Happiness and Health

New research suggests that happiness can make you healthier. Positive vibes are linked to a stronger body and mind together with a more satisfied life. Following are “science-backed” tips to find more joy in your life!

1. Explore life without social media. Yes, symptoms of anxiety correspond to the amount of time you spend on social media per day. Constant exposure and interaction with friends may be taking a toll on your psyche. Take a short break to improve your mood and life satisfaction.
2. Buy free time. Occasionally order delivery or hire someone to do a chore. People feel happy saving time and eliminating something they don’t want to do.
3. Embrace your positive emotions; be enthusiastic, amused, interested or inspired by something each day. Infuse your life with positive emotions to reduce the risk of illness.
4. Cultivate forgiveness and let go of grudges to take the edge off of stress. People with the greatest stressors have the worse mental and physical health. Researchers found that people who forgive themselves and others eliminate the connection between stress and mental illness.
5. Plan a stress-free vacation. Plan well, take a break, have alone time – whatever it takes to come back feeling happier and more productive.
6. Explore nature and visit green space. It doesn’t have to be a forest; a backyard, neighborhood park, or a tiny local green space can make you feel satisfied, giving you better mental health.
7. Be close with friends. As you age, friends become more important to health and happiness. Supportive friendships in old age are a better predictor of well-being than having strong family connections. Could be that unlike family, we can choose our friends. According to William Chopik, assistant professor of psychology at Michigan State University, “The important thing is having people you can rely on, for the good times as well as the bad.”
8. Do random acts of kindness. These acts make everyone happier with givers reporting big emotional boosts, greater than those of the recipient. “Humans are wired to give,” says Harry Reis, professor of psychology at the University of Rochester. From: TIME, October 2, 2017.