January 22, 2010
Have a Happy, Healthy Weekend
On weekends workers tend to feel freer and closer to their
friends and family members.
Have a Happy, Healthy Weekend
On weekends workers tend to feel freer and closer to their
friends and family members.
SUMMARY: Most everybody, even workaholics, get a mood boost when they
get to the weekend, a new study suggests. Study participants reported better
moods, greater vitality, and fewer aches and pains from Friday evening through
Sunday afternoon compared to the rest of the week.
The researchers tracked the moods of 74 adults between ages 18 and 62 who
worked at least 30 hours per week. For three weeks the participants were
randomly selected to fill out brief questionnaires describing what they were
doing and how they felt. They used a seven-point scale to rate their positive
feelings such as joy and pleasure as well as negative feelings such as anxiety,
anger, and depression. Physical symptoms such as headaches or digestive
problems were also reported.
Working men and women felt mentally and physically better on weekends
regardless of income, work hours, education, age, or marital status. Weekends
were associated with greater feelings of freedom and closeness to friends and
family members. In contrast, the work week involved more pressures, demands
on the workers' behavior, more external controls, and other constraints,
according to the report in the January Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.
To read the entire article, click on this link to LIVE SCIENCE.
COMMENT: I doubt very many of us were surprised to read the results of this
study. Most people look forward anxiously to weekends, summer vacations,
and eventually retirement.
However, there does indeed seem to be a minority of persons who are
happiest when Monday mornings roll around and they can get back to work.
Probably we all know people who continue working past age 65 for no other
reason than that they enjoy their occupation more than they would enjoy
retirement.
Still, the human body is not designed for people over-extending themselves.
Most workers need some relief from the pressures that they face in their daily
jobs. God saw to it that his Old Testament people got at least one day of rest
when He commanded that no work was to be done on the Sabbath day. This
commandment did away with any excuse the Israelites might have had for not
finding rest for their souls in worship as well as rest for their bodies.
New Testament Christians today are no longer obligated to avoid all work on
the day we have set aside for our worship. St. Paul tells us in
Colossians 2:16-17 that no one can judge us if we do not observe the Sabbath
day restrictions. This does not mean, of course, that we should avoid
worshipping our God on Sundays, or any other day of the week, for that matter.
Jesus reminds us in Matthew 11:28-39: "Come to me, all you who are weary
and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from
me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls." (NIV)
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QUESTION OF THE DAY
What is medical clowning?
***************************************************************************************************
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containing alternate views. However, comments containing profanity or
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several hours for it to appear on the blog.
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get to the weekend, a new study suggests. Study participants reported better
moods, greater vitality, and fewer aches and pains from Friday evening through
Sunday afternoon compared to the rest of the week.
The researchers tracked the moods of 74 adults between ages 18 and 62 who
worked at least 30 hours per week. For three weeks the participants were
randomly selected to fill out brief questionnaires describing what they were
doing and how they felt. They used a seven-point scale to rate their positive
feelings such as joy and pleasure as well as negative feelings such as anxiety,
anger, and depression. Physical symptoms such as headaches or digestive
problems were also reported.
Working men and women felt mentally and physically better on weekends
regardless of income, work hours, education, age, or marital status. Weekends
were associated with greater feelings of freedom and closeness to friends and
family members. In contrast, the work week involved more pressures, demands
on the workers' behavior, more external controls, and other constraints,
according to the report in the January Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.
To read the entire article, click on this link to LIVE SCIENCE.
COMMENT: I doubt very many of us were surprised to read the results of this
study. Most people look forward anxiously to weekends, summer vacations,
and eventually retirement.
However, there does indeed seem to be a minority of persons who are
happiest when Monday mornings roll around and they can get back to work.
Probably we all know people who continue working past age 65 for no other
reason than that they enjoy their occupation more than they would enjoy
retirement.
Still, the human body is not designed for people over-extending themselves.
Most workers need some relief from the pressures that they face in their daily
jobs. God saw to it that his Old Testament people got at least one day of rest
when He commanded that no work was to be done on the Sabbath day. This
commandment did away with any excuse the Israelites might have had for not
finding rest for their souls in worship as well as rest for their bodies.
New Testament Christians today are no longer obligated to avoid all work on
the day we have set aside for our worship. St. Paul tells us in
Colossians 2:16-17 that no one can judge us if we do not observe the Sabbath
day restrictions. This does not mean, of course, that we should avoid
worshipping our God on Sundays, or any other day of the week, for that matter.
Jesus reminds us in Matthew 11:28-39: "Come to me, all you who are weary
and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from
me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls." (NIV)
***************************************************************************************************
Want to be automatically notified each time there is a new post? Just e-mail
your request to [admin@lutheranscience.org].
***************************************************************************************************
QUESTION OF THE DAY
What is medical clowning?
***************************************************************************************************
NOTE ON VISITOR COMMENTS: Visitor comments are invited including those
containing alternate views. However, comments containing profanity or
advertisements will not be published. After posting a comment, please allow
several hours for it to appear on the blog.
***************************************************************************************************
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| LSI stands for the Lutheran Science Institute, an organization of WELS and ELS Lutherans interested in science and health issues with a special emphasis on the creation and evolution controversy. This blog's purpose is to search the Internet to find articles of interest to Christians. Views expressed are those of the author (Warren Krug) and are not necessarily those of the Lutheran Science Institute, Inc. |
A university in Israel offers courses in comedy,
improvisation, mime, and juggling along with the
psychology of pain, therapy, and communicating
with patients. Trainee clowns accompany doctors
on their morning rounds. The reason: research has
confirmed the role of laughter in healing.
Source: Parade (1/17/2010)
improvisation, mime, and juggling along with the
psychology of pain, therapy, and communicating
with patients. Trainee clowns accompany doctors
on their morning rounds. The reason: research has
confirmed the role of laughter in healing.
Source: Parade (1/17/2010)