A prescription for joy

Plus: Hold the salt-shaker. How cutting back helps

View this email online November 19, 2023 by Andrea Muraskin This week: New data shows small actions offer a surprising well-being boost and a sense of agency over our emotions in a troubled world. Also: A new study sheds light on the question: How much salt is too much salt? Plus: For parents who are all talked out, a soothing touch can work wonders on cranky kids.  Cutting just a (tea)spoon full of salt helps the blood pressure go down Sabina Iliescu/500px/Getty Images Before you start brining the turkey, here’s some recent science you should know about, brought to you by NPR’s Short Wave team. Cutting back salt intake by one teaspoon a day resulted in a decline in blood pressure comparable to taking blood pressure medication, according to a study.  A teaspoon doesn’t sound like much, but a little salt goes a long way. One teaspoon of salt has about 2,300 mg of sodium in it. According to the FDA, Americans eat an average of 3,400 mg of sodium, so cutting out a teaspoon would be equivalent to cutting two-thirds of a person's daily sodium intake. But the researchers say that cutting out any amount of sodium will help lower blood pressure — at least more than no reduction at all. Humans need sodium, which is found in salt, for our bodies to work properly. It plays an important role in nerve and muscle function by allowing nerves to pulse with electricity and muscles to contract. But too much sodium can be bad for your health: It contributes to high blood pressure, or hypertension, which is a major cause of stroke and heart disease. Extra sodium in the blood pulls more water into blood vessels. This increases blood pressure and, in some people, leads to high blood pressure and can damage vessels and even organs like the heart, kidneys and brain. In this latest study, participants who cut out their daily salt intake by one teaspoon had lower blood pressure in just one week. This was even true for people already on blood pressure medication. So maybe lighten up on the gravy this year.  Catch up on the week in science with Short Wave, NPR’s snack-sized science podcast. (All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro joins the show this week and he gets a little sassy!) Plus: If you’re holding off on salt, try this cranberry chutney for a little extra flavor. Newsletter continues after sponsor message To feel better, commit to daily, small acts of joy lechatnoir/Getty Images If I were to make a memory highlight reel of the times I felt good in the past year, I would include things like getting positive feedback on an article that meant a lot to me, or celebrating my birthday with friends. I’d also include the night I helped a woman out of an uncomfortable conversation with a stranger, and the time I helped an acquaintance get through a hypoglycemic episode. After those unexpected opportunities to help someone out, I felt pretty great.  New research suggests that committing small acts of kindness, joy, or reflection can significantly increase a person’s sense of well-being, as NPR’s Allison Aubrey reports. Over 70,000 participants in more than 200 countries signed up for the The BIG JOY Project, an ongoing collaboration between UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center and other institutions.  It’s a citizen-science project, and anyone can participate. If you join, you’ll take an on-line survey to answer questions about their emotions, stress, and your social tendencies. Then, every day for a week, you agree to try small, happiness-boosting activities, what the researchers have dubbed "micro-acts" of joy.  The micro-acts researchers recommend have been linked to emotional well-being in prior published studies. Examples include making a gratitude list or journal, visiting a sick neighbor or doing a nice gesture for a friend – or a stranger. Some micro-acts involve celebrating another person's joy, or engaging in self reflection, meditation, or taking the time to “dwell in awe.”  Participants track their feelings each day, and take another survey at the end of the week. A preliminary analysis published this week shows that participants experienced about a 25% increase in emotional well-being over the course of that week. Researcher Elissa Epel points out that planning out such acts can help us feel like we have more of a sense of agency over our emotions in uncertain times.  Find out how “micro-acts” could improve your mood and boost your sense of optimism. We'd love to know your experience trying out micro-acts of joy. Write to us at shots@npr.org. Also: Why a stranger's hello can do more than just brighten your day Spread the warmth of the holidays with NPR Get into the holiday spirit with official merch from your favorite NPR podcasts and shows! With a curated selection of unique gifts, from totes and mugs to your new favorite hoodie, you can embrace the joy of gifting while supporting quality journalism and storytelling with every purchase.   Shop now at shopnpr.org! You don't need words to calm a grumpy kid. Parents around the world use a magic touch Jessica Lutz for NPR In Psychological Care of Infant and Child, published in 1928, psychologist John B. Watson cautioned parents to keep physical affection with their children to a minimum, lest it make them dependent and unable to take on the world as adults. "You could give them a pat on the head if they did something really special, but when you greet them in the morning, you could give them a handshake,” he suggested.  Watson’s advice may sound needlessly cold to our modern ears. Still, compared to many cultures around the world, many American moms and dads are underutilizing touch in their parenting, according to NPR contributor Michaeleen Doucleff.  Take bedtime. Most advice around settling down young kids for bed focuses on how to talk to them. Yet from Korea, to India, to Mexico parents calm their kids with a type of gentle touch. This type of touch goes by different names in different cultures, but generally involves softly scratching the head, back or arms. Neurologists have observed that such gentle stroking turns on special nerves, in the hairy parts of our skin, reducing pain perception and slowing heart rate. And it works for adults too.  Here’s how to chill out your kid or grandchild without saying a word. + Don't miss: Which lullabies do the best job at bedtime? Readers share some surprising favorites Before you go:  Fred Ihrt/LightRocket via Getty Images Hearing loss can lead to deadly falls, but hearing aids may cut the risk He lived without lungs for a day. How a remarkable transplant operation saved him Listen: Healing the 'Invisible Ache' behind the suicide crisis among Black men and boys What makes Mongolia the world's most 'socially connected' place? Maybe it's #yurtlife We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of NPR's health journalism on Shots. All our best, Andrea Muraskin and your NPR Health editors Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). 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