Better Health & Living

Issue: July 2007
Heart Felt
Home > editor > Heart Felt

Heart Felt

by Susan Flagg Godbey

Published in editor | 0 Comments, Talk about this article »

Back in the 1970s, I was in a job that was unrewarding, exhausting, and off the charts on the frustration scale. Luckily, I was good friends with a co-worker in the same boat with whom I could commiserate and laugh when either of us was feeling particularly out of control. (We also fueled and supported each other’s strategies to find new jobs.)

I now believe that if I hadn’t been as young and healthy as I was at the time, I might have suffered a much greater impact from the constant stress. Sadly, my otherwise happy-go-lucky work buddy from those days (who was considerably younger than I) had a sudden fatal heart attack a few years ago—a devastating wakeup call for me if ever there was one. I’ll never know if the cumulative effects of the daily misery we endured contributed in part to his death. But after reading this issue’s feature, “Your Heart Needs a Break,” I did some hard thinking and had to admit that although I now love my work, I’m hardly doing as much as I could to love my heart. So why am I not paying better attention to this research on cardiac health?

Maybe for the same reasons you don’t: Some of the recommendations in this article sound too good to be true. Some of the advice seems—dare I say it—selfish, and it rubs my gung-ho habits the wrong way. I’m beginning to wonder if the all-American/Puritan work ethic I inherited might deserve a check box next to diabetes, stroke, and cancer on the forms we fill out about our family medical histories.

The positive associations among relationships, relaxation, and heart health that you’ll read about in this article are eye opening. But when was the last time your doc asked what you had planned for the weekend, how many weeks of earned vacation you’ve scheduled, if you have a kitty, or whether you know how to fight nice with your spouse? No one’s suggesting that these replace a smart diet and regular exercise—but they’re also important to your ticker. That’s why we’re asking the questions.

I’ve now resolved to pay more attention to the things that in my heart I know are important in life. I hope you’ll do the same.

‘Til next time,

Susan Flagg Godbey

Production/Editorial - Fargo, ND | 701.298.8202 phone | 701.298.8087 fax

Creative/National Advertising - Atlanta, GA | 404.586.9352 phone | 404.222.8448 fax

Executive/Administrative Offices - West Palm Beach, FL | 561.622.9001 phone | 561.622.2333 fax

» Advertisement «