| Walk With the Doc Saturday July 29th, 7:00 am Is Being Happier Healthier? For many, happiness is an elusive goal. This can be because of genetics, personal choices or unavoidable circumstances. Certainly, no one should expect to be happy all the time. Life has a way of happening unexpectedly with pleasantries and disappointments. Coworkers, family or friends can disappoint us. While we can’t change our genetics and may have little control over circumstances, we can control our choices and how we respond. While genetics affects our tendency to be happy, understanding how and why is a work in progress. Despite the lack of science to explain why we individually have a different ‘happiness set point’, there are a variety of strategies for improving our overall level of happiness. If you have fallen into an unhappiness rut, you may be ready to make changes that can make you feel happier. Granted many of these suggestions may sound like common sense. Still, these are the keys to feeling happier. ‘Keys to Happiness’ • Exercise regularly – hundreds of studies affirm the mental health benefits, especially for happiness. For most it’s better than any prescription medicine. • Cultivate a close personal relationship. Positive intimate relationships have a high correlation with happiness. • Devote more time to family and friends. It requires effort but pays in happiness. • Reflect daily on the good things in life. There is truth in the saying “…we become what we think about most of the time.” • Seek work that engages you in what you like and what you are good at. Get this right and you can flourish. • Give your body the rest it needs. • Don’t equate happiness with money. Most adapt to increased income with increased spending. Hence, the net benefits are often nil. The Hedonic Treadmill The hedonic treadmill is the observed tendency of humans to quickly return to a prior level of happiness despite major events in life. For example, as a person earns more, their expectations and desires are likely to also rise. The net result is no gain in happiness. This is probably why surveys of happiness since the 1950’s have shown no positive correlation between wealth and happiness. Moving to a new place is also problematic as a path to happiness. The dilemma is that while moving may provide a temporary increase in happiness, it may soon be perceived as the norm. For many, the limiting factor in happiness is lifestyle creep. As they have more to spend, they buy more. Unfortunately, few possessions bring long term happiness. For many, a wiser investment would be a life enhancing experience. That puts gaining an education, learning a new hobby and spending time with family and friends high on the list of wise investments. For some, a vacation is the answer. For the brave, try an exotic vacation. Subjective Well Being For another perspective on happiness, view Dr. Mike Evans’ four minute video, “The Science of Subjective Well Being, a.k.a Happiness.” For more perspective on what affects our happiness, the books “Flourish” and “Authentic Happiness” by Martin Seligman provide many insights from research about happiness and well- being. Both books are helpful guides in sorting through the facts and fiction in popular articles about how to be happier. And, both books are available from the public library. Is Happiness a Right? While the country’s founders may not have understood genetics they recognized that people can be quite different. The Constitution seems to reflect an understanding that we are not endowed with an equal ability to experience happiness. In recognition of this reality, the Constitution seems to encourage us to seek happiness through the choices we make. For the best results, that usually requires understanding and applying the ‘keys to happiness.’ The Benefits of Happiness Several benefits accompany happiness. Some have been mentioned, some are obvious and some may surprise you. How many do you benefit from? Social rewards • Higher odds of marriage • Lower odds on divorce • More friends • Stronger social support • Richer social interactions Superior work outcomes • Greater creativity • Increased productivity • Higher quality of work • Higher income • More activity, more energy Personal benefits • Bolstered immune system • Greater longevity • Greater self control and coping abilities Ready for a morning walk that can add happiness to your life? Why not join me Saturday morning? Nancy Neighbors, MD Let’s take a walk Date: Saturday, July 29th Location: Jones Family Park (see map) Time: 7:00 am (Meet in front of Yogurt Mt.) Yogurt Mt. is the last store at the end of Valley Bend Shopping Center). If cloudy, bring an umbrella, we walk come rain or shine. Click here for Dr. Neighbors’ 2017 news page If you would prefer to discontinue receiving ideas about healthy living from Dr. Neighbors please phone (256) 882-6085. |
