Experts at Baylor University offer a smorgasboard of tips for a holly, jolly Christmas and ways to stay healthy -- and sane -- in 2015.
Cellphones and Holiday Ringtones Now that the holiday season is here, ever considered taking a holiday from your cellphone? Baylor research indicates that people can be addicted to their cellphones — even to the point of harming their relationships if they are more attentive to texts, emails and YouTube than to people, says Baylor University researcher James Roberts, Ph.D., The Ben H. Williams Professor of Marketing in Hankamer School of Business. He found that women college students spend an average of 10 hours a day on their cellphones; men college students spend nearly eight.Besides being barraged by the customary ringtones and sound alerts for text messages, calendar alerts and reminders, cellphone users have holiday options: ringtones ranging from “White Christmas” to “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” to “I Want a Hippo for Christmas.”All of that may contribute to having yourself a merry little Christmas. But it might not hurt to turn the phone off — or at least, the volume down –during holiday meals, gift openings, and, of course, while under the mistletoe.
Hopping Off the ‘Treadmill of Consumption’In this era of holiday-shopping madness, when some people trample, shove and curse others at stores to compete for coveted sale items for themselves and others, consider the research findings in Baylor researcher James Roberts’ book “Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don’t Have in Search of Happiness We Can't Buy.”“Our ability to adapt to new situations may help explain why ‘more stuff’ doesn’t make us any happier,” said Roberts, The Ben H. Williams Professor of Marketing in Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business. “As we amass more and more possessions, we don’t get any happier because we simply raise our reference point,” he said. “That new 2,500-square-foot house becomes the baseline for your desires for an even bigger house. It’s called the Treadmill of Consumption. We continue to purchase more and more stuff but we don’t get any closer to happiness; we simply speed up the treadmill.”
Humble and HelpfulIf you’ve ever gone through hard times (and who hasn’t?), then you know how much a helping hand means. You also know how humbling those times can be.Maybe 2015 would be a good time to concentrate on humility and helpfulness by reigning in your ego and looking for opportunities to assist. Humble people are more likely to offer time to someone in need than arrogant people are, according to Baylor research, says Wade C. Rowatt, Ph.D., professor of psychology and neuroscience in Baylor's College of Arts & Sciences, who led the study.
‘Cyberchondria’ and Catch-22So you wake up the morning after New Year’s Eve, your noggin aching after too much egg noggin’ the night before.Time was when coffee, breakfast or even the hair of the dog might have been the answer. But these days, people may Google first to find out how to fix what ails them, whether that be a hangover, a rash or a shortness of breath.For some folks who have trouble handling uncertainty, "cyberchondria" - the online counterpart to hypochondria — worsens into a Catch-22 as they seek answers, according to a Baylor University researcher. “They may become more anxious, search further, monitor more, go to the doctor more frequently — and the more they search, the more they consider the possibilities,” said Thomas Fergus, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience in Baylor's College of Arts & Sciences. Doubts about health can trigger worries about medical bills, disability and job loss, he said. Remember that the online glut of medical information — sometimes from questionable sources — may be more disturbing than what you'll find in medical manuals, Fergus said. Call your doctor — and along with taking your aspirin, take what you read with a grain of salt.
Couples and Conflict So one of your New Year’s resolutions is to get along better with your spouse or significant other?The most common thing couples want from each other during a spat is not an apology, but a willingness to relinquish power, according to Baylor University researcher Keith Sanford, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience in the College of Arts & Sciences. That comes in many forms, among them giving a partner more independence, admitting faults, showing respect and being willing to compromise. Following closely behind the desire for shared control was the wish for the partner to show more of an investment in the relationship through such ways as sharing intimate thoughts or feelings, listening, and sharing chores and activities, Sanford said.
Starlight, Star Bright, Sleep Tight and Stay Bright"There are many, many reasons to make maintaining healthy sleep habits a resolution for 2015," says says Michael Scullin, Ph.D., director of Baylor’s Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory.That said, age matters.The benefits of a sound night of sleep are diverse and unmistakable in young adults, helping to regulate emotions, keep brains alert and keep memory functioning intact. The last decade of sleep research shows that a particular kind of deep sleep — called “slow-wave sleep” — helps memory functioning by taking pieces of the day’s experiences, reactivating them and stabilizing them at night.Over time, things change, Scullin says. Slow-wave sleep diminishes in middle age. While maintaining good sleep habits is associated with better memory function, getting more daily sleep — such as an afternoon nap — can improve cognitive function and protect against its decline in the future.But by the time people hit their seventh, eighth and ninth decades, sleep habits are not as consistently linked to memory ability, although researchers are not sure why.“However, there still appear to be many benefits of sleeping well in old age and many reasons to seek treatment for clinical sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea,” Scullin said. “In older adults, sleeping well has been linked to better mental health, improved cardiovascular health and reduced incidence and severity of numerous disorders and diseases."
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