Today, 1988).  It is not clear exactly why this works, but the effect is unmistakable:  those with chronic pain feel better, are more able to cope, and possess improved moods.

This is what the professionals like to call a synergistic effect -- it is less cause and effect, and more a subtle weaving together of all the influences into a more healthful and positive state of being.

It doesn't have to be formal volunteer work.

On her new Web site, 29days.org, Walker invites comments and gives ideas about how to give.  She suggests that giving is a way to strengthen your health, along with exercise and medication.  It may be as simple as a note or a phone call.  In a recent article in Yoga Magazine, one of the authors describes her practice of baking a cake for someone every Saturday.  It may be adding a volunteer hour to your week, and doing a less structured act on other days.

If you decide to take on this opportunity, it seems that what is most beneficial is the daily practice that invites you to turn outward to someone else.  That is what reminds us that no matter what the state of our health, we have something to offer, and that there are those who need us.  The emphasis on thinking of others may relieve stress, and it certainly opens our hearts.

The web of connection and relationships made of kindness and openheartedness is the healing balm that spreads in every direction, even in ways we cannot see or know.

We are gearing up for those New Year resolutions.  Do you think you are ready to try the 29 days challenge?  If you do, let me know how it works for you, what you choose to do, and how you feel.

Have a blessed and lively holiday season, and may your New Year be healthy and full of opportunities to give and grow.

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An article on the psychology blog PsychCentral caught my attention.  I was reading articles about dealing with pain, and they reviewed a new study about how to reduce one's subjective experience of physical pain.

That is a fancy way to remind us that pain is made up of two components -- the  physical sensation of the pain, and then the perception (location and intensity) of the pain.  This study looked at perception, and built on previous research that states that people who are alone experience their pain as more severe than people who are with a loved one (and I assume this means a pet as well as a human).

The new study went a step further to see if the photograph of the loved one could also reduce the perception of pain.

Amazingly, it did!

Those who had a picture to look at while having a stimulation of pain registered less pain than the controls.  The researchers also looked at reaction time, just to make sure it wasn't about distraction.

What they found was that the picture seemed to provide a sense of support -- the reminder of being loved and cared for.  That had a positive effect:  the person experienced pain as less painful than the controls who were alone.

The researchers went on to propose that having a picture of someone you love may be beneficial, especially if you can't have that person with you.

Or if your main support isn't so good at being supportive in person, this is a way to feel that presence without needing them to act a certain way.  They conclude, "And, unlike your partner or family member, a photo can't be in a bad mood!"

Let me know if you have ever experimented with this, and if you find it to be true for you.

The study's information:  Master, S.L., et al. (2009). A Picture's Worth: Partner Photographs Reduce Experimentally Induced Pain. Psychological Science. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02444.x

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When you walk into any store, it is obvious we have slid into that time of year.

The Holidays.

I know, it seems premature to begin addressing that in October!  But Halloween candy, shorter daylight, and decorations in the local Target all suggest to me that it is a good time to prepare for how we want to handle the combination of temptation and deprivation.

The temptations come in the form of eating too much, eating the wrong things, going out to often, and overloading on stressful expectations and events.

The deprivations are giving up exercise or other healthful practices (because "there's not enough time"), losing sleep, and putting your health last instead of first.

"I'll do it once the holidays are over" applies to everything from a doctor's appointment, to keeping better track of medication, to resting.

Here are a few tips to help you prepare mentally for how you want to handle this time.  The result is that you will be more relaxed, more in charge, and able to enjoy all the blessings of the holiday seasons -- from Halloween through New Year's!

Create a game plan.

Although we vow every year to do it differently, most of us get sucked into a whirlwind, primarily because we didn't think ahead of what we wanted to do -- and what we wanted to avoid.

Take a moment and list what are the most difficult aspects of the next six weeks for you.

Then think what are the best.

Compare your lists.  What can you stop doing?  What will be your priority for your time and attention and money?  What is most important to you?  How will you make sure you do that?

Preparation makes a big difference -- and it isn't hard.  Carve out some space and time to think ahead instead of reacting to every phone call, invitation, and request.

Put your health ahead on the list.

Dealing with a chronic and unpredictable illness isn't fun.  It isn't easy either.

But ignoring what you need to do to feel OK only compounds the difficulty.

You deserve to feel your best -- even if that takes time away from other people or projects.  The holidays aren't going to be enjoyable for you if you have exhausted yourself taking care of everyone else's food preferences or last-minute whims.

If exercise helps, don't neglect it.  If you need an afternoon break, don't skip it.  If rich food aggravates your joints, don't have it in the house.

Think about what you need -- and do it.

Practice cutting things out before you add in.

From homemade Halloween costumes, to perfect turkeys, to a gift-buying blitz -- there is a lot of extra pressure.  And for those of you who don't have to run a household, there is still the pressure of the office party, the family expectations, and often the loneliness of everyone else's holiday preoccupation.

Sometimes it's the prospect of spending so much time with your family that send you over the edge.

This season, think what you might eliminate.

How can you slow down and do a little less?  Can you keep your schedule a little lighter and give yourself a little more room?  Can you see only the people who really matter -- and maybe for a shorter burst of time?

Think about eliminating and streamlining.

This season can be magical.  It can also stress your life and aggravate your illness.

You can choose to create the path through the next weeks that works for you -- and supports your health.  As always, it's up to you!

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