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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

HEALTHY LIVING WITH JANICE - BLUES OR BLUEGRASS FOR THE BLUES

Feeling blue? Health editor Janice Kerr has a suggestion. -- AP

Many people suffer from depression during the holidays. There’s even a name for it: the holiday blues. Often this depression is caused by the increased stress that is associated with the holidays -- all those things you feel you need to get done in order to have a perfect holiday.

There are many remedies to holiday blues. This time of year you’ll find articles in just about every magazine, in the newspaper, and reports on TV, offering suggestions for dealing with holiday blues. Here’s a new one I’ve come across: listen to music you enjoy.

I’m not talking Christmas carols here. Some people do find Christmas music cheerful, but if you’re suffering from holiday induced stress and depression, listening to music of the season might just increase your stress and depression.

Instead, listen to your favorite music, songs you love, tunes that make you feel happy. Music triggers the brain to release dopamine, the happy chemical. And that will give a boost to your mood.

So whether it’s blues or bluegrass, rock or raggae, folk, classical, or Broadway tunes, queue up a play list of your favorites, and download a dose of dopamine whenever you’re feeling blue.

Great advice, Janice! For me it’s Broadway show tunes. What about you, readers? What’s your favorite genre of music? Post a comment to enter the drawing for a book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Great Advice! I always (well, almost always) listen to music chile I work and it keeps me grounded.
My personal fav is medium heavy metal and opera!
Nellie's Mom

Unknown said...

I agree....hence the popularity of the IPOD! My grandson was just commenting on how the price hasn't gone down in several years...

I love all kinds of music, however Jazz (female artists), Opera, Arabic Groove and Contemporary Hawaiian would be my fave picks right now.

Jane R said...

I love to listen to music while I work and especially while I'm busy on the computer. I like music from the '60s and '70s. John Denver, REO Speedwagon, Moody Blues.... I'm pretty eclectic in my music.