GEHP111 – Happiness and

Wellbeing
CLASS 21 – LIFESTYLE FACTORS & HAPPINESS (1)
The single most effective thing you can do to
improve your heath…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo
Benefits of Activity

 While a 30-60 minute workout is great, what people do in the rest of that 23 hours
matters more. Sitting, regardless of regular exercise, is just not good for us.
 Studies point to the physical, social, and cognitive benefits of exercise.
 Physical activity boosts our mood and decreases anxiety, sadness, and stress
 In fact, increasing physical activity by only 50 minutes a week is enough to decrease
the chances of depression by half
 It also reduces or prevents about 20 different diseases like diabetes, stroke, and
osteoporosis
 Exercise rebuilds and regenerates the body’s physiological systems.
 By forcing short-term stress onto the body, exercise forces the body to regenerate by
increasing blood flow and oxygen, allowing toxins to escape, and rebuilding muscles
after they are strained in movement.
 Neurogenesis

 Neurogenesis means “growth of new brain cells”

 When you raise your heart rate, the brain produces a
type of fertilizer for the brain that encourages the
growth of new nerves and preserves existing brain cells
 The area of the brain most affected is the hippocampus,
responsible for learning and memory
 Your brain and learning are more productive the more
exercise you do and movement you get
 How much time do you spend
active/inactive?

Calculate the amount of hours you sit each day. Think of when you are sitting,
like now, at work, in the car, watching television, on your laptop, eating, in
meetings, etc., and add to it the time you spend sleeping as well. Work out your
total ‘not moving time’

Then, calculate how much moving time you actually get in minutes; this might be
harder to calculate, but try to estimate.
Ways to increase activity….

 How can you build exercise into your day?

 Are we getting enough sleep?

 In 2014, the CDC reported 35% of all adults in the U.S.

experience short sleep duration (less than seven hours)
 70% of adults report that they obtain insufficient sleep at
least one night a month, and 11% report insufficient sleep
every night
 It is estimated that sleep-related problems affect 50 to 70
million Americans of all ages and socioeconomic classes
 Problems with sleep cost Americans $16 billion a year in
medical expenses
 Sleepiness affects vigilance, reaction times, learning abilities,
alertness, mood, hand-eye coordination, and the accuracy of
short-term memory
 Are we getting enough sleep?

 The odds of being sleep deprived (less than 6 hours a night for adults) has increased significantly over the
past 30 years as the lines between work and home have become blurred and digital technology has firmly
become part of our lifestyles
 Globally, insufficient sleep is prevalent across various age groups, considered to be a public health epidemic
that has high economic costs.
 A considerable body of evidence suggests that insufficient sleep causes hosts of adverse medical and mental
dysfunctions.
 Insufficient sleep leads to the derailment of body systems, leading to increased incidences of cardiovascular
morbidity, increased chances of diabetes mellitus, obesity, derailment of cognitive functions, vehicular
accidents, and increased accidents at workplaces.
 Adolescents with insufficient sleep are likely to be overweight and may suffer from depressive symptoms.
Sleep and Cognitive Performance

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gedoSfZvBgE
Circadian Rhythm

 You have an internal clock called the circadian rhythm.

 This internal clock keeps track of time and also updates many of
your physiological systems
 But your brain has a hard time refreshing itself when you stay
awake. It can only do its job when you are sleeping.
 The brain’s scheduled time for sleep is around 11pm, when your
body temperature drops and that’s a sign for you to go to bed.
 Hence, why it’s not only how long in duration you sleep that is
important, it’s also at what time you sleep that matters.
Melatonin

 Sleeping your phone, laptop or other devices makes sleep difficult, not only because it’s
addictive and stops you from going to sleep at the right time, but because the light
electronic devices emit interfere with the creation of melatonin, a hormone that helps you
sleep
 Around 9pm, melatonin is produced, but it needs darkness to do so
 If your eye detects bright light, even small amounts coming from screens, phones, or
alarm clocks, it sends a signal to the brain that it is still daytime and not time to start sleep
production yet
 As a result, the production of melatonin is delayed, sleep is also delayed and a proper
reboot and update of the brain is also delayed.
 Health Impacts

 A lack of sleep or not sleeping at the right time or even

enough increases the likelihood of depression and
makes emotions tough to manage
 A hormone called ghrelin is also produced in greater
quantities that slow down your metabolism making
you gain or hang onto weight
 A lack of sleep at the right time increases the risk of
heart disease, cancer, and diabetes
 It’s also more difficult to be productive at work
 Article

 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-reasons-why-good-sleep-is-important

 Which 3 of these reasons do you feel is most important/relevant for you?

 Look at what the research has to say about sleep. Select some new
ideas to try
Sleep Problem Sleep Solution I can do it
1.My room is too hot and I A cool room is needed. A 1 degree temperature drop is needed to signal to the brain it is time to sleep. If it’s too
wake up. hot, this won’t happen.
2. AC vent on me. How dehydrating; change bed’s direction or reposition the AC vents.
3.There is a lot of street noise. Ear plugs will work, but an easier option is to get white noise, a small fan pointed away from you will produce a
low hum.
4.My room is not dark enough. You can get black out shades or cover the windows with paper; even half the window will do. Try a sleep mask
which blocks out 100% light.
5.I leave a laptop/ tv/phone on. Turn these off or at least turn them away from the direction of your face (the same with alarm clocks).

6.I wake up hungry or thirsty. Have 2 large glasses of water about 2-3 hours before sleep so that you are not dehydrated. A protein-rich snack
before bed (i.e., nuts, cheese, milk) will help get you through the night.

7.I am worrying or reviewing Write it down to either solve it right then (it’ll be quicker still than tossing and turning all night) or note it for
the day. later.
8.I sleep with a pet or baby. Pets need to go. Prepare for whining until they understand the bed is yours. Babies also need space, i.e., crib,
mattress. They can be in the room, but worrying about rolling over or being kicked is not helpful.

9.I leave the tv or music on. Practice over the next few nights turning down the noise more and more until it is off. Your brain processes
noise even when asleep.