Joy

Research has shown that patients have better recovery from surgery when they have hospital windows with scenes of nature rather than brick walls. We should treat ourselves to feasts like watching the clouds in the sky, or the surface of a tranquil lake or watching birds nesting. Pictures of ponds, streams and trees produce lower levels of arousal and higher alpha waves, brain waves associated with wakeful relaxation. Researchers have found that even watching aquariums can lower blood pressure and produce a state of calm relaxation. Learn to look for and dwell upon the natural scenes in the environment. Let the eyes, ears, and nose soak in the pleasant scenes that are a part of the everyday world. Stop and look.

The lonely view of a mountain with snowy crests stretching upward into the sky or the blue green white capped waves at the beach and the roar of those waves as they crash onto the shore can be restorative. We seem attracted to the sound of a river as it flows. For thousand upon thousands of years these were a part of daily life. Now instead of the sounds of the wind we hear the sounds of auto horns. Instead of the colors of a forest we are bombarded with the blacks and grays of asphalt and cement. We are more likely to smell petroleum waste than the intoxicating aroma of evergreen.

There can be moments of joy even in a nursing home. We are built to gain important information and to learn important lessons from sensory events. We love sweetness such as the taste of a peach or a mango. Once we have tasted it we will go back for more. On the other hand our bodies are built such that the senses can also warn us about danger. A distinctive stench can warn us about spoiled food. Bitterness can tell us that certain foods may harm us. Loud noises may warn us to avoid a falling tree. A flash of pain leads us to recoil and thus avoid a serious burn. In short, we need not advocate mindless hedonism in order to acknowledge that we are built to seek certain joys and avoid pain.

We need a balance in the direction of joys in order to reduce stress. We eat not only to stay alive but also for the social and emotional pleasures eating brings us. Our emotional connections to food are one of the many reasons that following a weight loss diet is so difficult. It is very likely that our "sweet tooth" evolved to guide our ancestors toward ripe fruits, ready sources of energy and certain essential vitamins. The taste for sweet and fat in foods served our ancestors well making foods rich in calories attractive and allowing them to store fat for burning in times of famine. People seem to love variety and crave different taste sensations. Diets that are weak in flavor and variety of texture tend to fail because they fail to bring joy. Enhanced flavors and a wide variety of foods is recommended. Spicier foods, for example, not only may be pleasurable, there is also evidence such foods burn more calories. The hot cuisine of Szechwan, India, Thailand, Mexico and the American Southwest may be a joy one should seek. Chili pepper may very well lower oner cholesterol levels and there is evidence such peppers may help prevent blood clots. One can increase joys and reduce one's waistline by slowing down to enjoy one's food while one is eating. Savor every bite. Be mindful of what one are eating, bite-by-bite, rather than wolfing down the meal. Since much of the flavor of food comes from odor one will find that slowly and thoroughly chewing one’s food not only breaks it down but creates air currents that carry the aroma of foods to olfactory receptors. Patients can turn eating into more of a joy. Carbohydrates are a natural stress food. They raise the brain levels of tryptophan, a building block of the calming chemical serotonin. A small carbohydrate snack can make one feel calmer and relaxed during a trying afternoon. Proteins seem to provide for alertness. It adds stimulation but it may also increase levels of stress. Carbohydrates may also be useful at the end of the day to set the stage for a good night's sleep. Studies of Laboratory animals and humans show that generous doses of garlic can reduce dangerous LDL cholesterol levels while increasing the heart saving good HDL cholesterol. Other evidence suggests garlic may boost immune functions and may even provide some protection against cancer. So whether one like pepper and/or garlic one can clearly enjoy the simple joys of food without loss of health.

These are examples of simple joys that can reduce stress:

Catching rainwater in one’s mouth.
Taking a long leisurely bath.
Helping to build a snowman.
Drinking hot chocolate on a cold winter's night.
Visiting newborn babies.
Listening to a kitten purr.
Listening to a bowl of Rice Krispies.
Attending to the gentle sound of wind chimes.
Singing a Christmas Carol.
Whistling a favorite tune.
Dancing even if seated in a wheel chair
Making a baby giggle.
Feeding milk to a stray kitten.
Watching the full moon rise.
Listening to the rain fall.
Licking the middle out of an Oreo cookie.
Listening to the sound of birds singing.
Going to the beach

Perhaps it is as simple as this: Joy recharges our batteries and prepares us to cope more effectively with the stresses of daily life. Patients can find it in very simple ways. Work with your patients to find simple joys.