Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Real age piece about writing about sadness

Sad? Don't Forget About It



Feel sad sometimes but don't know exactly why? Tempted to just brush past it? Well, don't. Understanding the source of your sadness can be key to moving on.
In fact, research in people with amnesia shows that having a memory attached to a blue mood is best for emotional well-being. It helps people move past sadness more quickly.
Forget Me Not
In a study, people with intact memories and people with amnesia were shown sad movie clips. The facial expressions and demeanors of amnesic patients remained sad for up to 30 minutes later, even though they had no memory of what they'd seen. In comparison, people with intact memories returned to normal much more quickly.
(Want a sharper memory? Hone your wits with these engaging brain games.)
Remember and Let Go
Knowing what's making you sad is key to dealing with it, learning from it, and letting go. If you don't process what you're going through, sad thoughts may continue to linger, and sad signals may even get stored in your body. That's exactly what researchers suspect happened to the people with amnesia in the recent study. So the next time you feel down but don't know why, grab your journal and try to puzzle it out. You'll feel better if you do.
(Looking to boost your mood? Get to a happier place with these very simple strategies.)
Benefit
Taking care of your emotional health and well-being can make your RealAge up to 16 years younger.
References
Sustained experience of emotion after loss of memory in patients with amnesia. Feinstein, J. S. et al.,
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2010 Apr 27;107(17):7674-7679.

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