Studies show...

Yesterday my kids were discussing our various problems, and Jasmine told me I have "advicitis", or a disease that makes me give out advice too freely. Ugh, talk about "out of the mouth of babes". I felt like such a loser, and I know she is so totally right. I have been trying to learn that when people tell you their struggles, they just want to talk, and really, they want to stay in their ugly situation. They DON'T want you to encourage them to make changes, or do productive things to make the situation better. So SHUT UP, Renee. All this I have really been working on the last 6 months or so, but to have your child say she knows that's your issue too- no fun at all. :) That being a warning to you, my friendly blog readers. I am working on not giving advice during your crisis, but blogging is my venting area- the one place I can give all the advice I want because few will ever read it, and maybe someday when my kids read all these, they will care what I had to say. So please have mercy on me if something I write rubs you wrong, like the following study. Hehehehe And turn off your t.v.! (Ahhh- for a person with advicitis- that felt good!) Muhahahaha

This was quite interesting. This study spanned 35 years, with 45,000 people surveyed, and it found a correlation between people who were unhappy, and the amount of t.v. they watched. Basically, unhappy people watched more t.v. than people who were overall, happy. Food for thought, yes? Now, it didn't prove that t.v. watching caused unhappiness,possibly more of a symptom, but the activities happy people engaged in more- going to church, visiting friends, reading- could definitely be related to better life choices that equipped them to handle adversity more effectively, wouldn't you say? Not to mention, the activities that happy people chose- all fit into God's design for His people, to be relational, loving, encouraging, bearing one another's burdens. Hmmm- two points for our amazing God yet again, even in sociology, His way is the best way.

"We looked at 8 to 10 activities that happy people engage in, and for each one, the people who did the activities more — visiting others, going to church, all those things — were more happy,” Dr. [John] Robinson said. “TV was the one activity that showed a negative relationship. Unhappy people did it more, and happy people did it less.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2008/11/20/2008-11-20_unhappy_people_watch_more_tv_study.html

(Side note- I really like this photo of Steve and I because it is so totally us- I look like a Mary Kay lady who had way too much fun with eyeshadow and Steve looks like he is a crazy man on crack- hilarious!)