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[S233]Secret To Long Life

by Dr. Michael Brickey, Dr.

Often they make something up, e.g., broccoli, red wine, or prunes. When Diane Sawyer on ABC News asked 98-year-old Beatrice Wood how she managed to live so long, she replied, ?Chocolate and young men.? George Burns quipped it was junk food, saying ?at my age I need all the preservatives I can get.?

When we look at vital centenarians as a group, however, their anti-agingsecrets become obvious. Physically they have little in common. Most don't smoke and they typically maintain a fairly constant weight throughout their lives. They are physically active people (a lifestyle choice). As actress Helen Hayes put it, ?If you rest, you rust.? That's about all the vital centenarians have in common physically.

Their single biggest secret is that they all have a strong sense of purpose throughout their lives. That was easier for most of them then for us. They grew up in a time when people often worked for the same employer or even at the same job for their whole career. Marriage was till death do us part. Religion provided a strong sense of identity.

Today we have so many choices. We often reinvent our careers and move to other cities to pursue education or jobs. Half of our marriages end in divorce.

Anti-aging psychology finds that when we don't have a strong sense of purpose, we become vulnerable to depression, despair, and physical illnesses. We lose our spark and vitality and argue with our alarm clocks about getting up in the morning. If at any time in your life you don't have a strong sense of purpose, finding one needs to be a very high priority.

As Robert Byrne put it, ?The purpose of life is a life of purpose.? We all seek happiness. As Helen Keller put it, ?Many people have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.?

There are some other key mental health traits that distinguish vital centenarians. They are independent and self-reliant people. They view life as too precious to fret about what others think. When they go to a doctor, they decide for themselves whether the doctor's advice makes sense. When a reporter asked a 104 year old woman what was the best thing about being 104, she replied, ?No peer pressure.?

They are optimists and have a positive outlook on life. They foster fond memories and let bad memories wither. Consequently, as researcher Belle Boone Beard found, they have twice as many fond memories as negative memories. They let go of resentments. They also have a good sense of humor.

Another key skill is dealing with change. When actress Helen Hayes was asked the best age of her life, she said, ?Whatever age I am is the best age.? and she added and ?The age we live in is the best age.? Those who view change as threatening and unsettling experience more stress. The key is to embrace change as an exciting ride and to see our times as offering unprecedented opportunity and choice.

Finally, vital centenarians have good coping skills for dealing with change and with loss. If you are going to live a long time, you are going to see a lot of friends and family die. If each death is a devastating tragedy, you will become especially vulnerable to depression and illness. There are many perspectives that help in coping with death including religious beliefs, seeing death as part of life, and perceiving the deceased loved one as a helpful ongoing presence.

What is especially encouraging about these traits is they are all learnable and they are all choices.
If you are ever tempted to say ?I'm too old to learn something new,? just think of George Dawson.

Mr. Dawson was an African-American who dropped out of elementary school to help on the farm. When he was 98 years old he decided he was ?tired of writing my name with an X? and went to adult education classes and learned to read. His IQ was probably a little below average. At 102 he co-wrote his autobiography, Life is So Good.

If he can learn to read at 98, you certainly aren't too old to learn something new.

Users of modern offices typically take the materials their offices are constructed from for granted, assuming long life and the ability to endure years of constant use and wear. Unfortunately, the desk surfaces, chair surfaces, floor surfaces, and the various moving part mechanisms of chairs, drawers, slides and other essential portions of the furnishings are less than perfect. They eventually succumb to the wear and tear of constant, everyday use. And none endures more punishment that the floor covering beneath the typical office chair.

Whether hardwood, carpet, ceramic or a synthetic material, the floor surface beneath any chair that is used on any regular basis will degrade sooner than later unless some form of protection is utilized. This protects not only the floor surface, but with the proper choice, helps prolong the chair wheel system as well. A hard surface designed to withstand constant wheel rolling, twisting and high pressure loads is obviously desired and the typical chair mat is designed for exactly this purpose.

Yet, not all chair mats are created equally. The familiar plastic mat with back side spikes, when used on a carpeted surface as it is intended, has a relatively short life span, usually one to two years before displaying signs of fatigue. Cracking, discoloring and splitting are usually the symptoms, creating a less than professional look in the office. There are a number of other “soft material” alternates including rubber and combinations of plastic and vinyl. Most however do not lend themselves to either a long life, comfortable use or an appealing look, or more importantly, to all of these at once.

Wheeled chairs and people using wheeled chairs need hard surfaces. That is a prerequisite. Any material then that is not hard and rigid will be less than satisfactory. Additionally, the ideal hard surface will also blend in and compliment the office surroundings, implying a professional and functional air to the office.

Barring exotic materials that are less than practical, such as tempered glass, elaborate wooden structures and other custom materials, the most sensible chairmats are derived from wood based materials. Some hardwoods are known for their strength and durability and have found their use in a number of flooring systems because of this. Bamboo, such as that found in SuccessImage.com chair mats, is one of these woods and it is generally accepted to be one of the hardest and most resilient of woods for flooring. In fact, flooring contractors are commonly found to wear out a larger number of blades machining and shaping bamboo materials than any other wooden based flooring product.

As a natural wood product, bamboo can be finished to better match the furnishings around it and provide a more integral look. This has a side benefit of creating a pleasant environment, helping to improve office productivity and lowering fatigue.

Another important point to consider of your chair mat is the backing material used. Part of the purpose of the mat is to protect the underlying surface, so the material between the mat and floor is of critical importance. The best characteristics of this interface material are soft and absorbent to well protect the floor, as well as slip proof to avoid annoying movement of the mat during use. These requirements are often addressed with a rubber or plastic material which may or may not be effective, depending on the floor surface itself. The perfect solution would be a 100% coverage of a felt based material to provide padding and a soft surface, and at the same time a rubberized material that “grabs” the floor. SuccessImage.com chair mats uniquely combine these two ideal materials to create the best of both and keep the mat in position constantly while insulating the two hard materials, the mat and the floor, from each other.

At SuccessImage.com, these factors have all been combined into a highly functional and aesthetically pleasing chair mat solution. A bamboo hardwood surface with a felt and rubberized backing will provide the perfect work surface for your chair, creating a comfortable work space with no fatigue, and an elegant, professional look. See www.successimage.com for more information on these and other floor saving, workspace enhancing chair mat solutions that will enhance your office, your image and your professionalism!

Article Source : Health Insurance For Self Employed

About Author

Both Dr. Michael Brickey & Garnet Bailey are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Dr. Michael Brickey has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health. Dr. Michael Brickey, The Psychologist, teaches people to think, feel, look and be more youthful. He is an inspiring keynote speaker and Oprah-fe. Dr. Michael Brickey's top article generates over 1300 views. to your Favourites.

Garnet Bailey has sinced written about articles on various topics from Computers and The Internet, Web Development and Marketing. supplies high-end office furnishing accessories including. Garnet Bailey's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.