Health and happiness are synonymous. Being in good health is the most important indicator of people’s spiritual, psychological, and physical wellbeing and happiness. Medical experts say that people are likely to inherit family diseases. However, as people hear of health, the lack of illness comes to mind. But health is more than the lack of conditions that cause disease. Also, people are free to make decisions that diminish the importance of life, health, peace, beauty, vitality, and happiness. Conversely, they can make healthy choices and live healthy and happy. When people are in good physical shape, they will achieve happiness. This results from diet and nutrition, sleep, exercise, and stress-free living.
Happiness is present in our life’s physical realm, no different from our spiritual, moral, social, intellectual, and emotional lives. Understanding all the complexities of physical wellbeing is essential to a safe and balanced life.
Why are people HAPPY when they’re HEALTHY?
- People want to be healthy and happy, enjoy a long life. To be in good health is a predicate of longevity.
- If people are in good health, they lead a more active lifestyle.
- People may engage in physical activities that imbue happiness. These include dancing, camping, running a marathon, or climbing a mountain.
- Being in good physical health offers a wider range of opportunities for occupations requiring physical fitness, such as bodyguards or firefighters.
- When people are healthy, they are more likely to be financially well off. The financial pressure that millions of people have experienced in meeting the cost of their healthcare needs can contribute to chronic unhappiness. Money does not buy health or happiness. But it is vital in the equation of happiness.
- Good health and relief from chronic pain make it possible for people to have a better social life.
Scientific minds help people understand better and handle their health conditions. Unfortunately, some of the major efforts of medical research have no use due to the incalculable harm that some individuals’ bodies suffer by:
- Refusing to exercise regularly,
- Neglecting sleep and proper diet,
- Working hard, often pushing the boundaries of their mental and physical capacities
These ultimately affect their health and happiness.
How Does Being Healthy Make You Happy?
There are science-backed ways that suggest How Does Being Healthy Make You Happy.
Here are 7 simple ways to that tell us how does being healthy make you happy:
1. You’re Happier When…You Eat Well
A healthier lifestyle improves happiness. And there is one key factor in having a healthy lifestyle: the regular intake of healthy food. The foods you consume are the building blocks of your body and your brain. Food is also the fuel for all that goes on inside your body and mind. These include your feelings and emotions. Diets high in sugar, gluten, omega-6 fatty acids, and contaminants can cause inflammation. Also, these links were found with heart disease, diabetes, cancer, depression, and anxiety. Plus, according to Psychology Today, the digestive system has a surprising effect on your mental state.
Make yourself happy by frequently eating to maintain a steady blood sugar level. Look for whole, nutrient-dense foods. Eat all prebiotic and probiotic foods. And choose raw food whenever possible to prevent exposure to toxins and oxidative stress.
2. You’re Happier When…You Exercise
Researchers conducted a survey in Annals of Behavioral Medicine in December 2016. It found that people over the age of 50 with healthy psychological wellbeing were more involved physically.
Another research on health and happiness showed that physical exercise and active travel are usually helpful to one’s wellbeing and happiness.
Those with higher psychological wellbeing at the start of the research showed higher physical activity levels a decade later. This indicated that increased physical activity could improve positive emotions and psychological wellbeing. How do you relate to exercise and happiness? It’s probably a mix of things. Exercise:
- Improves serotonin (a neurotransmitter activated by antidepressants)
- Normalizes sleep
- Biologically “toughens” the brain to reduce depression
3. You’re Happier When…You Reduce Stress
Relaxing yoga and Tai Chi activities effectively drive the brain towards more relaxed thinking and overall positivity. Stress reactions occur either by discomfort or disorientation.
When we twist the spine, we create stress on the body. But exercise and yoga, particularly with its deep breathing exercises and a calming environment, will retrain the body and nervous system to avoid invoking stress reactions (negativity) and encourage optimism to take its place.
4. You’re Happier When… You’re Well Rested
Believe it or not, sleep deprivation:
- Puts your body in a pre-diabetic state
- Changes your metabolism
- Increases your appetite
- Reduces efficiency
- Damages your immune system
Did we mention sleep deprivation that makes you irritable and more likely to be depressed? Despite this, only 10% of American adults give priority to sleep over their daily lives. Younger teenagers, adults, and older adults are expected to sleep seven to nine hours a night. The best sleep is uninterrupted. Switch off all electronic devices before bedtime. Stick to a static sleep schedule with a regular bed and wake-up time, except on the weekends. And, well, avoid a regular afternoon naps.
5. You’re Happier When…You Learn
Being involved in mentally stimulating activities builds new brain connections and further backup circuits, says Harvard Health.
So whether you learn a new language, participate in a new sport, or volunteer for a project that requires skills that you don’t normally use, you build a memory reserve associated with lower rates of dementia and improved thinking skills. Having a job keeps you mentally active. So, it’s a smart idea to get used to doing new things, so you’re able to keep learning when you retire.
6. You’re Happier When… You’re Connected
According to the Harvard Adult Development Study results, there is a clear correlation between happiness and personal relationships. It is one of the longest-running research on happiness. 724 men have followed the project since they were teenagers in 1938.
Every two years, researchers ask members questions about their life and their mental and emotional wellbeing, and family members are also interviewed. Participants reported that personal relations create mental and emotional stimulation. They’re instant mood boosters. Isolation has the opposite effect. It is shown in a separate seminal survey of over 7,000 adults published in 1979. Participants who indicated fewer social links were twice as likely to die in the nine-year follow-up era.
7. You’re Happier When…You Go Outside
Efforts are required to unplug technology. But when we do, and when we spend time in nature, we’re happier, according to the PLOS One report in February 2016. Participants have been challenged to “do something wild” every day for 30 days. Studies have seen increases in health, happiness, attachment to nature, and active behaviors. The July 2018 report published in Environmental Research states that exposure to nature reduces many diseases’ risks. These include type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, premature mortality, preterm pregnancy, depression, and high blood pressure. Go outside, make time for yourself and live healthily. After all, research shows that being healthy make you happy.
The Bottom Line
In this article, we got the answer to the question, “Does being healthy make you happy?”. A better understanding of the complex relationship between health status and subjective wellbeing may have important implications for patients’ diagnosis and treatment. It could contribute to interventions that could dramatically increase the quality of life of patients.
