Source: The Health Connection Newsletter | 3rd Quarter 2025
Prayer and Meditation can support mental health. in 2021, there were an estimated 57.8 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States with some form of mental illness. This number represented 22.8% of all U.S. adults. They struggled with depression, anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder according to
National Institute of Mental Health data. That’s a fact. But there’s hope! One study showed that individuals for whom religion serves as the defining and organizing purpose of their lives recovered more quickly from bouts of depression. And for those with serious mental illness, religious and spiritual activities are the most often cited in
strategies that are beneficial to their state of mind. Paul writes, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7). https://bit.ly/42XUoMW (video 29).
Grateful people take better care of themselves. Researchers Emmons and McCullough found that study participants who kept a weekly gratitude journal exercised 1.5 hours more than the group who recorded daily hassles. In another study with adults having congenital and adult-onset neuromuscular disorders, participants who jotted down their blessings nightly reported more hours of sleep each night, spending less time awake before falling asleep, and feeling more refreshed upon awakening. That is a fact, and there is hope. Each of us has a list of health habits that could use improvement—hours of sleep, regular exercise, eating more fruits and vegetables, drinking more water, etc. This week, enhance your lifestyle change efforts by spending a few quiet moments each day counting your blessings. After all, positive behaviors are driven by a
positive attitude. https://bit.ly/46uARpF (video 17).
Lack of sleep can increase the risk of metabolic problems. Too little sleep and the resulting disruption of our circadian rhythms are linked to a higher risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes. In a study design to mimic shift work for night workers, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that prolonged inadequate sleep at irregular times lowers the resting metabolic rate and leads to defect in pancreatic insulin secretion and impaired glucose regulation. That’s a fact. But there’s hope! You can decrease your risk for obesity and diabetes by getting adequate sleep at regular times each day. Aim for 7-8 hours a night. Feeling rested will also help you make healthier food and exercise choices. https://bit.ly/3InKygz (video 27).
Healthy relationships predict long healthier lives. A lack of social ties is associated with increased mortality. Researchers at Brigham Young University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill analyzed data from 148 studies on health outcomes and social relationships, involving more than 300,000 men and women across the developed world, and found that those with poor social connections had on average 50% higher odds of death in the study’s follow-up period (an average of 7.5 years) than people with more robust social ties.That’s a fact. But there’s hope! The Human Development study at Harvard showed that having supportive relationships is one of the most important predictors for longevity with quality of life. So make some new friends, cultivate supportive relationships and have a longer life. https://bit.ly/3InKygz (video 30).
