Source: Dumb Little Man
Over the past decade, a whole industry has grown around teaching people the secrets of happiness. You’ve probably seen shelves full of self-help books, each touting to help you find happiness. There are also courses and programs promising the same. All these may make you wonder how happiness and health are really connected.
If people were to take a survey, they would probably rank improving productivity and success higher than boosting their happiness. This is partly because it’s our instinct to pursue things like success, fame, prestige, etc., more than our happiness.
However, a growing body of research is making a very convincing case about the importance of happiness in our lives, especially when it comes to our health. It turns out that happiness and health are closely associated.
To help you want to re-prioritize happiness, below are four ways happiness is good for your health.
Happiness makes your heart healthier
Research shows that happiness plays a role in improving heart health by lowering the heart rate and blood pressure. One study done in 2005 had participants rate their happiness several times over the course of a day. After 3 years, participants who reported being happier had better blood pressure and lower heart rates than their companions.
Unable to play video. HTML5 is not supported!
These effects add up over time and have a significant influence on heart health. For instance, a 2010 study with over 2000 Canadian participants asked them to rank how happy, angry or stressed they were at work using positive indicators like happiness, contentment, and enthusiasm. They were checked on a decade later, and researchers were surprised to find that those who had reported being happier were less likely to have developed coronary heart disease.
Boost…
The post How Your Happiness Is Related To Your Health appeared first on FeedBox.