Tag Archives: Actually

How to Set a Goal You’ll Actually Achieve

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Even goals with the best intentions—like giving up sugar or hitting the gym every day—can backfire fast. But there might be a way to help ensure that you don’t ditch your next plan of action. People are more likely to stick with something when they have a flexible goal, rather than a fixed one, according to a new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research.

In one study, people in a weight-loss program either set goals that incorporated a range (for example, lose 2-4 pounds) or specific fixed goals (for example, lose 3 pounds). At the end of the program, the people who set flexible goals were more likely to reenroll in the weight loss program than those who set specific goals, even though both groups lost the same amount of weight on average. The researchers found the same results in experiments with other types of goals, including ones that revolved around saving money or solving puzzles.

“The reason is that the high-low range (read: flexible) goal offers the best of both worlds,” says study coauthor Maura Scott, PhD, assistant professor of marketing at Florida State University. While the low end of the goal makes it seem attainable, the high end gives you something to aspire to—a combination that makes it more approachable than a super-specific end point. “The result is that high-low range goals tend to lead to a greater sense of accomplishment for the person pursuing the goal.  Having a greater sense of accomplishment makes people want to reengage in a goal.” And since most intentions require some follow-through, that willingness to reengage is crucial to actually achieving your goal.

Ready to make a mid-year resolution? Scott suggests structuring your goal so that the low point is similar to attainable goals you’ve achieved in the past and the high point is your aspirational target. Check out these swaps to get you started:

Old: Lose 5 pounds
New: Lose 3-7 pounds

Old: Save $ 100 every month
New: Save $ 50-$ 150 every month

Old: Cook dinner five nights a week
New: Limit takeout to 1-3 times per week

Old: Hit the gym every day
New: Exercise 3-6 days per week

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

More from Women’s Health:
How to Set Your Weight-Loss Goals
Find Your Motivation to Get Fit 
Determination: How to Get What You Want

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How to Sleep With a Man (and Actually Sleep)

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If your guy goes by the alias “snore machine,” you may have good reason to cozy up to the couch: Poor sleep can make you feel ungrateful and taken for granted in your relationship, according to research recently presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.

University of California, Berkeley, researchers examined the correlation between sleep and gratitude through a series of studies, each of more than 60 couples ages 18 to 56. In one experiment, participants kept a diary of their sleep patterns and their appreciation of their significant other. In another, researchers watched couples working together on problem-solving tasks, and observed that those who had slept badly the night before showed their partner less appreciation.

“Poor sleep may make us more selfish as we prioritize our own needs over our partner’s,” says lead researcher Amie Gordon, a psychologist and doctoral student at UC Berkeley. But here’s the kicker: Because sleep-deprived people are more likely to skimp on shows of gratitude, both partners end up feeling taken for granted. “You may have slept like a baby, but if your partner didn’t, you’ll probably both end up grouchy,” says Gordon, whose previous research has shown that expressing gratitude is vital to relationship satisfaction and longevity.

Can’t remember the last time you got a good night’s rest during a sleepover? Here’s how to beat your biggest co-sleeping complaints:

He Snores… A Lot
This Valentine’s Day, give him the gift of a high-loft pillow—which is designed with the highest point at the middle—to keep him from rolling onto his back. Since people experience the most airway instability when they’re face-up, side sleeping can help prevent airway vibrations and sleepless nights, says Ulysses J. Magalang, MD, medical director of sleep medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. If the snoring is severe, suggest he ask his doc about sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing stops during sleep that can cause extreme fatigue for both parties.

You Fight Over the Covers
It’s simple: Get two comforters. In Scandinavia, Germany, and Austria, couples often cover their beds with two twin-sized, side-by-side comforters and forgo cover wars altogether. If you pride yourself on a Pinterest-worthy bedroom, drape a coverlet over the top of the comforters to tidy the look.

He Likes to Sleep with the TV On
Eye masks can help block out light. Meanwhile earplugs can help muffle any noises that go bump in the night, says Magalang, who notes that light and noise are the most common problems for bed sharers. If earplugs don’t do the job—or just feel funny to you—suggest that your Late Show-loving beau wear super-thin and squishy headphones designed specifically for sleepers. Try Bedphones, $ 30, bedphones.com.

He Kicks in His Sleep
While a makeshift pillow barrier can soften blows, nighttime thrashing deserves a doctor’s visit. It can be a symptom of a whole host of sleep disorders including REM sleep behavior disorder, in which the paralysis that normally occurs during REM sleep is incomplete or absent, allowing the sleeper to act out dreams. Or if your kicker also happens to be a snorer, he might be suffering from sleep apnea and jolting as his breathing stops and he wakes up, Magalang says.

You Have Different Sleep Schedules
Your beau’s blaring alarm is the last thing you want to hear when you have two more hours to sleep. Consider a silent vibrating alarm clock that fits in a pillowcase or on a wrist, Magalang suggests. Try Shake-n-Wake zzZ Silent Alarm Clock, $ 14, amazon.com.

photo: Shutterstock.com

More from WH:
Sleep Positions for Couples
The Effects of Sleep Deprivation
15 Tricks to Sleep Better

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When Being Neurotic May Actually Help You

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Turns out neuroticism isn’t all bad after all—it might be a sign that you’re in good health. People who are both neurotic and conscientious tend to have lower levels of a biomarker linked to inflammation-related conditions, like heart disease, arthritis, asthma, stroke, and some cancers, according to a new study from the University of Rochester Medical Center.

In the study, participants rated how accurately 26 adjectives matched their personalities. Each adjective related to one of the “Big 5” personality traits—neuroticism, extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, and agreeableness. The researchers also periodically drew participants’ blood and tested for levels of the inflammation-related biomarker, Interleukin 6 (IL-6). People who showed signs of both neuroticism and conscientiousness had the lowest levels of IL-6.

It makes sense: personality traits tend to be associated with certain lifestyle behaviors that ultimately influence your health and well-being, says Nicholas Turiano, PhD, post-doctoral fellow in the URMC Department of Psychiatry and lead study author.

“People that are really neurotic—people that have a lot of anxiety—are going to self-medicate this anxiety,” Turiano says. Worst-case scenario: They binge eat, drink too much, and smoke—all of which can cause inflammation in the body. They also might not think of the long-term consequences of their unhealthy habits, he says. On the other hand, people with high levels of conscientiousness usually have better eating habits, like to exercise, and won’t abuse drugs or alcohol. And those who have high levels of both neuroticism and conscientiousness have different ways of dealing with stress, which can result in a “healthy neuroticism,” an anxiety that’s actually good for you.

“Healthy neuroticism is using your anxiety to not ruminate and get stuck in your problems,” says Turiano. “You’re so in-tune with what’s going on in your body—you have that much anxiety about your health—that you’re going to do something about it.” So though still neurotic, these people are able to think about the long-term consequences of their habits, which can lead to better decision-making, and a much healthier body.

Though neurotic symptoms and experiences vary by person, what makes them healthy (and even kind of useful), is if you have the self-discipline and high level of responsibility to actually do something about whatever’s stressing you out, according to Jon Belford, PhD, a psychologist based in New York City. So, for example, feeling anxious about things over which you have no control (like terrorism attacks or natural disasters) isn’t helpful or healthy. If, however, you freak out before a presentation at work, but take steps to prepare for it and make sure it goes off without a hitch, then it’s a healthy worry, he says.

Still, sometimes stress can get the better of you—where, even if you conceivably could control a situation’s outcome, you’re too stressed to take any necessary steps in the right direction. In those instances, here’s how to deal:

Breathe deeply. There’s a reason people tell you to take a deep breath. It’s a relaxation technique that can help keep you calm and clear your mind. (Here, more ways deep breathing can help your health.)

Give yourself a reality check. “Recognize the difference between the things you can change and the things you can’t,” says Belford. Also, if you’ve gone through a similar (or worse!) situation in the past, remind yourself that you got through it then, and can definitely get through it now.

Try to track your specific thoughts. “If you have been ruminating about a specific worry, or reacting to a certain thing for a long period of time, recognize that,” says Belford. Once you’re aware of what led to your anxiety, try to put steps together that will make the experience better in the future, he says.

Click here for more keep-your-cool tricks.

Image: Stockbyte/Thinkstock
More from WH:
The Calming Yoga Routine
How to Have the “Perfect” Day
31 Ways to Relax

15 Min Belly, Butt & Thigh Workout
What’s the 15-Minute Fat Loss Secret? Find out here!

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Does Sunshine Actually Decrease Dangerous Melanoma Skin Cancers?

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http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/04/28/vitamin-d-lowers-melonoma-risks.aspx?e_cid=20120428_DNL_art_2

Story at-a-glance

  • Blaming sunlight exposure for the growing incidences of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has failed to consider crucial information, like the fact that chronic UV (ultraviolet) light exposure may actually reduce the risk of melanoma.
  • Occupational exposure, such as farmers and fishermen, and regular weekend sun exposure are associated with decreased risk of melanoma.
  • Safe sun exposure also optimizes your body’s levels of vitamin D, which is one of one of the most potent natural cancer protections available; a very low level of vitamin D is a major risk factor for cancer, including melanoma.
  • Safe sun exposure, use of a safe tanning bed or an oral vitamin D3 supplement is the best way to optimize your vitamin D level, and thereby decrease your risk of many types of cancer, including melanoma.

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