Happiness & Health

The definition of happiness could differ between people, since people might feel happy due to different reasons. However, it can be defined, in general, as the continuous life appreciation as a whole and the increasing of positive emotions over the negative ones.

How does happiness affect mental health

• Despite the fact that happiness doesn’t cure mental disorders, it’s capable of enhancing mental health in general, in addition to decreasing the effect of negative emotions, such as depression, anxiety, and stress; in that, the effect of happiness has been studied on people with depression and it’s been observed its positive impact on them.
• Negative emotions make a biological effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in the brain, which leads to increasing cortisol hormone, sympathetic stimulation, and inflammatory markers, which, in turn, lead to those feelings. Happiness makes a reverse effect on this axis, and that reduces the rate and effect of these negative emotions.
• We can observe this biological effect of happiness on reducing stress by seeing that some people feel good despite going through stressful events or suffering from certain things.

How does happiness affect physical health

• Given that happiness helps reduce cortisol and inflammatory markers, then that, in turn, leads to reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, increasing the levels of positive cholesterol (HDL), and higher levels of immunoglobulin A (part of the immune system in the body), in addition to improving the quality of sleep. Moreover, it’s been noticed that happiness makes people tend to follow healthier habits and lifestyles.
• Furthermore, several studies have proven that happiness isn’t only acquired, yet 35-50% of it in people is genetic.

Factors that affect happiness

• Age: aging affects happiness because it generally makes it decrease.
• Interpersonal relationships: married and in-a-relationship people are happier, and of course this relies on the quality of these relationships.
• Economic status: in general, good economic status increases happiness more.
• Religiosity: it’s been observed that people who present themselves as religious, regardless of the religion, are happier and healthier.
• Volunteering and altruism: helping people has a positive effect on health and happiness, and it also leads to longevity.
• Educational level and IQ: these factors are positively connected with happiness.
• Physical activity: sports and leisure activities promote happiness.
• Health: the relationship between health and happiness is correlated, since good health also increases happiness.

How do we promote happiness

It’s been observed that there are five essential features in happy people that should be promoted to increase happiness, which are:

• Positive emotions, which means being optimistic as much as possible.
• Social engagement.
• Healthy relationships.
• Having a meaning and purpose for life.
• Achievements.