Nearly everyone wants to be happy in life. Most people do things that they believe will help them to relax, have fun, and enjoy life. While this tendency is only natural, being happy can actually help you live longer.
Stress Kills Early
The opposite of being happy is living constantly with a lot of stress. Stress will take years off of your life because it has a strong impact on your body, your moods, and your behavior. This can result in physical symptoms that may include high blood pressure, headaches, stomach issues, chest pain, asthma, arthritis, depression, and insomnia.
Although some stress is normal and can be positive, unrelieved stress can lead to more serious health problems. It is believed that up to 90% of all doctor visits are the result of stress. People may also start – or increase – their use of cigarettes, drugs, or alcohol to attempt to relieve stress – which can create even more problems. More serious problems that result from ongoing stress can include heart attack, stroke, abnormal heart rhythms, sexual dysfunction, mental health problems, and many more.
Become More Optimistic
Stress is often caused by focusing on problems and doing so in a negative way. This can push aside the positive things that occur in your life, allowing you to only see the negative.
Changing the way you think, along with taking a few steps to change your outlook, can help you become more happy and help you live longer. It will also help to lower your risk of disease, enabling you to focus and accomplish more at work and in life in general.
Happiness Is a Byproduct
Very few people are happy because they seek it. Instead, you need to seek to develop purpose by helping other people and do things you enjoy – whether work or hobbies – or both. You also need to do things that will keep you healthy and strong. – which will give you a better sense of well-being.
Tips for Developing Happiness
- Start thinking about the positive things in your life. Instead of going to sleep with problems on your mind, take time before going to sleep to focus on the positive.
- Be grateful. Being grateful helps you look for the positive things in life that people do to and for you. It will also help you think of ways to encourage and help others – getting your focus off of yourself and your problems.
- Choose positive friends. Negative friends will not help you develop a more positive outlook on life. Find friends that are positive and it will help you develop positive attitudes.
- Let go of grudges. Keeping grudges will keep you stressed and it will harm your health in the long run. Forgive that offense and individual and forget about it. You will be happier for it.
- Get regular exercise. Some researchers believe that exercise alone is the greatest factor that will enable you to live longer. When you exercise, it produces endorphins, which will help you feel good and have less pain.
- Develop a sense of purpose. Find a good reason to do what you do and what you are living for each day. Make it a worthwhile purpose that involves befitting others.
- Be alert to harmful habits. If you have harmful habits, such as overeating, smoking, drugs, alcohol, or being idle for hours on end, you need to reduce and even eliminate all of them if you can. If you need help, seek it. Find alternative things that are good and that will help you relax. You will feel better with healthier habits.
