Community Corner
Happiness the Key to Better Health and Lower Health Care Costs
Happiness much like exercise takes work and planning
It has been scientifically proven that anyone can reduce the cost of their healthcare by just taking care of themselves with diet and exercise; Just by simply reducing your overall body mass by 5-10%. You may ask how does this impact the cost of my healthcare? Well by changing your body, you can reduce your risk for heart disease, some cancers, and diabetes. Along with changes to your physical well-being, there is another factor that can make a significant impact. Can you answer “Yes” to this statement: “I am truly happy, satisfied with my life, and feel as if I have purpose in life.” If you truly answered with a resounding “Yes”, you could be extending your life and reducing your risk for disease.
During the study of disease prevention, the emergence of the happiness factor has been brought to the forefront. As a definition, by the study of Positive Psychology, happiness is defined as a continuum and not a constant, finding a meaningful existence with purpose and action.
In the book “The How to Happiness, A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want”, it is an examination of what science has learned from happiness. Sonja Lyubomirsky has found that happiness is a process and can be found within yourself, “it takes work” like fitness and exercise. The reality of today’s health issues often focus on the prevention of disease with diet and exercise, however the forgotten factor can be the lack of satisfaction or happiness in life. In order to sustain true happiness, it is like living a life with physical exercise, it takes drive and commitment; in other words “intentional, effortful activity.”
Lyubomirsky outlines 12 key actions that can lead you to greater happiness.
- Expressing gratitude
- Cultivating optimism
- Avoiding over thinking and social comparison
- Practicing acts of kindness
- Nurturing relationships
- Developing strategies for coping
- Learning to forgive
- Doing more activities that truly engage you
- Savoring life’s joys
- Committing to your goals
- Practicing religion and spirituality
- Taking care of your body
Another book on the subject, “Happiness:Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth”, concluded that “All of these different kinds of studies point to the same conclusion: that health and longevity in turn are influenced by mood states.” They also concluded that people with positive emotion are less likely to get a cold or the flu. So just by changing your state of mind, your perspective on life experiences you could avoid a life of suffering from disease.
As this research indicates, working on your health, requires you to include your happiness factor into the equation. However, being happy is not a constant it takes work and devotion much like putting together the right exercise and healthy eating plan. Making an effort on a daily basis means dealing with the required work. If you take into account the steps that Lyubomirsky outlines as a part of your daily work, you can be that much closer to preventing the incidence of disease and living a long quality life.
