6 Ways Happiness is Good for Your Health

A recent study revealed that only 38% of Americans claim they’re satisfied in life. Yet, being satisfied doesn’t mean they’re happy; they’re just satisfied.

So you can assume that the number of people who consider themselves happy might be even less than this percentage. However, happiness is something that affects your health. Did you know that?

Your level of satisfaction, contentment, and happiness affects your health in good or bad ways. Are you interested in learning how being happier can make you healthier?

Then, read this guide to learn six surprising ways happiness improves your health.

1. Boosts the Immune System

Your immune system plays a massive role in your health. Therefore, finding ways to boost your immune system helps you stay healthier. 

You can boost your immune system by exercising, eating right, and taking supplements. However, did you know that being happy also boosts your immune system?

Happiness makes you feel better and leads to lower stress levels. The result is a healthier brain and body. In addition, your body can fight germs, illnesses, and viruses easier when you’re happy. 

Therefore, happiness might lead to fewer colds, illnesses, and diseases. It might also help you get through sicknesses faster. 

A stronger immune system is essential for good health, and good health also leads to higher happiness levels. So it’s a win-win situation. 

2. Decreased Aches and Pains

Many people base their feelings on their circumstances in life. So when things go well, they feel good and happy. But when things go wrong, they feel sad and discontent.

Did you know that basing your happiness on your life circumstances will almost always lead to discontentment? Of course, life throws curveballs when you least expect them, but you don’t have to let them get you down.

Finding happiness is a choice, and another health benefit it offers is decreased aches and pains. Experts believe that several things cause this:

• Happiness boosts the immune system
• A strong immune system fights sicknesses
• A strong immune system also fights aches and pains
• Happy people live healthier lifestyles
• Healthy choices in life lead to fewer health issues

As you see, there are many correlations between happiness and feeling good.

Feeling happy leads to a higher quality of life with fewer health issues, so finding ways to improve your quality of life might also help you become happier. Of course, all these things have correlations.

3. Improves Heart Health

Heart health is vital for good health, as your heart controls everything in your body. Yet, heart problems are common, especially in middle-aged and older people. 

For example, the CDC reports that around 47% of American adults suffer from high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases a person’s risk of heart attacks, heart disease, and strokes. 

Therefore, if you want to be healthier, you’ll need to find ways to improve your heart health. Healthy living is one way to do this, but being happy is also helpful.

When you’re happy, you’re healthier both physically and mentally. Happiness tends to motivate people to care for themselves by exercising and eating right. Therefore, happy people tend to have healthier hearts. 

4. Decreases Stress 

Most people experience stress in their lives, yet controlling your stress level is vital for your health. But why is this? 

Each time you feel stressed out in life, your brain releases stress hormones and chemicals. These chemicals try to regulate the brain but can leave you feeling tired and miserable. Additionally, they weaken the immune system.

As a result, living with high stress leads to health issues. Stress also affects a person’s mental health. 

As you see, stress is hard on your body and mind. It can interfere with your motivation, drive, and contentment, making you unhappy and miserable. 

However, when you feel happy, your brain releases “feel-good” hormones, which help you feel happier, motivated, and great.

Therefore, feeling happy helps you overcome stress. Likewise, lowering your stress helps you feel happier. 

5. Increases Life Expectancy

People who live happy lives tend to live longer, and studies prove this theory. There are several explanations that might help you understand how this works.

First, happy people live healthier lifestyles, face fewer illnesses, and feel more driven. As you’ve seen so far in this article, happiness leads to an improved immune system and decreased heart problem risks.

The result of these things is a healthier body, and healthier bodies tend to last longer than unhealthy bodies. 

Secondly, happy people tend to do things in life that lead to increased satisfaction.

When you feel happier, you might be more prone to spending time with other people. This is because spending time with people improves relationships, and living with great relationships improves your happiness. 

6. Makes Your Life Better

If you long to live a healthier life, you’ll need to find ways to be happier. Being happier improves your physical and mental wellness and leads to a better life. 

Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. It can present you with challenging situations, tough decisions, and problems to address. However, you don’t have to let these things affect your mental and physical health.

Instead, you can work on developing a different outlook in your life. You can view life from a different lens and find ways to be happier.

In the end, you’ll live a healthier, longer, and happier life if you find ways to increase your happiness in your life right now. 

Finding Happiness Promotes Good Health

Happiness isn’t easy to achieve when life throws difficult and challenging circumstances at you. But you can find ways to increase your happiness if you’re proactive and intentional.

Do you want to live a healthier life? Then, you might want to find ways to improve your satisfaction, contentment, and happiness in life. One way is by reading other articles on our site, so check out our blog today.