You are reading our weekly Well+Being newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every Thursday. Although it might already feel like summer is in full swing, it officially starts tomorrow. While the first things that come to mind are probably beach trips, hiking, and all kinds of outdoor fun, it’s also a season that can make you feel like everyone is having fun without you. Since loneliness doesn’t really take a vacation, we’re happy to note that researchers have found that nature and green spaces can bring people together and reduce negative feelings about social isolation. We asked experts how to use that information to connect with others in a way that feels right.
This week, we have some compelling articles to enhance your well-being:
No, you don’t have to wait 30 minutes after eating to swim. Dealing with Sunday scaries? Here’s how to address that anxiety. These may be the 3 most effective nondrug ways to treat knee arthritis. 9 beach rules for not being the absolute worst. A simple fitness test might predict how long you’ll live.A simple test of your balance, strength, and flexibility, known as the sitting-rising test, could be an early indicator of how long you’ll live, according to a new large-scale study of mobility and mortality. The study, published Wednesday in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, looked at how well 4,282 men and women between 46 and 75 could lower themselves from a standing position to the floor and then stand back up again with as little assistance as possible from their hands, knees, furniture, or human helpers. Read more about this test here, and try it for yourself.
Do you live in a 'lonelygenic environment'? The adverse health outcomes linked to loneliness, including anxiety, depression, and a greater risk of heart disease and dementia, are numerous and well-documented. However, finding effective solutions has been a challenge. It’s unclear whether person-based interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy or social skills training actually help. What if instead of trying to “fix” the individual, strategies focused on shaping the environment in a way that facilitates social connection?
To learn more about using nature to feel more connected to others and our environment, read the story below.
Here’s what you need to know about vitamin D. Our guest columnist is JoAnn E. Manson, MD, the preventive medicine chief at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Many people wonder if taking a vitamin D supplement is necessary. Most healthy adults don’t need to spend money on a vitamin D supplement, as we require only small to moderate amounts of this vitamin. More is not necessarily better. However, specific groups will benefit from taking extra vitamin D, including adults 75 and older, those being treated for osteoporosis, and individuals with conditions such as Crohn’s disease. It’s also recommended for breastfed infants.
This may come as a surprise. For years, people have thought of vitamin D as a miracle supplement that could lower the risk of developing cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and a long list of other chronic diseases. To read more about the pros and cons of vitamin D, click here. You can also use our Ask a Doctor form to submit a question, and we may answer it in a future column.
Here are a few things that brought us joy this week:
7 red drink recipes to celebrate Juneteenth. At a Juneteenth sleepover, campers commune with ancestors. 11 travel destinations that give joyous vibes. Fresh sour cherries are fleeting. Here’s how to make the most of them. Bucky wins competitive wiener dog derby. His training was playing fetch. At the capybara café, people line up to snuggle the world’s largest rodents. 6 great tech products for your summer fun.We want to hear from you! Email us at wellbeing@washpost.com. Interested in learning more about “joy” snacks? Reporter and former neuroscientist Richard Sima explains what they are and how they can enhance your happiness. You can also read his advice presented as a comic.
