It was Thomas Jefferson who said that “Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits.”
Meanwhile, the well-respected ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle, had also said over 2000 years ago that:
Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim, and end of human existence.”
Truth be told, we all want to be happy.
And who’s to say we are wrong for wanting this?
There is research evidence to show that there are several potential health benefits associated with being happy.
The following are ways through which healthy living is promoted by staying happy:
1. Promotion of Healthy Lifestyle Habits
The first thing you notice about happy people is how they are generally more motivated than the average Joe. And this translates into them having healthier lifestyle habits generally. If you look around carefully, you’ll notice that happy people eat healthier diets are less likely to binge on fast foods, have higher intakes of fruits and vegetables.
Individuals with a positive sense of well-being are also more likely to be physically active; leading to higher energy levels, lower body fat and lower blood pressure generally.
Notice how much more likely you are to toss and turn in bed when you have something on your mind? There you go. Happier people have a more restful sleep, which helps concentration and improves productivity- which further increases the ability to sustain a healthy lifestyle. Having issues with sleep? Get the right information and products at https://sleepdelivered.com/eight-sleep-review/.
2. Need an Active Immune System? Stay Happy
You must have heard about the importance of an active immune system for overall health.
Being happy can keep your immune system strong, reducing your risk of developing different chest infections or the common cold, according to a study which found out that happier people were more likely to be immune to these infections while less happy people had a three times higher chance of having these infections.
This could be due in part to the impact which the feeling of happiness has on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, that regulates the immune system.
Also, remember how happier people are more likely to have healthier lifestyle habits? This can also help boost the immune system’s function.
3. Happy People Are Less Stressed Out
And there is a medical explanation as to why this is so. When you’re under severe stress, your body produces increased levels of a hormone known as cortisol, also called the stress hormone. This can then result in a disturbed sleep cycle, weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes.
Happier people have been noted to have less of this stress hormone in their body systems, and as a result, live healthier lives because they are at lower risk of health complications of stress. Be sure to manage your debt by checking out moneyexpert.com for tips and guidance.
4. Being Happy Protects Your Heart
One valid way through which happiness protects your heart is by reducing your blood pressure; and as high blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart diseases, happier life is equivalent to a well-protected heart.
One long-term of 1,500 adults found that happiness helped protect against heart disease.
The benefits of happiness on the heart extends even to people who already have heart diseases, as positive well-being is correlated to lower complications of heart disease even in patients who are already being managed for such.
5. Longer Life Span
Overall, happy people tend to live longer; with unhappy people having higher mortality rates than their counterparts who live happier lives.
Perhaps, this might also be linked to the fact that happier people have better health behaviors than other less happy individuals.
So if you want to live longer, stay happy.
Wrapping Up
In this life thing, there’s no hard or fast rule. But if you want to live a lengthier, happier life, your best bet is to stay happy!