stress & sickness

One of the crucial changes we made after Elijah hit two months old (I perhaps should have started sooner) is that I take off with my girl(s) one night each week. From baby bedtime (approx 7pm) until my bedtime (at my discretion),

My mum-in-law recently share the following with me:

A friend of mine just finished taking an evening class at Stanford. The last lecture was on the mind-body connection--the relationship between stress & disease.  The speaker (head of psychiatry at Stanford) said, among other things, that one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends.  At first everyone laughed, but he was serious.

Women connect with each other differently & provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult life experiences. Physically this quality  "girlfriend time " helps us to create more seratonin--a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression & creates a general feeling of well being.  Women share feelings whereas men often form relationships around activities. We share from our souls with our sisters, & evidently that is very good for our health.  He said that spending time with a friend is just as important to our general health as jogging or working out at a gym.

One Tuesday a month, 7-9PM, this happens at the 400. Having been twice, I can vouch that it's worth a try. Tricky to describe, this isn't a TED talk nor a tea party nor a sob session. But time & space is being made where we can form new friendships with glad & sincere hearts. Any & all women are welcome. #shamelessplug