Life insurance is an important way to provide protection for your family. However, it&#39;s often misunderstood, and misconceptions are plentiful&mdash;including that it&#39;s expensive and difficult to purchase. But once you have a basic understanding of what life insurance is, how it works and the two main types of life insurance, you&rsquo;ll be on your way to providing protection and financial security for your family.

What is life insurance? 
<a href="https://www.sharecare.com/video/health-topics-a-z/financial-health/how-do-i-know-which-type-of-life-insurance-is-right-for-me">Life insurance</a> is a contract between you and an insurance company where you make a monthly or annual payment&mdash;the premium&mdash;and the insurance company pays a specified amount of money&mdash;the death benefit&mdash;to your beneficiaries when you pass away.

If you have people who depend on your income, like underage children, a spouse or elderly parents, then life insurance is imperative. You should also consider life insurance if someone would incur additional costs if you pass away (like childcare for example). The money obtained from a policy can help your family pay their regular monthly bills, your children&rsquo;s future college tuition or for your funeral expenses and outstanding medical bills. In some cases, people decide to purchase a policy when a major life event takes place&mdash;like getting married, buying a home, starting a business or having a baby&mdash;but life insurance can be purchased at any time.

In fact, the sooner you buy life insurance, the lower your monthly or annual payments will likely be. Other factors that determine the cost of life insurance are your health status, medical history and driving record. Smoking status is also a large determinant of your payments, with non-smokers generally receiving significantly better rates.

While historically, purchasing life insurance required medical exams and blood testing, this is often no longer the case. In fact, for relatively healthy individuals, many insurance companies offer a benefit of up to $1 million without a medical exam or blood test. For larger policies or for people with extensive medical histories, a medical exam can still be required.

Two basic types of life insurance 
The <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/financial-planning-health-care/what-different-types-life-insurance">two main types of policies</a> are term life insurance and permanent life insurance.

Term life insurance offers a cash payout if you pass away during a specific period of time (for example, 10, 20 or 30 years); you pay via a fixed monthly or annual premium during the term of the policy. Term insurance is a viable option for covering specific costs such as a mortgage or college education. Often times, insurance companies will allow you to convert your term policy into a permanent policy for a specified period of time after purchase.

Permanent life insurance offers lifetime protection with a cash payout at the time of death, regardless of when that is. It often includes a cash account value that you may be able to access while you are alive, which has the ability to grow, similar to money in other investments (mutual funds, or bonds). Your monthly payments may be fixed or they may be flexible depending on the type of policy you choose. Permanent life insurance is a viable option for people looking to pass money on to their family after they pass away, or for people concerned about paying for funeral costs or medical bills at the time of their passing.

Some employers offer life insurance as a benefit to their employees. While this is generally temporary&mdash;good only while you are employed with the company&mdash;it may be wise to take advantage of this benefit, as the monthly payments may be offset by your employer. But if you have family who is dependent upon your income, additional insurance, outside of work is generally required. Life insurance can be purchased online, over the phone or from a licensed financial professional.

Medically reviewed in July 2018.

What Is Life Insurance?

We&rsquo;ve quoted Ben Franklin before, but his words are still as true as ever: &ldquo;An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.&rdquo; And taking advantage of the Affordable Care Act&rsquo;s free, preventive medicine coverage -- as an adjunct to your smart lifestyle choices of no Food Felons (they&rsquo;re trans and saturated fats, added sugar and syrups and any grain that isn&rsquo;t 100 percent whole), no tobacco, and no smoking anything, walking at least 30 extra minutes daily (heading for 10,000 steps a day), and de-stressing with mindful meditation -- can head off or reverse a lot of health problems. For example, if guys with elevated LDL cholesterol (but no symptoms) are identified and put on a lipid-lowering medication, that could prevent 25 percent of non-fatal heart attacks; and if everyone over the age of 50 had regular colon cancer screenings, more than 60 percent of deaths from that cancer could be avoided.&nbsp;

That&rsquo;s why it&rsquo;s good for your health -- and the country&rsquo;s healthcare bill -- that the ACA provides <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/health-screening-tests/what-preventive-screenings-should-get" target="_blank">preventive screenings</a>, tests and counseling for abdominal aortic aneurysm, alcohol misuse, breast cancer, elevated blood pressure and cholesterol, colorectal cancer, depression, type 2 diabetes, obesity and tobacco use, as well as sexually transmitted infections. And it pays for <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/vaccines-and-immunizations" target="_blank">vaccination</a> against hepatitis A and B, herpes zoster, human papillomavirus (HPV), flu, measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), meningitis, pneumonia, tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (TDP) and chickenpox. (In Canada, the Task Force on Preventive Care recommends their government-provided preventive services.) So, ask your doctor about taking advantage of the ACA&rsquo;s preventive health care services and screenings: you&rsquo;ll enjoy better health and a younger RealAge.

Medically reviewed in March 2020.

Take Advantage of Your ACA Preventive Care Benefits

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The holidays are a time of festivities with family and friends, making merry and, for some, increased risk of a heart attack. In fact, a study presented at a 2013 European Society of Cardiology meeting found that death from heart disease tends to be higher during January and February. We talked with cardiologists Frank Arena, MD, of <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/group/lakeview-regional-medical-center">Lakeview Regional Medical Center</a>, Hoang Nguyen, DO, of Regional Medical Center and Taral Patel, MD, of <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/group/tristar-summit-medical-center">TriStar Summit Medical Center</a> about potential heart attack triggers during the winter season and what you can do to keep your ticker going strong.

1. Be kind to your body 
According to Dr. Patel, those at increased risk include people with diagnosed heart disease, those who have already had a heart attack, been treated with stents or had bypass surgeries, smokers and people with diabetes. But even if this doesn&rsquo;t describe you, your heart may not be as healthy as you think. &ldquo;A heart attack is not a singular event,&rdquo; says Dr. Arena. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s the end result of the culmination of a series of events. You have a heart attack because you&rsquo;ve spent years and years building up plaque around the arteries.&rdquo;

Maintain good health: Healthy eating habits and regular exercise throughout the year can help keep problems at bay. If you have diabetes, be sure that it&rsquo;s under control. Smokers could give themselves the best gift of all by <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/quit-smoking">kicking the habit</a>.

2. Take a chill pill 
While the holiday season is a celebratory time of the year, it can also bring about added stress from strained family relationships and overstretched finances.

&ldquo;One thing that surprises me is how much stress and emotion play into it,&rdquo; says Patel. &ldquo;Mental and emotional stress is a huge factor that I think we downplay.&rdquo; Some may suffer from <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/circulatory-system-health/what-broken-heart-syndrome">broken heart syndrome</a>: &ldquo;A sudden stressful event can cause a person to have chest pain and a sudden heart attack,&rdquo; says Patel. Stress overload can also make it tough to get enough sleep, which can fuel overeating. &ldquo;Insomnia makes adrenaline levels go up, blood pressure goes up, we get carb cravings,&rdquo; says Arena. &ldquo;You just continue to make poor choices in the moment because you aren&rsquo;t sleeping.&rdquo;

Stress less: Take time to relax; try <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/meditation/how-meditation-help-relieve-stress">meditation to calm down</a>. Make sleep a priority. You&rsquo;ll be more clear-headed for handling family issues and <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/anxiety/money-stress">making spending decisions.</a> Get enough shut-eye to prevent spikes in <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/endocrine-system/how-does-cortisol-affect-body">the stress hormone cortisol,</a> which increases appetite.

3. Maintain your medicationsI 
If you regularly take prescription drugs to treat a chronic condition like heart disease, continue to do so during the holidays. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re very busy during the holidays,&rdquo; says Dr. Nguyen. &ldquo;People are doing things they shouldn&rsquo;t be doing and eating things they shouldn&rsquo;t be eating. They forget to take their medication; they forget to check in with their doctor. Things like that tend to lead to heart attacks.&rdquo;

Be prepared: Don&rsquo;t rely on your memory for taking your pills; separate them into pill containers labeled by day. Set reminders in your phone. If you&rsquo;re traveling, take the entire bottle of each medication with you. If your return trip is delayed, you won&rsquo;t run out. You&rsquo;ll also have a list of your medications and dosage if needed.

4. Take it easy on the alcohol 
More partying means the toasting flutes and champagne will be in full force. While celebrating in moderation is ok, going overboard is not. &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re drinking a fair amount, say, more than two or three drinks or anything enough to give you a hangover, you&rsquo;re creating a lot of adrenaline,&rdquo; says Arena. This can lead to <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/arrhythmia/what-is-holiday-heart" style="line-height: 1.6em;">holiday heart syndrome,</a> or atrial fibrillation, which is characterized by a fast, irregular heartbeat. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s contributed to by the buildup of adrenaline that comes when&nbsp;people overindulge and become dehydrated, which makes their hearts start pounding,&rdquo; says Arena. &ldquo;The adrenaline is what leads to heart issues. The same triggers that cause you to go into atrial fibrillation can cause a heart attack as well.&rdquo;

Tame the tipples: Avoid drinking on an empty stomach. Don&rsquo;t have more than one drink per hour, and alternate drinks with water to stay hydrated. Skip sugary drinks; it&rsquo;s more difficult to tell how much alcohol you&rsquo;re imbibing. Stay festive by switching to seltzer water and lime or mixers&mdash;sans the alcohol. If you have heart disease risk factors, you&rsquo;ll want to take extra precautions to avoid holiday heart syndrome: Limit yourself to no more than two drinks per day, avoid overeating (it may trigger a reflex response that can cause an arrhythmia) and avoid caffeine.

5. Beware of cold-weather activities 
If you&rsquo;re tempted to join the family for a sled ride or feel compelled to shovel snow, you may want to think twice, especially if you&rsquo;re not physically active throughout the year. &ldquo;Winter activities can increase stress hormone levels and blood pressure,&rdquo; warns Patel, adding stress on the vessel wall. &ldquo;This is what causes the rupture, which causes the heart attack,&rdquo; he says. Cooler temperatures can also play a role. &ldquo;Even if you&rsquo;re not shoveling snow and it&rsquo;s not super cold, your arteries constrict a bit to keep your core warm,&rdquo; Patel says. &ldquo;That also increases blood pressure and shear stress [on the blood vessels].&rdquo;

Know your limits: If you&rsquo;re not used to lots of strenuous activity limit your time outside, dress warmly and don&rsquo;t overexert yourself.

6. Don&rsquo;t ignore the symptoms 
Maybe you&rsquo;ve just sat down for Christmas dinner or have begun exchanging gifts&mdash;and you&rsquo;re not feeling quite right. Don&rsquo;t worry about ruining the moment&mdash;it will only become worse if you&rsquo;re having a heart attack. Nguyen says&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/heart-attack/symptoms-of-a-heart-attack?myAttribute=yay" style="line-height: 1.6em;">heart attack symptoms</a> like chest pain, discomfort or shortness of breath require immediate medical attention. &ldquo;You should never ignore symptoms when it comes to the heart,&rdquo; he adds.

Medically reviewed in January 2020.

6 Ways To Prevent a Holiday Heart Attack

Got a great reason to jump out of bed in the morning? Only 37% of North Americans say they do, according to a recent Gallup Poll. But a study might motivate you to find your sense of purpose: Turns out having a mission in life can help you become healthier and live longer.

When researchers from Mount Sinai Health System in New York City reviewed the results of 10 studies involving more than 137,000 people, they found that those with &ldquo;a sense of meaning and direction, and a feeling that life is worth living&rdquo; were 19% less likely to have a heart attack or <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/stroke">stroke</a> or to need a cardiac bypass or stents to open up clogged arteries. And overall, those leading purpose-driven lives were 23% less likely to die prematurely.

Why does a sense of purpose make you healthier? 
If you&rsquo;re fired-up with a passion for living -- whether it comes from coaching Little League baseball, volunteering at the local soup kitchen, playing your tuba for community groups, or being a good parent -- you&rsquo;re more likely to keep up with health screenings, eat healthily and get exercise. Plus, you get these additional health benefits, according to the Mount Sinai study:

Less inflammation: Recent research has shown that people with a strong sense of purpose also had lower levels of <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/inflammation/what-is-inflammation">inflammatory</a> chemicals and stress hormones. The reason goes deep: Scientists at the University of California Los Angeles and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that having a sense of purpose switches on healthier genes. Blood tests of 80 people revealed that those who felt happy when doing good for others had less activity in genes that boost inflammation. Those less generous, more short-sighted and concerned with their own pleasure, had more activity in pro-inflammatory genes, as well as lower activity in antiviral and antibody genes, which help protect against viral infections. As one of the researchers noted, &ldquo;We can make ourselves happy through simple pleasures, but&hellip; at the cellular level, our bodies appear to respond better to a different kind of well-being, one based on a sense of connectedness and purpose.&quot;

Sharper mental powers: A strong sense of purpose could keep your <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/mental-fitness-nervous-system/how-can-i-exercise-brain-and-keep-sharp">brain sharper</a>, longer. Scientists from Chicago&rsquo;s Rush University Medical Center autopsied the brains of 246 older adults. They found the plaques and tangles associated with Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease in those who had lived with a sense of purpose and those who didn&rsquo;t. But when they looked back at thinking tests performed while the volunteers were living, they discovered a profound difference: People with a strong sense of purpose had a 30% lower rate of decline in thinking skills and memory.

Greater independence as you age. A sense of purpose may have a bonus for your encore years, especially if you&rsquo;ve got big plans for retirement. In the on-going Rush University study, older people with a strong sense of purpose were 30% less likely to have trouble with basic necessities like getting dressed and taking a shower, 44% less likely to have trouble with managing their money, shopping, taking care of their home and getting around town and 39% less likely to have difficulty walking distances, going up and down stairs and doing heavy housework.

So how&rsquo;s your sense of purpose? 
Do you feel driven by passion and meaning? If not, make time to explore the world, try new things, experiment, get together with friends and family to see what makes you feel like a million bucks. Spend some time thinking about what really matters to you, what you&rsquo;d like most to contribute to the world because you think it&rsquo;s important, and that you&rsquo;d love to do. It&rsquo;s one of the essential 7 Do-Over Deeds in Dr. Mike&rsquo;s book, This Is Your Do-Over. You&rsquo;ll make the world -- and your own mind and body -- a better place.&nbsp;

Find Your Sense of Purpose

When it comes to money and happiness, a lot of us think the grass is greener on the richer side. We&rsquo;d be happier in a bigger house with a heated pool and plenty of money left over to treat our kids, grandkids and friends. Wouldn&rsquo;t we?

Some happiness experts, including psychologist Ron Siegel, say we would likely readjust to our &ldquo;happiness set point&rdquo; after the novelty wears off. In this sense, money can&rsquo;t buy lasting happiness.

Other researchers say money&nbsp;can&nbsp;buy happiness&mdash;to an extent. One 2009 study asked participants to report how happy they were in relation to their household income. The study, as well as past research, found that happiness tends to increase with income up to a point ($75,000 in one study, and about $90,000 in this study), but the increase is relatively small. Money makes you a little happier up to a point, but not a lot.

Participants were asked to predict how happy they thought other people feel at different income levels. Respondents were fairly accurate in predicting that higher levels of household income are not associated with higher levels of happiness at the top end of the income distribution (e.g., at $90,000 compared with $125,000). That is, both predicted and actual happiness leveled off at $90,000+.&nbsp;But they greatly underestimated the happiness of people who made less money.

Bottom line: Money does matter, but not as much as many people think. What seems to matter more is what people do with their money. Here are two ways to spend it that really can bring more joy to your life&mdash;no matter your income.

<ol>
	<li>Be charitable.&nbsp;Research shows that those who spend their money on others are consistently happier people. This finding held true for both the rich and the poor. And it&rsquo;s not like you have to give it all away to achieve happiness; if you can see your money making a difference in other people&rsquo;s lives, it will make you happy even if the amount you gave was quite small.</li>
	<li>Pursue experiences instead of material items.&nbsp;This bit of advice has been floating around for years, but research shows that even though people know this to be true, many still believe material goods are a better use of their money. A 2014 study surveyed how participants felt before and after making a purchase. Before buying, participants said they believed that life experiences would make them happier, but that material items had more value. But after their purchases, they felt that life experiences not only made them happier, but also had higher value.</li>
</ol>

If you&rsquo;re worried that &ldquo;life experiences&rdquo; are out of your budget, don&rsquo;t stress. Life experiences can range from a hiking trip an hour away to a salsa dancing lesson nearby. As long as it&rsquo;s an experience you&rsquo;ll be able to bank in your memory, you&rsquo;ll be glad you did it.

There&#39;s a strong connection between our finances and our emotions&mdash;and too much money stress can harm your health.

Medically reviewed in June 2019.

Can Money Buy Happiness?

We found a meme of &ldquo;Honest Abe&rdquo; Lincoln online accompanied by the quote, &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t believe everything you read on the Internet.&rdquo; Well, a study confirms Abe&rsquo;s advice&mdash;and shows how often it is ignored!

Researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin and Tulane University published a study in the American Journal of Infection Control revealing the most read/most popular posts on Facebook during the initial <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/zika-virus">Zika</a> scare were the least accurate medically, even though the majority of posts about Zika during the study&rsquo;s one-week window were accurate.

The most popular post was a false one claiming that birth defects from Zika actually come from an insecticide, and that Zika was a host invented by chemical companies. It had over 19,600 shares! The most popular accurate post about Zika; a press release by the World Health Organization, was shared only 964 times! We want people to be accurately informed (you&rsquo;re entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts!), because <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/health-care-basics/article/be-an-informed-patient-and-get-healthier">health misinformation</a> can be dangerous. If you believe that Zika is a hoax, you won&rsquo;t adequately protect yourself from the mosquitoes carrying it.

Take Abe&rsquo;s advice and be a detective the next time you&rsquo;re reading health information on social media. Ask: &ldquo;Where did the person get the information?&rdquo; and be skeptical of people and web sites that don&rsquo;t identify their sources. Sources you can rely on include government health organizations (sites ending in .gov), major medical schools (sites ending in .edu), and articles from journals and research publications like JAMA and The Lancet.

Medically reviewed in February 2019.

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If you wanted to get to the top of the Great Pyramid you&rsquo;d have to clamber over 203 huge steps to reach the 454 foot summit. The top of the Eifel Tower? Today there are 1,665 steps (a lot smaller than the pyramid&rsquo;s) and it&rsquo;s 984 feet tall. Dubai&rsquo;s Burj Khalifa, the world&rsquo;s tallest building, scrapes the sky; it&rsquo;s 2,722 feet tall with 2,909 stairs. &nbsp;Luckily, you don&rsquo;t have to take that many steps to gain the great health benefits of losing weight.

Doing a little has big rewards! &nbsp;If you&rsquo;re overweight or obese, shedding just five percent of your body weight (that&rsquo;s nine pounds for someone who&rsquo;s 180) can help reduce multiple risk factors for type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.

Recently, researchers compared the health improvements of 40 obese men and women who lost five percent of their body weight with those who shed 10 and 15 percent. The 19 folks who shed five percent saw almost as much improvement in the function of their beta cells (that&rsquo;s where insulin is produced) and in <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/type-2-diabetes/article/lean-protein-blood-sugar-control">insulin sensitivity</a> as those who lost 10 and 15 percent. And that&rsquo;s great news for folks who think they have to go from severely overweight to thin to see health improvements.

Just aim for five percent at a time by making simple lifestyle changes: Eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies a day, de-stress with 10 minutes of <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/meditation/how-do-i-meditate">mindful meditation daily</a>, and start a walking routine pronto. Remember, every journey starts with one small step.

Medically reviewed in September 2018.

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Although it might seem like you have ample time between taking photos at kindergarten graduation and celebrating a college acceptance, <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/video/health-topics-a-z/financial-health/3-savings-accounts-you-need-to-understand">saving money</a> for education is much like childhood itself: every moment counts.

The simple fact behind putting money away for college is that the earlier you start, the more you&rsquo;ll end up with, and not just because of the amount that you put in initially. The process of compounding means that your invested money will generate earnings, and the more you have in an account, the greater the compounding will be.

That means getting a true jumpstart&mdash;maybe even before your child learns to walk, nearly two decades before choosing a major&mdash;can make a big difference when that tuition bill finally rolls around.

Making your money grow 
It&#39;s estimated that kids born in 2018 who go to an in-state public university looking for a four-year degree will require more than $150,000 for their education. But with an early start to your savings, the effect of compounding means you don&rsquo;t have to save up that full $150,000 to have ready when the time comes.

For example: If you invest $200 monthly, starting when your child is born (figuring on 5 percent yearly interest), you would have almost half of that $150,000. Your own contributions would total $43,450 and you would earn just over $26,000 on those funds, for a total of almost $70,000.

As your savings increases, the amount you earn on that money also compounds, so you end up &ldquo;making&rdquo; more in earnings as your child hits the teen years.

But what about if you decided to wait until kindergarten? Although it&rsquo;s only a five-year difference, it&rsquo;s significant once tuition payment time arrives. In that scenario, your $200 per month from age 5 to 18 would result in $31,450 in your own payments and just about $12,600 in earnings, totaling just over $44,000.

That means a five-year wait would result in $26,000 less than if you&rsquo;d started during infancy. That&rsquo;s like walking away from free money.

Never too late 
Although there are clear benefits of starting a college savings strategy early, that&rsquo;s not always possible for everyone&mdash;sometimes, shifting life situations can take precedence over tucking money away for education.

But even when that&rsquo;s the case, there&rsquo;s value in starting whenever you are able, even when your kid is already a teenager and nearing college. Your money won&rsquo;t compound as much, but it may save you money you have to request in loans.

Also, there are savings programs, such as 529 plans, that offer tax benefits you won&rsquo;t get with regular savings accounts. For example you put after-tax money in a 529 plan, but the earnings on your investment aren&rsquo;t subject to additional tax. Also, when you withdraw the money, you don&rsquo;t pay federal taxes as long as those funds are used for educational expenses.

Student loans are often considered an investment because they help many young people secure a career, and an income, that they wouldn&rsquo;t be able to obtain otherwise. But college debt can sometimes feel like an overwhelming burden, especially to someone just starting a career track.

Savings that start early and have time to grow through compounded earnings can help ease that pressure, and make college a true <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/financial-planning-health-care/slideshow/smart-ways-financial-goals-on-track">springboard for the future</a>.&nbsp;

Why You Should Start Saving for College Now

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I was standing on a corner in New York City waiting for a taxi. On the opposite corner a man who appeared to be homeless was pushing an overfilled cart with empty cans when he misjudged the placement of the curb. He and the contents of the cart toppled over into the busy intersection. Without delay a woman in a business suit and heels standing nearby moved into action. She put her briefcase down and reached to help the man to his feet. Then she and the man together proceeded to pick up each and every can.

When they finished the man retrieved her briefcase and handed it back to her. He then held out his hand for hers. When she held out her hand to shake his, he instead bowed as he kissed the back of her hand. I wondered how the woman would respond. She did not hesitate to take his hand and returned the kiss to the back of his hand in return. I watched this exchange in awe. It took my breath away. Care and kindness had blossomed in the unlikeliest of circumstances.

How We Treat Each Other Changes Us 
This incident warmed my heart and demonstrated the power of an irreplaceable act of civility. Every encounter with another being has the potential to lift or limit us. Practicing civility, especially in the face of the opposite, is a defiant and powerful act of love. Civility forges the acceptance and connection that we all want and need. Incivility makes us feel small and discarded. Civility raises us up, inoculates our hearts with kindness, and has also been proven to be an important part of staying healthy.

Our present culture is rife with clashing political ideologies, cowardly acts of terrorism and rampant public trolling and shaming on social media. Harsh acts of incivility have the power to devastate us. While often not intentional, less dramatic, insensitive interactions also chip away at our dignity, our health and our sense of feeling safe in the world.

In his book, Why Zebras Don&rsquo;t Get Ulcers,&nbsp;Stanford Professor Robert M. Sapolsky asserts that when we are exposed to the stress of incivility for too long and too often, our immune systems will pay the price. He explains that the stress resulting from uncivil occurrences causes an elevation of hormones called glucocorticoids, which cause inflammation in the body. Protracted over time, the chronic activation of inflammation due to the stress response can lead to a host of health problems including cardiovascular disease, ulcers, diabetes and cancers.

Incivility in The Workplace 
Reflected in the Harvard Business Review article, The Price of Incivility,&nbsp;researchers Porath and Pearson collected data polled from over 14,000 workers throughout the US and Canada. The goal was to research the prevalence of the types, causes, costs and cures of incivility in the workplace. Of those polled, 98% of the respondents reported experiencing uncivil behavior. In one example, an employee named Matt revealed that his boss had continually belittled him. Over time, he and his fellow co-workers endured verbal insults and relentless bullying. Even after reporting his boss to the Human Resources Department, the boss failed to apologize to anyone saying only that he &ldquo;used an atomic bomb when he could have used a flyswatter.&rdquo; Within weeks that same boss was named district manager of the year. Three days after that, Matt had a heart attack. The researchers found that unchecked incivility is not uncommon. One worker described the routine rudeness that she encountered daily at work as &ldquo;a soul-destroying experience.&rdquo;

In her book, Mastering Civility,&nbsp;Christine Porath, Professor at Georgetown University&rsquo;s McDonough School of Business, examines the toll that uncivil behavior can have on both individuals and organizations. She found that those who were the recipients of incivility in the workplace often do not disclose their feelings and their work suffers as a result. In one poll of over 800 managers and employees in 17 industries, workers who were on the receiving end of incivility experienced the following:

<ul>
	<li>80% said that they lost work time worrying about incidents of incivility</li>
	<li>63% said that they lost work time avoiding the offender</li>
	<li>66% said that their performance declined</li>
	<li>78% said that their commitment to the organization declined</li>
	<li>25% admitted to taking their frustrations out on customers</li>
</ul>

Disrespectful behavior makes everyone nervous. We don&rsquo;t like to see others being treated badly. Witnessing incivility has negative consequences. Porath&rsquo;s research found that people are less likely to buy from a company with an employer they witness as rude, even if they were not the targets of the rudeness.

The Impact of Caring and Kindness 
Caring and kindness, however, can enhance our health. Research by Stephanie Brown of Stony Brook University and Sara Konrath of the University of Michigan&nbsp;has shown that acting with civility and compassion accelerates recovery from stress while restoring physiological balance and wellbeing.

Although less obvious than overt bullying, more subtle forms of incivility can cost us the loss of morale, goodwill and respectful connection with others. The ability to offer attention to another is at a higher premium these days than the cost of gold. We are a distracted culture. Tethered to our electronic devices, it is becoming more and more difficult to be present to the person in front of you. Whether during family dinners, at a party, in a business meeting, classroom or office we can&rsquo;t seem to resist the ping of an incoming message, regardless of the conversations we are disrupting in the process. We surf the Internet or scan through emails while on a personal phone call. Electronic communications can so easily be misunderstood. In an instant, we can impulsively fire off a text or an email and with that one touch of the send button we can unleash words that can be perceived as curt, insensitive and hurtful.

In her book, Contemplative Practices in Higher Education, Mirabai Bush, the co-founder of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society,&nbsp;connects education to daily life through the power of contemplative practices. These include meditation, yoga, deep listening, mindfulness, and contemplative reading and writing. She also helped to create Google&rsquo;s popular employee program, Search Inside Yourself.

The program included a technique called Mindful Emailing. She instructed the employees on how to ensure civility and thoughtful communication through emailing with this simple process:

<ul>
	<li>Type your email communication, but do not send yet</li>
	<li>Pause and take 3 full, slow, deep breaths in and out</li>
	<li>Now re-read your email from the perspective of the person who will receive it</li>
	<li>With compassionate consideration for how the recipient of your message may perceive it, decide whether to retype or send your email as is</li>
</ul>

The cost of incivility is too high. It hurts feelings, damages relationships and more. The antidote for incivility is often so simple we might miss it. Consider this poignant reminder of the experiential magnitude of small acts of civility from the late author Leo Buscaglia, &ldquo;Too often we underestimate the power of a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring.&rdquo;

Life is What Our Relationships Make It 
In his book, Choosing Civility,&nbsp;P.M. Forni, cofounder of the Johns Hopkins Civility Project, wrote, &ldquo;A crucial measure of our success in life is the way we treat one another every day of our lives. When we lessen the burden of living for those around us we are doing well; when we add to the misery of the world we are not.&rdquo;

There are no expendable encounters between people. Each interaction, large or small, has the potential to engage, encourage and enrich those involved.

A few simple tips to promote kindness and civility:

<ul>
	<li>Consider the power and content of your words before you speak or write a communication.</li>
	<li>Give others space for their expression, whether in a conversation, on the road when driving or when standing in a line waiting your turn.</li>
	<li>Respect each other&rsquo;s times constraints. Arrive on time, don&rsquo;t overstay your visit.</li>
	<li>Let others know that you appreciate them. Express your gratitude frequently.</li>
	<li>Disagree graciously.</li>
	<li>Apologize sooner and sincerely.</li>
	<li>Give others the benefit of the doubt. Choose more connection and less correction.</li>
	<li>Look for the good. Point out the good. Celebrate the good every chance you get.</li>
</ul>

When we receive kindness, we feel accepted and validated. When we offer kindness, our capacity to love others and ourselves is enlarged. Our hearts translate an act of kindness as evidence that we are not alone, that we have value and that life has goodness and meaning. Acts of kindness and civility lift us, heal us and connect us to one another. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, &ldquo;Good manners are inspired by the good heart. There is no beautifier of complexion, or form, or behavior, like the wish to scatter joy and not pain around us.&rdquo;

This article was originally published in <a href="https://www.ornish.com/zine/why-civility-makes-us-healthier/" target="_blank">Ornish Living</a>.

Medically reviewed in August 2018.

Why Civility Makes Us Healthier

If you have more month than money, the first step toward fixing your finances is creating a budget.&nbsp;Don&#39;t like the b-word? Then, don&rsquo;t think of it as a budget&mdash;call it a &ldquo;spending plan&rdquo; instead.

&ldquo;Plan&rdquo; is the operative word. Once you have a framework in place, each of your hard-earned dollars will have a job to do, in terms of both everyday expenses and future goals.

The 50/30/20 plan 
One of the simplest spending plans is the 50/30/20 budget, where you dedicate a certain portion of your income to particular expenses. Using this plan, here&rsquo;s how you would allot your take-home pay for maximum value:

<ul>
	<li>50 percent for must-haves. That&rsquo;s rent, food, healthcare, utilities, insurance and minimum debt service. Obligations like student loans or child support would be paid in full, whereas sometimes only minimum payments on consumer debt are possible.</li>
	<li>30 percent for &ldquo;wants.&rdquo; Things like meals out, vacations and entertainment fall into this category.</li>
	<li>20 percent for savings and debt. This includes retirement, other investments, an emergency fund and any additional debt service.</li>
</ul>

That 50/30/20 plan isn&rsquo;t set in stone. As long as you&rsquo;re taking care of business, you can build some wiggle room into your budget. For example, if you&#39;re determined to pay off your auto loan as soon as possible, you can apply some of your &ldquo;wants&rdquo; dollars toward it. Or, perhaps you&#39;re attending a wedding in six months. In that case, start beefing up the &ldquo;savings&rdquo; section. You can redirect some of those &ldquo;wants&rdquo; bucks, or try tactics like researching the best deals on utilities, grocery shopping from a list and using public transit.

Know that you should prioritize retirement planning over debt repayment, especially if there&rsquo;s an employer match. Even if you don&rsquo;t get a match, remember that every dollar you don&rsquo;t put toward retirement is a buck that can&rsquo;t help you later on. Chew on this math for a minute: Given a 5 percent yearly interest rate, if you invest $100 when you&#39;re 20 years old, it will grow to $1100 by the time you hit 70.

Ideally, you&rsquo;ll save at least 10 percent of your earnings for retirement. That might sound tough, but this is the best time to start. (Hint: Ask older co-workers if saving for retirement got any easier in their 40s.)

Tracking your money 
Spreadsheets work, and so do pen and paper. In the digital age, however, people tend to want an app for that. Plenty of budgeting apps exist; some free, some not. Search for &ldquo;best free budgeting apps&rdquo; and compare the pros and cons. Otherwise you might wind up spending over $80 per year for basic budgeting services.

And if you want help from a human being, nonprofit organizations like the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and the Financial Counseling Association of America can talk you through the business of budgeting. Services are offered for free or on a pro-rated basis.

What are your goals? 
Sure, you could budget on autopilot. But setting financial goals can help keep you aware of your progress and motivate you further. Shoot for goals that are:

<ul>
	<li>Specific: &ldquo;I want to take charge of my money&rdquo; is laudable, but vague. Have you thought about what you&rsquo;ll do with your cash once you&rsquo;re controlling it?</li>
	<li>Important: Competing in the Iron Man Triathlon is a fun goal. However, quitting your job at 27 to train for it means going into debt and also nixing the chance to add to retirement.</li>
	<li>Achievable: Paying off $50,000 worth of student loans in two years while buying a home and having your first child are all great things, but it&rsquo;s unrealistic to think you could do them simultaneously. Don&rsquo;t set yourself up for failure.</li>
</ul>

And if you&rsquo;re not ready to plan your future just yet? Try this goal on for size: &ldquo;I will succeed in the 50/30/20 budget, and then give myself room to dream about possibilities.&rdquo;

Here&rsquo;s the best news about budgeting: once you&rsquo;ve got a plan in place, it becomes second nature. And having control of your cash provides great peace of mind because you&rsquo;ll be taking care of business but still enjoying some of the fruits of your labor.

Medically reviewed in July 2018.

Why You Need a Budget—and How to Get Started

You&rsquo;ve probably seen endless stories about how you can &quot;stay healthy over the holidays&quot;&mdash;tips intended to keep you from &quot;overindulging.&quot; Ick! How un-fun is it to be at a party when your chief concern is avoiding the baked Brie?&nbsp;

As a doctor, I&rsquo;m going to tell you to <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/holiday-health/what-good-holiday-stress-buster" target="_blank">stop stressing.</a> Not only do most of those deprivation-fueled tips not work (who writes those things anyway?), staying healthy without obsessing is much easier than you think. That&rsquo;s mainly because there are likely things that you already enjoy&mdash;and don&rsquo;t realize how good they are for you. Emphasize these four things and you won&rsquo;t have to choose between celebrating and health after all:

1. Spending time with loved ones adds years to your life. Fact. Statistics in the <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/static/realage" target="_blank">RealAge Test</a> show that having close connections with people and engaging with them regularly can add almost two years to your life; it also lowers your risk of heart disease and cancer. Think of the holidays as a time of seeing the people who brighten your life&mdash;rather than a series of <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/holiday-health/slideshow/7-ways-to-stop-holiday-weight-gain" target="_blank">diet-killing party obstacles</a>&mdash;and you&rsquo;ll come away with both a heart and soul that are healthier.

2. Be a kid again. When you were six, did you count calories? What&rsquo;s a calorie? No! You were too busy running and playing and climbing trees to worry about it. Use the holidays as a time to let out your inner child&mdash;whether it&rsquo;s playing with your own children (or relatives&rsquo; kids) when they&rsquo;re on vacation&mdash;or just getting out and doing something you love.&nbsp;

3. Allow yourself to indulge. Avoiding foods? Skipping meals to save calories for later? Both lead to eating more calories overall than you would have in the first place, meaning that not only are you miserable, but also less healthy (womp womp). Allow yourself a cheat meal (or cheat party) here or there, where you leave the food police at home, and you&rsquo;ll find that staying on track the rest of the time seems far more doable.

4. Sing (or dance) along to your favorite holiday tunes. It doesn&rsquo;t matter if it&rsquo;s in your local choir, caroling with friends, or in your car&mdash;singing lowers levels of anxiety and depression, dancing extends your life and even may reduce your risk of Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease. Even if you&rsquo;re a little more Napoleon Dynamite than Flashdance, in the words of the venerated Meghan Trainor, &ldquo;Prove to them you got the moves, I don&rsquo;t know about you. But I feel better when I&rsquo;m dancing&rdquo;.

Indulging, dancing and hanging out with your best people&mdash;who knew it was healthy? Focus on them, and you&rsquo;ll have a memorable holiday season that&rsquo;s good for the heart&mdash;and the soul. &nbsp;

Happy holidays to you and your loved ones.

Very best, 
Dr. Darria

Medically reviewed in January 2020.

Why You Don’t Need to Worry About Your Health Over the Holidays

For nearly as long as there have been <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/health-society/slideshow/unhealthy-smartphone-habits">cell phones</a>, there have been concerns about cell phone radiation, and its potential effects on your health. There is no scientifically proven, definite answer as to whether using a cell phone could cause cancer or any other health condition. Back in June 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released information saying as much. In fact, it&#39;s still their official position.

Still, many have never shaken their worries&mdash;and some states have been addressing radiation health concerns by issuing their own guides. In one 2015 guide, the Connecticut Department of Public Health&rsquo;s Environmental and Occupational Health Assessment Program said that cell phone radiation could be absorbed by parts of the body where the phone is held. In December 2017, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released a similar guide, offering suggestions for adults and teens to reduce their radiation exposure from smartphones.

What we mean by &quot;cell phone radiation&quot; 
When we talk about the radiation emitted by cell phones, we&#39;re talking about radiofrequency (RF) energy, which is also given off by other telecommunication devices, like tablets, laptops and portable wireless devices.

&ldquo;Radiofrequency energy is a form of non-ionizing radiation due to its low frequency or low energy, and is not known to cause direct cell or DNA damage,&rdquo; says <a href="http://www.nyp.org/physician/tjwang" target="_blank">Tony J. Wang, MD</a>, a radiation oncologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. &ldquo;This is in contrast to ionizing radiation, which has high frequency and high energy, such as <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/poisoning/can-radiation-xrays-ct-cancer">x-rays</a>.&rdquo;

He explains that, as indicated by the CDPH&mdash;as well as by the CDC, the American Cancer Society and the World Health Organization&mdash;the science is still evolving. Still, it hasn&#39;t been proven that RF energy directly brings about health problems, like <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/cancer/article/slash-cancer-risk-simple-swaps">cancer</a>. &ldquo;There are several epidemiologic studies that have examined the association between cell phone use and cancer, and in brief, the results have been inconclusive or no association were found,&rdquo; says Dr. Wang.

Tips to reduce exposure 
While there is currently no solid evidence confirming radiation from smartphones and other telecommunication devices causes adverse health effects, Dr. Wang says it&rsquo;s &ldquo;reasonable&rdquo; to take safety measures. &ldquo;I think people should follow simple precautions and not be alarmed,&rdquo; he adds.

To reduce your exposure to RF energy, try these simple tips:

<ul>
	<li>Use a landline for longer phone conversations.</li>
	<li>Talk over speakerphone or use a hands-free device, such as a wired headset.</li>
	<li>Place the phone at least several feet away from your bed while you&#39;re sleeping.</li>
	<li>Carry your smartphone in a purse, briefcase or backpack. One 2014 meta-analysis of 10 studies suggested that sperm mobility and viability may decrease in men who carry their cell phone in their pants pocket.</li>
	<li>Reduce your time on the phone when the signal is weak. Weak signals encourage the phone to work harder, causing it to emit more RF energy.</li>
	<li>Text instead of talking.</li>
	<li>Turn off your phone when possible.</li>
</ul>

You can also avoid using radiation shield items for your phone. While these products claim to protect you from radiation, they can actually increase your amount of RF energy exposure by making your phone work harder to get a connection.

Is Cell Phone Radiation Really Harmful to Your Health?

Fracking is a buzzword that ignites controversy&mdash;yet for many of us, fracking facts may be elusive. Technically known as &ldquo;hydraulic fracturing&rdquo; or &ldquo;unconventional oil and gas development,&rdquo; fracking is a relatively new technology that removes natural gas and oil from shale formations deep beneath the earth&rsquo;s crust.

What&rsquo;s involved: Workers drill deep holes, then inject them with fluid under high pressure. That fractures the rock to release natural gas, according to an article in the Scientific American. Boosters of the technology call fracking a &ldquo;modern miracle of America&rsquo;s newfound energy independence,&rdquo; according to experts at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

But this &ldquo;modern miracle&rdquo; may come at a cost to the communities where fracking occurs&mdash;and we&rsquo;re still uncertain as to its full impact on our health, as scientists continue to study its effects. Truth is, though we have clues that fracking may be harmful to humans, it may take generations to reveal just how serious fracking&rsquo;s health effects will be.

The health effects of fracking 
Studies show that the air and water around fracking sites are contaminated with chemicals that harmfully impact several human hormones. These hormones are important for fertility, reproduction, immune function, metabolism and brain development, says Christopher D. Kassotis, PhD, a researcher who has studied fracking at the Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University. People living close to fracking sites may be exposed to these toxic chemicals via drinking water (and water used for bathing and other purposes) and air. Wastewater and drinking water treatment plants don&rsquo;t filter these chemicals out of the water system.

In areas near fracking operations:

<ul>
	<li>Evidence shows an increase in congenital birth defects, lower birth weight, high-risk pregnancies and pre-term births.</li>
	<li>There are increased reports of upper respiratory infections, skin conditions, and hospitalization rates for various serious medical conditions.</li>
	<li>Coughs, shortness of breath and wheezing are common; reports link fracking to increases in asthma cases, according to Forbes Magazine.</li>
	<li>There are higher rates of urinary, central nervous system, breast and thyroid cancers, as well as acute lymphatic leukemia in children, have also been reported.</li>
</ul>

Fracking attracts lots of temporary workers to drilling sites. Fracking operations in your town can cause extra noise, traffic&mdash;and even higher crime and substance abuse rates, according to the National Institutes of Health. Those problems can change the character of your community.

That said, it&rsquo;s important to remember that even though reports link higher incidences of health problems to living near fracking sites, it doesn&rsquo;t necessarily mean that fracking caused the problems, notes Kassotis. Only more research will solve the mystery and potentially confirm the links, he says.

What to do if you live near a fracking site 
You probably can&rsquo;t move away from a fracking site, but you can take measures to lower your body&rsquo;s toxic burden in general&mdash;a good thing when you&rsquo;re exposed to fracking-related chemicals. These actions can help protect you and your family, says Kassotis:

<ul>
	<li>Buy fresh produce when you can.</li>
	<li>Avoid plastic food packaging and storage.</li>
	<li>Never heat food in plastic containers.</li>
	<li>Carbon water filters, like Brita, Pur and others, remove some fracking-related toxins from drinking water. Installing a more expensive reverse-osmosis system in your home will remove even more chemicals.</li>
	<li>Avoid non-stick cookware. Pay attention to chemicals in your personal care products. The <a href="https://www.ewg.org/" target="_blank">Environmental Working Group</a> maintains easy-to-use lists to help find products containing fewer worrisome ingredients.</li>
	<li>Look for flame retardant-free TVs, furniture, mattresses when you can.</li>
	<li>Limit or stop using pesticides in your home.</li>
</ul>

The bottom line? More research is needed. If you live near a fracking site, be aware that you may be exposed to harmful chemicals, so consider taking steps to lower your overall exposure to toxins. When more research about fracking becomes available, you can bet you&rsquo;ll read about it here.

Life and Family