Like doctors, lawyers and judges must seek the trust of those we encounter. There have always been similarities of approach as well to self-care, resilience, and wellness in our professional lives. With this in mind, JANZ has sought the approval of Health Navigator to make use of their newer content and information. This link is not designed to dispense with your primary health relationships merely to augment your knowledge base and encourage healthy living.
Health Navigator is a website for New Zealanders to find reliable and trustworthy health information and self-care resources. It’s a non-profit community initiative overseen by the Health Navigator Charitable Trust. Its vision and mission is for all New Zealanders to have free access to independent and reliable health information and resources.
In these first articles, we examine ways to check your pulse and heart rate, how to use antibiotics wisely, and the power of positive emotions.
How to check your pulse and heart rate
Your pulse is the number of times your heart beats to pump blood around your body. It can be felt on your wrist or neck.
Key points
Measuring your pulse tells you how fast your heart is beating. The easiest place to find your pulse is in your wrist.
A normal pulse beats in a regular rhythm. A normal resting heart rate for most people is between 60–100 beats per minute.
If your heart is beating too slow or too fast, or if the beat is irregular, this may be the sign of a heart condition.
See your doctor if you are worried about your pulse or heart rate.
Using antibiotics wisely
In just a few short decades, the misuse and overuse of antibiotics have allowed some bacteria to genetically mutate to resist these medicines. This is called antibiotic resistance.
If bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, this means the antibiotics stop working and it is a serious threat to everyone’s health. Some bacteria, or 'super bugs', are now resistant to all known antibiotics and cannot be treated easily. Learn more about when you should and shouldn’t take antibiotics.
The power of positive emotions
Are you a glass half full or glass half empty kind of person?
Experiencing positive emotions such as gratitude, joy, love, contentment, pride, excitement, awe and inspiration makes you and those around you feel good.
Research shows that positive emotions broaden your perception, which helps you see more in life, respond to situations more flexibly and in new ways, and be more creative.
Positive emotions have also been shown to improve physical health, foster trust and compassion, buffer against depressive symptoms and help people recover from stress.
Even though life has can be a roller coaster of ups and downs, it helps to focus on the good in any situation. Here are some tips to help boost positive emotions: