Jan/Feb 2014
THE CALLI CLIP
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In this issue:
Happiness,
mindfulness &
Charlie Brown
Add a little zinc
Happiness, Mindfulness & Charlie Brown
by Cathy Malmon, LICSW, LMFT
Sometimes the ideas for
the Calli Clip come
easily and other times it
takes a bit of serendipity
to complete a thought. I
have wanted to write
about happiness while
remaining far from the
obligatory New Year
resolutions I have grown
to detest. I have also
been toying with the
concepts of brain science
and changing traumatic
connections since I
completed eye movement
desensitization
reprocessing (EMDR)
training.
Then the December 23,
2013, Star Tribune
editorial caught my eye.
It was titled “Feeling a
bit blue?” It was based
on an article written by
Arthur C Brooks,
president of the
American Enterprise
Institute and was also
published in the New
York Times. Brooks
surveyed the social
science literature and
research on identical
twins published by the
University of Minnesota
and conjectured that the
happiness formula is part
genetics, part chance and
the rest is up to us.
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!
In reviewing the social
science literature, Brooks
concluded that happiness
could be attributed to
three major sources:
genetics, events and
values. The University of
Minnesota study on
twins tracked twins who
were separated as infants
and raised by separate
families. Researchers of
that study discovered
that approximately 48%
of our happiness is
inherited.
!
In the article, Brooks
wrote that geographical
areas do not evenly
distribute happiness.
Surveys named Norway
as the happiest country
and Switzerland,
Canada, Sweden and
New Zealand rounding
out the top five. America
was ranked 11th.
Minnesota is ranked as
the third happiest state
behind Hawaii and
Colorado. (Obviously,
the surveys could were
not conducted in the
winter).
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Isolated events comprise
another 40% of the
formula.. The impact of
those transient events is
short-lived though they
come with a huge
immediate impact. The
dreamy boyfriend, the
fabulous job, the move to
a sunnier climate and
even events like winning
the lottery are not the
key to long lasting
happiness.
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THE CALLI CLIP Jan/Feb 2014
(Happiness, Mindfulness & Charlie Brown, cont’d)
The remaining 12% of our
“happinessability” is under our
control. The surveys Brooks
reviewed suggest that
meaningful work, faith, and
family have a big impact on
happiness. Work can be paying
or nonpaying, faith can be
religious or spiritual faith and
family can be a family of choice
in addition to or instead of
family of blood.
Happiness Is…
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Sausage with pizza
Learning to whistle
Two kinds of ice cream
Being alone every now
and then
And coming home again
Knowing a secret
Morning and evening
Daytime and nighttime
too
Sharing a sandwich
Walking hand in hand
Anyone and anything at all
that’s loved by you.
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Neuroplasticity is one key to
understanding the wildcard
variable in the happiness
formula. Neuroplasticity
sometimes referred as, “brain
plasticity” is the ability of the
brain and nervous system to
repair itself after trauma or
disease as well as form new
connections within the nerve
cells. It has been proven that
people can change their brains
by changing their behaviors.
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Charles Schulz’s comic strip,
Charlie Brown, ran from Oct 2,
1950 to Feb 14, 2000. Its
enduring characters reminded
us of the joy and beauty found
in simple things. The finale of
the musical “You’re A Good
Man, Charlie Brown” is a song
called, “Happiness Is.” The
message is keep it simple.
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Authors like Rick Hanson,
Daniel Siegel, Jon Kabat Zinn,
David Hallerstein and Daniel
Amen have authored books and
lectured extensively on the
positive impact mindfulness and
meditation have on the sense of
well-being and how there can be
consistent changes with regular
practice.
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The age-old tradition of
meditation has been studied in
an attempt to see how
meditation can alter the
structure of the brain. One
study compared brain activity
between Buddhist monks who
had practiced meditation for
many years and those who were
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What if we spent time every day
purposefully and mindfully
living the wisdom of Charlie
Brown? Our brains would
thank us!
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During mindfulness and
meditation practices, the use of
Add a Little Zinc
by Leigh A. Hagglund, DNP, RN, PMHNP-BC
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More and more attention is being paid to the link
between nutrition and mood disorders, such as
depression. Recent studies have shown that a large
number of individuals suffering from depression have
low blood levels of zinc.
Oysters contain
more zinc than any
other food source.
calm, peaceful, joyful, or happy
images are used. One image
that came to mind as I put this
Clip together was that of
Charlie Brown.
novices. Gamma brain waves
are the highest frequency
possible and signify peak
concentration. The monks’
brain activity showed
significantly higher
concentrations of gamma
synchronicity than those who
were new to meditation.
There has been greater interest
in neuroplasticity within the
fields of medicine and
psychology as well as a growing
interest in the Buddhist
traditions of mindfulness and
meditation. Depressive and
anxiety disorders are being
studied with therapies that
might include meditation as well
as medication and traditional
talk therapy.
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Zinc is a trace element that plays a role in the body’s
natural ability to heal wounds and lowered levels are
found during inflammatory responses. Evidence
shows that there is a correlation between systemic
inflammation and depression. Thus, health care
experts are beginning to recommend supplementation
with zinc to help treat the symptoms of depression.
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So how much zinc do we need? The Food and
Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine
recommends 14 mg/day for men and 8 - 12 mg/day
for women. However, studies have shown those who
added 25 - 50 mg of zinc daily improved overall
depressive symptoms. Natural sources of zinc include
oysters, shellfish, nuts, beans, red meats and poultry.
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Keep in mind that dietary supplements do not provide
a cure or a replacement for medications. They can,
however, provide a boost if needed.