A study by psychology professor Ellen Langer of Harvard University (published in Psychological Science, 2/2007) delved into the power of your mind relating to a workout. Her test compared two groups of housekeepers working at a Boston hotel. One group was told that what they did in their regular routines was great exercise while the other group was told nothing.Although the two sets of housekeeping routines did not change, the first group demonstrated positive physical results when they believed they were getting a workout. That crew lost weight and fat, and their blood pressure dropped. While this loss was not in the double digits, it was across the board for everyone.Professor Langer’s explanation is, “If you can put the mind in a healthy place, you can have dramatic physiological consequences.”The placebo effect has long been a factor in dealing with illness and medications. There is no question that the mind is powerful, and even with our advanced scientific discoveries, we cannot explain some of the mysterious healings that occur with placebo groups.Think about how you might use this in your everyday routines:

This is not the answer, of course, to lack of exercise, not enough sleep, and too much to do but it offers intriguing possibilities within the realm of ]time management. Last week I was commenting on the changes brought about by the daylight savings switch. For me it was more than simply the addition of one more hour of evening sunshine, but an infusion of energy and activities. Is that all in my mind?