Tag: mood

Healthy Tip: Kindness for Heart Health

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

Healthy Heart Tip: Kindness for Heart Health

The 13th of November is World Kindness Day, an international day formed in 1998 to promote kindness throughout the world.

The idea alone is fantastic, as the more kindness we can get into our lives the better, but did you know that kindness can have a physiological impact on your body and contribute to a healthy heart?

The love hormone

When we witness acts of kindness or do something kind ourselves, we produce a hormone called oxytocin, which is often referred to as the ‘love hormone’.

Oxytocin causes the release of a chemical that dilates our blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease, therefore regularly producing oxytocin can have a protective effect on our heart.

Stress

Some studies have shown that those who are consistently kind have 23% less cortisol (the stress hormone) than those who are not.

Long-term high levels of cortisol can negatively impact our cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Therefore, engaging in regular acts of kindness may help keep our stress hormones at bay and protect our heart.

Contagiousness

Kindness is contagious and both those who do the kind act and those who witness it can benefit. When we witness a kind act, we experience a boost in mood and some people even report higher energy, this makes us much more likely to commit a kind act ourselves.

Furthermore, when you carry out an act of kindness, you indirectly have a positive impact on the heart health of those who are observing, as they too receive a surge of the cardioprotective ‘love hormone’, oxytocin.

For more tips on how to stay healthy, sign up for our weekly healthy tips at www.heartresearch.org.uk/healthy-tips.

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/.

Survey reveals Scots top tips for tackling the winter blues

With the winter months proving a depressing time for many, a new survey conducted by vape brand, blu, has revealed Scots’ favourite ways to boost their mood.

While the New Year may offer a ray of light for some in these dark times, the research shows that almost half of Scots (42%) feel their lowest in January and February.

Somewhat unsurprisingly for Scotland, the main reason for feeling low at this time of year is the dismal weather, with almost two thirds (61%) saying poor weather gets them down.

With a flurry of bad news around COVID-19 and the rising cost of living bombarding Scots 24/7, the news came a close second with half of respondents (51%) saying it has a negative effect on their mood, closely followed by money woes at 44%.

In a bid to combat all these negative vibes, the survey highlights the top ways the Scottish lift their mood and tackle the winter blues. Topping the list at half (50%) of respondents is listening to music, as they look for a way to escape from the doom and gloom experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With food and drink recognised by over half (58%) as having a positive impact on their mood, 42% of respondents say they’ll be eating tasty treats – it seems that healthy eating resolutions may have been put aside in a bid to feel better!

Socialising was seen by almost half (48%) as another great mood boosting tactic, with 42% looking to spend more time with friends and family.

Almost two fifths (36%) of Scots exercise in order to boost their mood, while over a quarter (28%) have an alcoholic drink to cope with the gloom, shedding any dry January resolutions. Indulging in a bit retail therapy was the choice of 19% of respondents.

Making a getaway from the workplace is another big focus with nearly a fifth of respondents (18%) booking time off work.

Colette Flowerdew-Kincaid, Digital Content Manager at blu says: “It’s great to see the resilient and positive approach people take in boosting their mood to battle winter blues.

“Listening to music topped the list. Seeing friends and family is another popular way to banish the blues, with many looking to make up for lost time due to COVID-19. The important thing is to recognise that we might be low in winter and to be kind to ourselves, as well as others.”

Research Summary

Top things that have a positive impact on mood:

·       Good weather – 73% Scotland / 76% UK

·       Food & Drink – 58% Scotland / 60% UK

·       Social life – 48% Scotland / 49% UK

Top things that have a negative impact on mood:

·       Bad weather – 61% Scotland / 60% UK

·       The news – 51% Scotland / 50% UK

·       Money situation – 44% Scotland / 44% UK

Top ways to lift your mood:

·       Listening to music – 50% Scotland / 49% UK

·       Spending time with friends and family – 42% Scotland / 40% UK

·       Eating something tasty – 42% Scotland / 38% UK

·       Do some exercise – 36% Scotland / 28% UK

·       Have an alcoholic drink – 28% Scotland / 23% UK

·       Retail therapy – 20% Scotland / 21% UK

·       Take time off work – 18% Scotland / 14% UK

For more top tips on how to beat the winter blues, check out the latest blog at blu.com.