Happiness Is Good For Your Health

Happiness is an elusive quality to quantify and look at from a strictly scientific point of view.  The definition of happiness according to the dictionary is “a state of well being and contentment ; joy”.

When looking at surrounding circumstances that we equate with happiness, we think of wealth, health and youth.  Yet, none of these factors equate into happiness.

So, what does bring joy and happiness into most people’s lives?  A social network of family ties and long lasting quality friendships is one key ingredient to happiness and also key to avoiding depression.

An attitude of gratitude is always consistent with a more fulfilling joyful life.  The old adage of counting your blessings every day really does make you feel more contented and helps you find pleasure in the simpler little joys of life.

Always longing for more material possessions will leave you feeling short changed in life and will lead to envy and resentment towards those that possess more than you do.  Money, by itself, does not lead to happiness.

As long as your basic needs are met, such as food, shelter and clothing, any added material goods or wealth will not add to your level of happiness.  Generally speaking, people who volunteer and use their talents for the greater good of their community will tend to be happier types of people.

An effort to be kind in your words and deeds will pave the way to feelings of contentment and peace.  Stress is a constant factor in all of our lives and none of us can escape this fact of life whether we are a happy or a gloomy type of a person.

Finding creative ways of dealing with stress through spirituality, exercise, yoga, hobbies and even humor can help to keep you more positive and cope better.Happiness does go hand in hand with a stronger immune system and a longer life expectancy.

A lot of the reasoning scientifically for this fact is that happy people tend to have better health habits and take better care of themselves.  A happy person is more likely to exercise and less likely to engage in habits such as smoking or drinking excessively.

Emphasizing positive social interactions can help to keep a person happy.  Learning to forgive quickly and easily will help you to better cope with anger and to move on with your life.  Holding grudges and hanging on to your anger will only make you an unhappy person.

Spending as much time as possible with family and friends is mentally beneficial for your happiness.  Making it a point to thank people for any help or kindness will make your life more pleasant.  Bad things do occur in everyone’s life at some time.

The loss of a loved one or any major setback emotionally or financially will cause anyone to be unhappy for some time.  However, if you are an optimistic happier type of person, you will be more likely to move through these rough patches in life with better coping skills in place.