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| http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asoca/jhsb/2009/00000050/00000004/art00006
Russell's study reveals that older people living with a spouse are less lonely than those living with children or extended family, and that this difference is magnified for elders with disabilities. |
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| http://gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org/content/50/4/471.abstract
Ha measures what we would expect to be the case: that emotional support from children helps widows avoid depressive symptoms. |
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| http://hsb.sagepub.com/content/51/2/183.abstract
Pai and Carr find that the deleterious effects of loss are significantly smaller for highly extraverted and conscientious individuals, though extraversion is protective against depression only for persons who had forewarning of the death. |
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| Harvest House, 2008, $12.99
http://www.amazon.com/Setting-Boundaries-Your-Adult-Children/dp/0736921354/ref=pd_sim_b_5
A worthwhile book if your children suffer from addictions or other personal issues that are beyond your control. |
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| Bantam, 2002, $16.00
http://www.amazon.com/Toxic-Parents-Overcoming-Hurtful-Reclaiming/dp/0553381407%3FSubscriptionId%3D02E5W5871AJF7PMMMS82%26tag%3Dquitipfroadvw-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0553381407
Forward helps those who need it deal with the pain of childhood and move beyond the frustrating relationship patterns learned at home. |
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| http://www.howtoadvice.com/DifficultElders, Free
Five thngs you can do yourself to put you in the right frame of mind and have a positive affect. |
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| http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/64B/1/24, Free
Cicirelli measures the extent to which depressive feelings in old age relate to the death of siblings and the closeness of sibling relationships. |
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| Chiron Publications, 1989, $23.95
http://www.amazon.com/Ever-After-Fairy-Tales-Second/dp/0933029411/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1288204205&sr=1-1
A classic on the nature of later life development revealed by an analysis of the 2% of fairy tales about aging and elderhood, written by a Jungian psychologist. |
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| National Bureau of Economic Research Working Papers, October 2008, $5.00
http://papers.nber.org/papers/w14435
The authors report higher levels of depression in those who find themselves working beyond their expected retirement age, and those involuntarily retired before their expected age. |
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| Hazelden, 2000
http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Becoming-Late-Bloomer-Extraordinary/dp/1568383703/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1288204602&sr=1-5
One of the first of the genre, it remains inspiring and relevant. |
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| http://www.evelynkalinosky.com/blog/identity-theft-5-ways-for-professional-women-to-deal-with-loss-of-identity-in-retirement/, Free
Kalinosky's advice makes plenty of sense for men as well. |
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| http://www.malehealth.co.uk/node/18837, Free
A very good overview of this phenomenon, where it comes from and what to do about it. |
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| http://www.seniormag.com/retirement/retirement-blues.htm, Free
Strelecky addresses the main steps to take to fend off a depressive reaction to retirement. |
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| http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/aging/114326, Free
Kaminishi enumerates 26 benefits of aging under three headings: The Luxury of Time, Easing of Social Graces, and Freedom to Explore. |
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| http://changingaging.org/, Free
The website of Dr. Bill Thomas, co-founder of the “Eden Alternative” in long-term care. This site takes a novel and positive view of many aspects of aging, including some that tend to get mostly negative attention. |
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| Xlibris, 2010, $22.99
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Positive-Aging-Donna-Devall/dp/1450034365/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1290545304&sr=1-2
Devall uses her experience working with older people and their families to show how it is possible to approach old age with a positive, even embracing attitude. |
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| http://seniorhealth.about.com/od/mentalemotionalhealth/a/holiday_blues.htm, Free
Strategies for helping older people deal with the holiday blues. |
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| Morgan James Publishing Co., 2007, $24.95
http://www.amazon.com/AgeEsteem-Growing-Positive-Attitude-Toward/dp/1600372686
Fatio argues that it is how we feel about ourselves in relation to our age that governs our well-being, and so she promotes a positive image of age, emphasizing confidence and self-esteem, written in easily digestible short sections. |
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| http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/65B/3/331.abstract
George reviews decades of studies on the subjective sense of well-being in older people, and finds that inferences about the causes of this sense remain problematic. |
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| http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=browsePA.volumes&jcode=pag
The authors found that in multiple countries, older people’s sense of well-being tends to decline significantly starting in the last 3-to-5 years of their lives. |
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| Ballantine Books, 1998, $19.98
An intelligent, intimate celebration of later life, part memoir, part essay. The author tells of buying a home at age 68, balancing solitude with email, and visiting England. She reflects on growing up female in America, managing an academic career and her feminism, and finding her father’s family. |
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| http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=PublicationURL&_tockey=%23TOC%2329681%232011%23999579998%232886841%23FLA%23&_cdi=29681&_pubType=J&_auth=y&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=cf2a04ec140b814628e645a30906dc06
Hill defines positive aging from a psychological point of view, then prescribes employing gratitude, forgiveness, and altruism to help achieve it. |
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| http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/pag/26/2/381/
Kotter-Grühn and Smith actually measure what most of us would expect them to find: that older adults (in the 70-104 age range) have fewer future plans and less optimism than they did when they were younger. |
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| http://psychsoc.gerontologyjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/63/5/P261
Kunzmann used samples from a German study to conclude that “Positive affect may decline because it requires objective competencies, which seem to decrease in old age. Negative affect may remain stable because it is associated with self-evaluations, which seem to change less with age.” |
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| http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/content/40/2/192.abstract
Although the authors did find significant cross-cultural differences in quality of life, these were reduced once health status, gender and age were taken into account. |
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| http://www.seniorresource.com/attitude.htm, Free
Helps you take an important first step: being able to laugh about aging. This site offers witty and humorous quotations, comments, and jokes. |
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| http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/65B/5/513.abstract
Noting that assessment of biomarkers that reflect objective indicators of physiological processes has become increasingly popular in psychological research on stress and aging, the authors review biomarkers of the neuroendocrine and immune systems as they relate to stress. |
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| http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/64B/1/41, Free
Poon and Knight found that both older age and sad mood tend to increase a person’s focus on physical symptoms, especially when both apply at the same time. |
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| http://www.caregiver.on.ca/nwnw01.html, Free
This page quickly hits some of the key points you will find in books about aging: that some of our natural preconceptions about aging are myths, and that while there certainly are problems related to aging, their nature and severity are often misconstrued. |
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| http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/39/1/23
The authors determined that among the elderly, poor self-reported health status appears to be more strongly associated with depression than the presence of chronic disease. |
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| http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a911230988
The authors report that older adults may have superior emotion regulation skills than younger adults, and suggest that as emotion regulation capacities increase with age, emotions may be less swayed by external events or even by internal traits. |
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| AuthorHouse, 2009, $10.95
http://www.amazon.com/Aging-Gracefully-Dignity-Integrity-Intact/dp/1438964323/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272914317&sr=1-4
Roth encourages us not to be intimidated by exaggerated fears and negative thinking, but to tap into the knowledge, experience and skills acquired over a lifetime to continue improving our lives. She also offers pointed tips on dealing with those who mock or otherwise embarrass or irritate elders. |
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| http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/psp/99/6/
The authors find that resilience in the face of adversity can be impaired by having either too much or too little exposure to adversity earlier in life. |
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| http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/66B/2/195.abstract
The authors find that older people more readily separate positive and negative future expectations, perhaps because they tie these expectations to their own ability to function – which suggests a more complex mental organization. |
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| Taos Institute, Free
http://www.taosinstitute.net/positive-aging-newsletter
This electronic newsletter brings to light resources—from scientific research on aging, gerontology practices, and daily life—that contribute to an appreciation of the aging process. |
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| http://longevity.about.com/od/mentalfitness/p/positive_aging.htm, Free
Stibich focuses on a 2002 study indicating that people with a positive attitude toward aging and a strong will to live actually did live 7.5 years longer than those with a negative attitude. |
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| http://www.prb.org/pdf09/TodaysResearchAging17.pdf, Free
A summary of research on aging and happiness. |
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| http://contemplageing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=190:workshop-handout-what-do-gratitude-and-forgiveness-have-to-do-with-living-and-aging-well&catid=89:publications&Itemid=301, Free
Weber offers useful insights and exercises relating to gratitude. |
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| http://contemplageing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=189:searching-for-teh-curative-power-of-gratitude-and-forgiveness-in-groups&catid=89:publications&Itemid=301, Free
Weber builds on the theme that the secret to aging well is developing the capacity to be grateful and to forgive. |
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| http://jag.sagepub.com/content/29/6/667.abstract
Mair documents how racial differences also play a big role, along with gender differences, in the connection between social relationships and depression in older adults. |
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| http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=browsePA.volumes&jcode=pag
The authors found that young people tend to show increases in self-esteem over time, and elderly people show decreases, but they found no differences based on race. |
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| http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Abundance-Journal-Gratitude-Breathnach/dp/B000IAZOZS/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275746852&sr=1-20
A daily journal for counting one's blessings, specifically intended for women. |
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| http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/65B/5/609.abstract
The authors report that while retirement may come more as a relief than as a stressor for individuals previously experiencing high levels of work demands interfering with family life, retirement may not relieve the burdens of family life stressors, particularly among women. |
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| http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200602/make-gratitude-adjustment, Free
Aaronson offers specific steps you can take to express gratitude and to make a feeling of gratitude part of your everyday life. |
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| http://www.majidali.com/Vol%20%201%20No%202%20The%20Third%20Path.htm, Free
Majid Ali that discusses gratitude in connection with life in general, as opposed to gratitude for what other people may have done for us. |
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| http://www.wellesley.edu/Psychology/Norem/Quiz/quiz.html, Free
A quiz that can quickly help you realize whether you use “defensive pessimism” (lowering your initial expectations so you aren’t hurt or disappointed) or “strategic optimism” (setting high expectations to motivate yourself). |
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| http://psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/take_test.php?idRegTest=1320, Free (but $6.95 for detailed results)
Helps you place yourself somewhat objectively on the optimism/pessimism scale. |
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| Wiley, 2004, $14.95
http://www.amazon.com/No-Regrets-Ten-Step-Program-Present/dp/0471212954/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281982077&sr=1-1
Offers information, insights, strategies, tools, and stories to help people suffering from persistent regret deal constructively with it. |
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| http://www.rwjf.org/pr/product.jsp?id=72487
The researchers document a connection between positive psychological well-being (particularly, emotional vitality and optimism) and cardiovascular health, as an indicator of one way we can strengthen our “health assets” beyond purely physical or medical interventions. |
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| http://www.livescience.com/health/041101_optimist_heart.html, Free
Another reason to try to be more optimistic in your life. |
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| Jossey-Bass, 2008, $16.95
http://www.amazon.com/Dare-Wear-Your-Soul-Outside/dp/0470241837/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288206532&sr=1-1
Burgess declares the sacred promises of legacy living as part of a transformational process that helps us connect to our past by honoring those who came before us, living with intention in the present, and freeing our talents so we can realize our potential. |
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| Harper, 1999
http://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Good-Therapy-Revised-Updated/dp/0380810336/ref=tag_dpp_lp_edpp_ttl_in
Burns helps you think in better, more positive ways, and to feel better without using drugs. |
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| HCI, 2007, $16.95
http://www.amazon.com/Gratitude-Daily-Journal-Jack-Canfield/dp/0757307108/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275746852&sr=1-13
A year-long, two-part journal that provides a simple framework for your personal expressions of gratitude and acknowledgment. |
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| http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=browsePA.volumes&jcode=pag
The authors find evidence not only that emotional well-being improves from early adulthood to old age, but that it also leads to longer life. |
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| While Casciani write specifically about resistance among the elderly to medical plans they perceive as being imposed on them by doctors and/or family, his observations and recommendations mostly could be applied with equal benefit to other forms of planning and the resistance that it encounters. |
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| http://www.lifescript.com/Soul/Self/Well-being/Dealing_With_Regret_How_to_Let_Go.aspx, Free
A solid article, written for women but applicable to anyone. |
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| http://library.mothernature.com/l/the-doctors-book-of-home-remedies-for-seniors/depression_1193.html, Free
From “The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Seniors,” some simple techniques that might help with mild depression. |
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| Templeton Foundation Press, 2001, $12.95
http://www.amazon.com/Words-Gratitude-Mind-Body-Soul/dp/1890151556/ref=pd_sim_b_1
Emmons and Hill offer encouragement, guidance, proverbs, and prayers, interspersed with highlights of recent psychological research on gratitude. |
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| Mariner Books, 2008
http://www.amazon.com/Thanks-Practicing-Gratitude-Make-Happier/dp/B002ZNJXCQ/ref=pd_sim_b_2
Emmons is a pioneering researcher in this relatively new field, and he demonstrates how gratitude contributes to emotional equanimity and pleasure, richer personal relationships, and greater health. |
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| http://library.mothernature.com/l/the-doctors-book-of-home-remedies-for-seniors/fears-and-anxiety_1210.html, Free
From “The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Seniors,” some simple techniques that might help with fears and anxieties. |
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| http://www.adec.org/source/FindAThanatologist/index.cfm?Section=Find_A_Thanatologist, Free
ADEC can help you find a professionally trained counselor to work with the dying and/or the bereaved. |
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| http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/337/dec04_2/a2338
Fowler and Christakis use results from the Framingham Heart Study to demonstrate that a key stimulus to human happiness is exposure to the happiness of others. |
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| http://library.mothernature.com/l/the-doctors-book-of-home-remedies-for-seniors/grief_1220.html, Free
From “The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Seniors,” some simple techniques that might help with grief. |
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| Hay House, 1996, $13.95
http://www.amazon.com/Gratitude-Life-Lousie-L-Hay/dp/1561703095/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275748620&sr=1-3
A collection of essays on gratitude by various authors. |
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| National Bureau for Economic Research, August 2011, Free
http://www.nber.org/papers/w17378.pdf
Heckman reviews general concepts and prior research on the economic effects of personality traits. |
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| http://stress.about.com/od/understandingstress/a/type_a_person_2.htm, Free
Offers some tips on alleviating the negative aspects of personalities that are overly driven, including a few ideas that are especially applicable in retirement. |
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| http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/Labs/PWT/Image/emmons/file/GQ-6-scoring-interp_12_01_10_v03.pdf, Free
A very quick test to measure how your level of gratitude compares to that of various groups of other people. |
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| http://library.mothernature.com/l/the-doctors-book-of-home-remedies-for-seniors/irritability_1239.html, Free
From “The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Seniors,” some simple techniques that might help with irritability |
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| http://www.stress.org/job.htm, Free
An informative site dealing with many aspects of job-related stress, and what to do about it. |
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| http://www.stanford.edu/class/msande271/onlinetools/LearnedOpt.html, Free
An on-line, automated version of Martin Seligman's test |
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| http://www.stresstips.com/lifeevents.htm, Free
One of the most usable of the many available online versions of the Holmes and Rahe Stress Test. |
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| http://ezinearticles.com/?Effectively-Dealing-with-Sadness&id=102456, Free
Maddux suggests some simple remedies, and advises when you should seek professional help. |
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| http://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/tc/managing-job-stress-topic-overview, Free
As part of WebMD's 'Stress Management Health Center,' this page summarizes the problem of job stress, and links you to other pages relevant to understanding and dealing with the medical effects. |
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| http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/psp/100/4/
The authors report that positive emotional behavior that accurately signals to others the individual's internal state will enhance social connectedness, which further enhances happiness. |
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| http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy&id=2008-12151-001
The authors argue that Emotional Intelligence is an important variable both conceptually and empirically, and it shows incremental validity for predicting socially relevant outcomes |
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| McGraw-Hill, 2005, $15.95
http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Optimism-Bob-Murray/dp/0071446834/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275153822&sr=1-2-spell#_
Murray and Fortinberry deal with overcoming pessimism from the point of view of the more difficult situations where a lack of optimism is tied in with symptoms of depression. |
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| iUniverse, 2010, $17.95
http://www.amazon.com/Never-Enough-Lessons-Recovering-Workaholic/dp/1450203736/ref=pd_sim_b_2
A book for workaholics who want to find a truer life purpose, and learn to manage their goals, their time, and their stress. |
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| National Bureau of Economic Research, May 2011, $5.00
http://www.nber.org/papers/w17056
In a rather elaborate study of the link between income and life satisfaction, Pischke finds evidence of a truly causal connection between the two. |
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| Gallup Press, 2007 (Educator's edition), $22.95
The authors, a grandfather-grandson team, explore how using positive psychology in everyday interactions can dramatically change our lives, in work, in marriage, and beyond. |
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| NYU Press, 2007, $18.95
http://www.amazon.com/Chained-Desk-Second-Workaholics-Clinicians/dp/0814775977/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275142318&sr=1-2#_
Robinson explores the various beliefs, motivations and fears that propel people to overwork. |
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| Penguin Books, 2003, $15.00
http://www.amazon.com/Mood-Cure-4-Step-Program-Emotions--Today/dp/0142003646/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281981637&sr=1-2
Ross emphasizes in particular how the right foods can help you feel better. |
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| http://innerself.com/content/articles/personal-growth/behavior-modification/attitudes/5284-dealing-with-anger-hatred-guilt-regret.html, Free
Scwartz proffers a simple but useful encouragement to jettison negative feelings that have outlived their usefulness. |
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| http://gerontologist.oxfordjournals.org/content/50/6/774.abstract
The authors describe the development of their tool for measuring the experience of suffering. |
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| Vintage Books, 2006, $15.00
http://www.amazon.com/Learned-Optimism-Change-Your-Mind/dp/1400078393/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275153444&sr=1-1-spell
The classic text on this subject, now in a new edition. |
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| http://www.simpleabundance.com/gratitude_journal.html, Free
This page describes the importance of keeping a gratitude journal, and links to a page that allows you do keep one online. |
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| http://library.mothernature.com/l/the-doctors-book-of-home-remedies-for-seniors/stress_1277.html, Free
From “The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Seniors,” some simple techniques that might help with stress. |
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| http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/99-101/, Free
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health provides an overview on job-related stress, what causes it, and what to do about it. |
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| http://www.rwjf.org/pr/product.jsp?id=69469
Thoits investigates various types of stressors, describing the distributions of stressors across socio-demographic groups, and examining associations between stressful experiences and health differences by gender, age, race-ethnicity, marital status and socio-economic status. |
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| Miracle Press, 2007, $17.97
http://www.amazon.com/Miracle-Optimism-Change-Perspective-Transform/dp/0615158188/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275153822&sr=1-6-spell
Touhey offers insights and exercises to help all but the most devout pessimist begin to develop a more open approach to life. |
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| Workaholics Anonymous Books, 2009, $15.00
http://www.workaholics-anonymous.org/page.php?page=bookofrecovery
Covers all aspects of overwork as an addiction, including “how to” information (such as how to get through the 12 steps of recovery, or how to run a Workaholics Anonymous meeting) as well as enlightening stories and inspirational thoughts from others. |
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| http://www.workaholics-anonymous.org/page.php?page=home, Free
Includes information on program literature, W.A. Meetings, the W.A. Book of Recovery, W.A. Book of Discovery, and conferences and newsletters concerning addiction to work. |