| By :
Mark Etinger
The scent of lavender triple milled soap is one of my true pleasures in this life. Smell is a huge factor in sensory memory, and every time I wash my face with my lavender triple milled soap, I'm transported, at least for a few seconds, back to the summer I spent in the South of France. I was in the small town of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, and if you've been there, you'll understand why I count the smell of roses and the taste of fresh fish among my top pleasures, too. What gives you pleasure? Walking barefoot through wet grass? Movie popcorn? Rollercoasters? Studies show that pleasure is essential for optimal health. Two biological facts: 1. Pleasure is associated with better blood flow throughout the body. 2. Pleasure is associated with higher levels of the neurotransmitter beta-endorphin, a naturally occurring morphine-like substance that dulls pain and induces a feeling of euphoria. When we miss out on pleasure, blood flow is restricted, beta-endorphin plummets, and we feel depressed. We feel irritated, angry, fatigued. Sound familiar? Sound more common to you than the sheer delight of laughing till you shake? Hold it right there, then, soldier. You're ignoring your health in a way that simply doesn't pass muster. I've got doctor's orders in hand, so listen up. Pursue pleasure. Once you catch it, enjoy it. Sound too simple? Let me make it more complicated. Just kidding! But I will break it down, because as much as you might adore steak au poivre, you still have to cut it into bites. 1. Withdraw from the negativity contest. You and your co-workers have made an art form out of complaining. It's time for you to quit. Think of complaining as a really disgusting, springs-exposed, cat-peed on, torn up couch from the 70s. Your true pleasure is being delivered to your door. It's clean, cushy, fabulous. It wants to give you rest. But where is it going to go? Put that old couch on the curb. Out with the old, in with the new. 2. Know what you like. Make a list of things that give you pleasure. Making this list is a pleasure in itself, but you can pretend it's work if you're not in a place where fun is quite justifiable yet. Write down the things you enjoy, and then... 3. Practice doing them! Schedule your pleasures into your week. Make them happen, put little check marks on your list. Adore manicures? Get them weekly. Browsing in bookstores? Change your route home to include a stop by your favorite. Do these things often, at least one thing from your list each day. 4. Don't neglect your thought life. Notice a thought that makes you feel lousy? Give that thought a little pat on the head so it feels safe, and then push it outside to play in the yard. Now try out a thought that makes you feel great. How about "I'm really good at Ms. Pacman." Or "Damn, I look really nice in these jeans." Feel that beta-endorphin climb. 5. Spread the joy. Encourage pleasure in the lives of people around you. Studies show that good moods are contagious, not just among people who know each other, but strangers, too. Smile at someone on the subway, give a friend a bar of triple milled soap for "no reason at all."
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