Have you ever wanted to know the secret to a healthy and (most likely) longer life? The answer may be a bit simpler than you think. Relax and Do what you enjoy.
Association of Enjoyable Leisure Activities With Psychological and Physical Well-Being, a study by Pressman et al, 2009, tell us how leisure activities can have positive affects on our health. The purpose was to study the changes in blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), body mass index, waist circumference of people who participated in leisurely activities. There has been a significant amount of research on health regarding getting more sleep, proper diet, avoiding drugs or alcohol, and getting exercise, but there has not much has been examined regarding the positive effects of simply enjoying life. The theory was that the strain and depletion that is put on the body through daily stressors could be counteracted, to an extent, though enjoying simple leisurely activities. What is a leisure activity? Simple! It’s pretty much anything you want to do to get away from stress (that isn’t blatantly bad for you). For me it would be skating, getting coffee or (my favorite of all) napping. For others it could be reading a book, going on a vacation or going on a hike.
The items measured were: Sociodemographics characteristics, PEAT (Pittsburgh Enjoyable Activities Index) a constructed index which gauged the frequency of participation in enjoyable activities, Psychosocial Measures including positive and negative states and moods, health behaviors, and physical/physiological measurement.
The first finding was that higher SES (socioeconomic status) was correlated with higher PEAT scores. This may be because people in wealthier areas tend to have more available time and money to engage in leisurely activity, I thought this was to be expected, to an extent. Education, may have also held an influence. Secondly, was that higher PEAT scores were associated with positive psychosocial (also less negative) characteristics. People with higher PEAT scores also scored higher in positive affect, life satisfaction and life engagement, and had lower levels of negative affect and depression. Third, that higher PEAT scores also correlated with better physiological functioning. People with higher PEAT scores had lower waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, body mass index and cortisol area under the curve. The study also showed that the greater the PEAT scores the higher the sleep and exercise outcomes were. PEAT activities also seemed to lower the stress of negative life events and increased were found in mood and health.
Basically in a whole, People who engaged in more leisure activities were found the be healthier, not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally. Engagement in these activities not only increased positive moods, but was also found to decrease negative moods. With all the combined positive benefits and reduction of negative influences, it seems that it could be concluded that taking moments to enjoy life will actually make you live longer. In conclusion, go get your nails done, read that book, hang out with friends, do whatever your heart desires, because it is good for your health. Have Fun!
kevonrosspsych178 