There has been some amazing research done on the connection between being happy and being healthy, and the results are clear — happy people live longer.
In one study, researchers gave small doses of the flue to patients between the ages of 18 and 55 who had been screened on their level of happiness as well as other factors of well-being. They found that people who were happier produced less mucous and had fewer symptoms, and were therefore less affected by the flu than unhappy people.
And that’s not the only study that’s came to similar results. A 30-year study of 447 people at the Mayo Clinic found that optimists had around a 50 percent lower risk of early death than pessimists.
“[M]ind and body are linked and attitude has an impact on the final outcome — death,├óΓé¼┬¥ said a researcher.
Another study compared elderly who felt that people became useless as they aged with elderly who believed old people retained their usefullness in society. Those who felt they were useful lived an average of 7.5 years longer,
Scientists seem to agree that the connection between your mental state and physical health comes down to stress. People who are happier experience less stress, and less stress is good for you.
The bottom line is this: Be happy. Find things that make you happy and pursue them. If something or someone is causing you constant grief, take steps to remove it from your life. You are in charge of your own happiness! No one else can do it for you!
[Image via WENN.]
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