Healthy Social Climbing

Studies show that a little social climbing can prevent a host of stress-related diseases.

Picture a ladder with 10 rungs, each representing a higher level of social prestige than the one just below it. At the top of the ladder are the leaders in your community--the good neighbors, parent coaches, Girl Scout leaders, and church elders. At the bottom are the residents who you feel have little status. Now, ask yourself which rung you occupy. You see yourself near the top? Congratulations! The reward for your high self-regard is the promise of a long and healthful life.

You've probably heard that people with big bank accounts and prestigious jobs tend to live longer than those below them on the economic totem pole. Well, similar Rockefeller-like health benefits are also available to the rest of us if we simply do things that enhance our status in our own minds--regardless of our net worth.

"People who perceive themselves as high on the social ladder--regardless of their actual educational degree or size of their paycheck--are less likely to suffer from a range of health problems, including depression, insomnia, and certain risk factors for heart disease," says Nancy Adler, PhD, director of the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Socioeconomic Status and Health. Researchers believe these people feel more in control of their lives and are better able to cope with stress--and that keeps them healthier.

That's great news, because although you can't exactly ask your boss for a raise on the grounds that it will help you avoid heart disease, you can do some simple things--donate regularly to good causes, be a good role model for your kids--to enhance your sense of self-worth. Make these efforts and you'll find they add up to a lot more than money in the bank.

Holding You Back: "My colleagues are doing better than I am"
Move Up A Rung: Put stock in your reputation

When you chose your rung on that imaginary ladder, the first thing you did was compare yourself with others. "It's not unusual for us to look around and see how we stack up in a variety of realms--socially, financially, physically, morally," says Joan Ostrove, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Macalester College. But the individuals you compare yourself with, and what factors you allow into the equation, affect your self-image.

Consider your feelings about your salary. "Part of your satisfaction with your income is based on the reputation you have among people in your field," says Ed Diener, PhD, a psychologist who studies subjective wellbeing at the University of Illinois. That means you should measure yourself not just by your paycheck but also by your experience and reliability, which make you the go-to person to head up big projects.

Comparing yourself to someone who makes more money can actually boost your self-image--and your productivity--say researchers at Stanford University. The key: placing more emphasis on the ways you're alike than on the ways she outshines you. "If you see that both you and your boss are outgoing and open-minded, for instance, you may feel a sense of kinship, even though there's an income disparity," says Camille Johnson, PhD, lead author of the study and now an assistant professor of management and organizations at San Jose State University.

Holding You Back: "I should be a better person"
Move Up A Rung: Be more generous with others

Our self-image often reflects deeply held principles and standards--and whether we feel we are upholding them. If you're meeting your own ethical goals--you do regular volunteer work, give to worthy causes, and are a responsible parent and thoughtful neighbor--you will likely place yourself high on the community ladder.

In other words, becoming a legend in your own mind may be as simple as offering to help out at the library or heading up a youth outreach group at church. The payoff is substantial: People over age 55 who volunteer for two or more organizations have half the chance of dying in the next 5 years as those who volunteer with just one group, and are 63% less likely to die in that time than nonvolunteers, according to the Buck Center for Research in Aging in Novato, CA.

"Volunteering has as strong an effect on mortality as exercising four times a week," says Stephen Post, PhD, a professor of bioethics at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine and coauthor of Why Good Things Happen to Good People. "Helping and giving to others increases your self-esteem and gives you a sense of dignity and purpose that enhances your sense of your own status--and, thus, your well-being."


Holding You Back: "I'm too stressed to change my life"
Move Up A Rung: Seize what control you can

People who stand lower on the social ladder tend to be under greater stress, researchers have learned. In one study of premenopausal women, Adler found that those who ranked themselves lowest had the highest output of cortisol, a harmful stress hormone, during a 3-day lab experiment in which participants did mental math and other anxiety-provoking activities.

"The women who thought highly of themselves were able to get used to the stress. They released a lot of cortisol the first day, but their levels decreased over the next 2 days," she says. "That didn't happen with the women who said they had low status. They pumped out cortisol throughout the entire experiment."

The bottom line: Minimize stress to improve your health--and your status. Here are three ways to get started:

Keep a good news diary

"Every day, write down five positive things that have happened," suggests Carol Ryff, PhD, director of the Institute on Aging at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "In order to perceive your life as good, you need to focus on the gratifying things in it."

Stay connected with friends

"You're more likely to feel stressed and have higher cortisol levels if you lack social support," says Robert Sapolsky, PhD, a professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University and author of Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers.

Laugh loud and often

"Laughter prompts the body to secrete natural mood-boosting chemicals and decreases levels of cortisol," says Post. "Keep a drawer full of your favorite comics and cartoons and look at them when you're feeling stressed."


Source: AOL Health