THE HEALTH-WEALTH CONNECTIONNETWORK FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL WOMEN

Kelly Davis Martin, M.P.H., L.W.C.

Assistant Professor II, Health and Human Performance, Central Oregon Community College

Owner and Coach, Achieve Wellness LLC

What REALLY Determines Your Health Social determinants of health

Social class is the number one determinant of health Wealth and Income Education level Race Power and Prestige

People in a higher social class experience A greater sense of control over their own life Less stress More time to make positive lifestyle choices such as

eating nutritious food and being physically active Less illness and disease Longer lives

“Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? In Sickness and in Wealth” California Newsreel, 2008

Women and Social Class

Women in the Workplace In 2009 women make $0.80 to every $1.00 men

make (Institute for Women’s Policy Research) Women's median salary is $33,176 per year In America, during March of 2010, there

were122,339 women employed for every114,821 men (Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Women accounted for 51% of all workers in the high-paying management, professional, and related occupations. (United States Department of Labor)

Women in Education Women earned 62.1% of Associate's degrees,

57.5% of Bachelor's degrees, 60.0% of Master's degrees, and 48.9% of Doctorates (International Center for Educational Statistics)

Women’s Work and Strengths

Women have evolved over thousands of years to complete their primary work- rearing children Our brains have been nurtured to have natural differences to

meet this demand 11% more neurons for language and hearing than men (Dr.

Louanne Brizendine, physician) Prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for self-control, is larger

and more mature Hippocampus, which holds emotional memory, is larger and

more active Women are two times more likely to experience depression

them man Amygdala, responsible for aggression, is smaller Women are better at multi-tasking them men (Dr. Helen Fisher,

anthropologist) Women focus on relationships, cooperation and

communication as a means to happiness. “Women are far more engaged in being enough and often struggle when they fear they are not.”

“What Happy Women Know: How New Findings in Positive Psychology Can Change Women’s Lives for the Better” by Dan Baker, PhD, 2007

The Health-Wealth Connection Health and wealth are both important resources for living a happy and

successful life. Poor health costs money in lost productivity, healthcare costs and

shorter life expectancy Good health costs less but requires financial health so that one does not

outlive their assets  Health and personal finances are both closely associated with

happiness. Four factors strongly predict happiness and well-being in most cultures:

health, economic status, employment, and family relationships. Studies indicate that people are happier when they are healthy,

employed, married or in a long-term committed relationship, and financially secure.

Similar behavior strategies can be used to improve both your health and your personal finances. Examples include: People expect quick fixes Ongoing maintenance is required

People with a positive mental attitude are more successful Consider the 1937 classic “Think and Grow Rich” by Nepoleon Hill that

has sold over 15 million copies

“Health and Wealth Connections: Small Steps to Health and Wealth” by Barbara O’Neill, PhD and Karen Ensle, Ed.D., R.D.

Measure Your Happiness

The Satisfaction Life Scale: Read the following five statements. Then use the 1-to-7 scale to rate your level of agreement.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Not at all true Moderately true Absolutely true

1. In most ways my life is close to my ideal.2. The conditions of my life are excellent.3. I am satisfied with my life.4. So for I have gotten the important things I want in life.5. If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing.Total Score: _________________Scoring:

31 to 35: You are extremely satisfied with your life26 to 30: Very satisfied21 to 25: Slightly satisfied 20: The neutral point15 to 19: Slightly dissatisfied 10 to 14: Dissatisfied5 to 9: Extremely dissatisfied

Created by psychologist Edward Diener from the University of Illinois in 1980.

The How of Happiness

40% of your happiness is within your power with intentional activity 10% is circumstances 50% is your set point

Happiness myths: It must be “found” You must change your life circumstances You either have it or you don’t

“The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want” by Sonja Lyubomirsky, 2008

Positivity

Negativity vs. Positivity Negativity is stressful. It has a short-term purpose

and causes physical symptoms. Positivity broadens the mind and allows us to meet

our own long-term needs. Positivity Ratio: 3 to 1

Flourishing 3.2 to 1 Not Flourishing 2.2 to 1 Depressed 1 to 1 Marriages that last have a 5:1 ratio (Dr. John

Gottman, University of Washington) Only one in five people are flourishing

“Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity and Thrive” by Barbara Fredrickson, 2009

Happy People …

Devote a great amount of time to their family and friends, nurturing those relationships

Comfortable expressing gratitude for all they have The first to offer helping hands to coworkers and

passerby Practice optimism when imagining their future Savor life’s pleasures and try to live in the present

moment Make physical exercise a weekly and even daily habit Are deeply committed to lifelong goals and ambitions Have stress, tragedies and crisis but they show poise

and strength in coping in the face of challenge

“The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want” by Sonja Lyubomirsky, 2008

Your Positive Mindset

Improve your self-efficacy: the belief that you can do what you set your mind to do Start small and have realistic baby steps You are more likely to sustain change when you

consistently succeed in your goals Focus on your strengths:

Happy and healthy people know their top five strengths

Find careers, relationships and situations that allow your strengths to thrive

To generate a list of your top 24 character strengths visit Dr. Marty Seligman at the University of Pennsylvania web-site and take the “Virtues in Action” questionnaire: www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu

Simple Actions

Gratitude Log At the end of each day, write down 3-5

things that you are grateful for Reframing

Change your perspective Practice Forgiveness Engineer Support

Friends, family, coaching

Conclusion

1. Social Class is the number one determinant of health2. The skills you need to improve your health and your

wealth are similar3. Positivity is the key for humans to flourish4. Women have a unique set of capabilities that make it

possible for us to succeed in the workplace, at home and with self-care

Additional handouts, articles and activities posted at: www.achievewellenssllc.com under “Resources and Links”

Follow-up FREE tele-seminar on Monday, May 3rd, 6:30 p.m.Email kelly@achievewellnessllc.com for more information