Health&Wellness Magazine September 2015 | Page 13

& September 2015 psychology and mind body medicine – that you have the capacity to make lifestyle choices that can increase your sense of personal happiness and self-fulfillment. Health-promoting nutrition, physical activity and emotional well-being are the three main categories of your personal self-care prescription. Skillful stress management can help motivate and support your developing such a self-care prescription and keep you committed to it over time. The emerging field of psychoneuroimmunology is validating the widespread physical and emotional benefits of such stressmanagement practices as mindfulness, meditation, yoga, skilled relaxation, journaling, massage, friendships, having a faith community, pets, nature, social support and expressive therapies such as drawing and dance. The increasingly sophisticated and respected research in psychoneuroimmunology is good news for modern medicine and good news for you and the health of your mindbody. 13 Association http://www.apa.org/monitor/dec01/ anewtake.aspx Psychoneuroimmunology and stress http://stress.about.com/od/ stressmanagementglossary/g/ Psychoneuroimmunology-And-Stress. htm About the Author Dr. Patterson is past president of the Kentucky Academy of Family Physicians and is board certified in family medicine and integrative holistic medicine. He is on the family practice faculty at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and the University of Louisville School of Medicine, Saybrook University’s School of Mind Body Medicine and School of Clinical Psychology in San Francisco and the Center for Mind Body Medicine in Washington, D.C. He operates the Mind Body Studio in Lexington, where he offers integrative medicine consultations. He can be reached through his Web site at www.mindbodystudio.org Resources A new take on psychoneuroimmunology- American Psychological Lose the stress. Love the savings. kines appear