Environment

Environment  Environment is the third guiding principle of living CREATION Healthy. This article is your introduction to Environment. Environment is the external space outside of us but that which affects what happens within us. All of our senses -- sight, smell, sound, touch and taste -- can influence our mood as well as our health, either positively or negatively. Recent research demonstrates not only the importance of our larger environment (air and water quality) to our health, but also our immediate environment (light, sound, aroma and touch). Is Your Environment Making You Crazy? You've probably heard of Pavlov's work with dogs. After allowing them to smell meat while listening to a bell, he discovered that the bell alone soon induced salivation. The same thing can happen in your body. Just about anything in the environment can elicit an automatic response after an association has been established. Cancer patients, upon returning to the clinic where they received chemotherapy, will sometimes re-experience the side effects of the treatment despite no longer being in treatment. Instead, it was certain pictures in the room, the fragrance worn by a staff member, or even the background music that triggered this reaction. This research conducted at the Sloan Kettering Memorial Hospital in New York underscores why it is essential to pay attention to anything at home or work that might be affecting your health because although you might not make the connection, your body can. Your Clutter Can Zap Your Energy! Take a critical look at your personal environment. Is simplicity and order the rule or the exception? After a routine cleaning of your home, does it still feel cluttered? Stacks of old magazines scattered about? Closets stuffed with clothes you rarely or never wear? Are too many appliances crowding your kitchen counter space? Whether we realize it or not, the very sight of clutter saps our energy, drains our strength, and depletes our sense of peace. As curious as it may sound, many people have found that by uncluttering their environment they begin to free their thoughts, emotions, and even their priorities. A simple, clean environment helps to clear the mind and it creates a greater sense of peace. To establish a sense of visual warmth in your home, display objects that awaken good memories. Surround yourself with things that bring a feeling of peace, comfort, and joy. Perhaps your treasures are pictures of family and friends—or awards or honors that you’ve earned and received. Art may bring you energy: paintings full of color, or sculptures brimming with life. Display items that make your spirit dream and that draw you soul closer to God. Touch Someone and Live Longer! What was true at Creation is still so today—people need others to survive and thrive. We each require helpmates and heart mates to make it through life. One of the ways we can aid each other to flourish is through the wonderful gift of touch. The skin God created for each of us is the largest sense organ in our bodies and responds positively to every loving touch. Numerous studies document the fact that we must have touch to develop and grow. Research has shown that husbands who hug their wives regularly tend to live longer and have fewer heart problems. In his book Psychosocial Medicine: A Study of the Sick Society James L. Halliday writes that infants deprived of regular maternal body contact can develop profound depression with an accompanying lack of appetite and wasting so severe that it can lead to death.