Health Now

WHAT’S TRENDING IN HEALTH AND FITNESS RIGHT NOW

GO WITH THE FLOW

There’s a certain satisfaction in lining up the little blocks in Tetris (officially called ‘tetriminos’, by the way) into perfect rows. And American researchers, say it can ease us through periods of anxiety, especially when waiting for potentially life-altering news. In this case, more than 300 university students were told that their peers would be evaluating how attractive they were – “it’s a really effective way to get people stressed out,” says lead author Kate Sweeny – and played Tetris while waiting for their scores. Compared to those who played easy or challenging versions, those who played the classic version – which got them into a ‘state of flow’ – reported slightly higher levels of positive emotions and slightly lower levels of negative emotions. And it doesn’t have to be games – if dancing, running or chess gets you into a state of flow, you’re likely to reap the same benefits.

A heavy heart

The saying ‘died of a broken heart’ may be truer than we realise. A study in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology took blood samples from just under 100 people whose spouses had recently died. Those who were experiencing “elevated grief” – such as feeling like life had lost its meaning – had inflammation levels 17 percent higher than those who didn’t feel this way. Those in the top one-third of the grieving group also saw inflammation levels that were 54 percent higher than the bottom one-third. As inflammation contributes to a host of health issues, it’s a good time to check in with those in your circle who are grieving, or reach out if you’re grieving yourself. Chat to a counsellor at Griefline at 1300 845 745 or online, griefline.org.au

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