Well-Be Wisdom: Beyond Troubled Waters
By John I. Kennedy Jr, MD
For more than a year our lives have been disrupted by a global pandemic that most of us did not anticipate. The spreading tsunami of pandemic has thrown us out into roiling waters, stripping away many aspects of our usual lives. The rising tides of distress have exacerbated social conflict over politics and issues of race and gender.
Well-Be Wisdom: Happiness Lesson #5 – Game On!
By John I. Kennedy Jr, MD
Who are the happiest people you know? Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos reminds us that the top 10 percent of scores on happiness surveys represent the people who are the most social.
Well-Be Wisdom: Happiness Lesson #4 – M&M’s
By John I. Kennedy Jr, MD
We’ve had a tough year of pandemic living, facing illness, loss, and separation from family and friends. It is no surprise that, in addition to learning about the effects of COVID-19 on the brain, we are seeing reports of many uninfected people who also experience a lack of mental clarity, frequently termed “brain fog.” Even in pre-pandemic times, data suggest that for most of us our minds are wandering about 40 percent of the time. So, whether we are simply distracted, or have significant difficulty concentrating, our ability to deliberately focus our minds plays a big role in our overall wellness.
Well-Be Wisdom: Happiness Lesson #3 – Be Kind
By John I. Kennedy Jr, MD
Several years ago, I was walking through the VA Hospital with the Director, i.e. my boss, heading to a meeting. We were running a few minutes late and, as we passed through a crowded public area, there was a man who appeared to be lost. Without hesitation, my boss stopped and asked the man if she could help him. She listened, gave him directions, and pointed out the overhead signs that would guide him to the clinic. As we resumed our journey to the meeting I thought about what she had done. There were many other people around who could have helped, people less busy and important than the hospital director. Why did she bother? As we walked along I also noticed that my boss seemed even more cheerful than when we started out. She obviously felt good about helping someone find his way.
Well-Be Wisdom: Happiness Lesson #2 – Gratitude
By John I. Kennedy Jr, MD
We all like to be appreciated, right? Hearing a sincere thank you always feels good. The experience of gratitude is an important contributor to our overall well-being. Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos, who studies and teaches about happiness, ranks gratitude among the top five of things that make people happier.