Why happiness equals better health and a longer life
Sophie Scott is the national medical reporter for ABC, in addition to being a prominent public speaker. Sophie has won numerous awards for excellence in journalism and is the author of two books, Live a Longer Life and Roadtesting Happiness.
Scientists know that happiness can affect physical health from boosting the immune system to reducing the risk of diseases such as heart disease. But exactly why your state of mind has such an effect on the rest of the body isn’t clear. One explanation could be that happy people produce less of the stress hormone “cortisol”, which is known to dampen the immune system.
Another study, known as the Nuns Study, backed up the theory that positive attitude aids longevity. Researchers followed 678 nuns from six convents in the United States. Looking at essays the nuns had written on entering the convent, they found those who were more positive when they entered the convent lived significantly longer, as much as ten years, than those who were less optimistic.
Some researchers have found a direct link between positive attitude and how quickly people age physically. University of Texas researchers found those people with an upbeat view of life were less likely to feel physically frail or aged, than those who were more pessimistic “Those who had a positive outlook on life were significantly less likely to become frail,” according to lead researcher Glenn Ostir.
So if positive thoughts can make such a difference to living a happier, longer life, why aren’t we all doing it? Many people aren’t aware of the link between optimism and health and as a result, most people don’t see it as a priority. Most people don’t see that there are significant benefits that can come from thinking more optimistically. “We are a society with a materialistic focus,” Dr Tim Sharp says. “We all want the bigger car, house and television, but in our quest for that, we overlook important things like thinking about your state of mind,” he says. The path to happiness requires discipline, and people find that difficult to grasp. They think it’s something that should come naturally, instead of something we have to work at.
Dozens of studies have shown that the things we believe will bring us happiness, such as a promotion or a new car, won’t raise your feelings of joy for long. Dr Daniel Gilbert is a leading happiness expert from Harvard University. His studies asked university students to report on positive or negative events in the past year. He found within three months of something happening (whether good or bad), the effect on people’s wellbeing was negligible. He believes that while major events such as the death of a spouse can last for years, for most people, the emotional benefits from external events is short lived.
There is growing research that seeking happiness through possessions and material goals, won’t lead to a more fulfilled life. Many studies show that people who focus on experiences such as being with friends and family, doing satisfying work or being creative, will end up happier than those who focus on goals such as making more money.
Research by Edward Diener of the University of Illinois has found after basic needs are fulfilled, higher income doesn’t equate to greater happiness levels. Studies by Edward Diener and Martin Seligman found university students who rated themselves as happiest had the strongest ties to family and friends.
Their studies examined the characteristics of the highest 10 percent of college students in terms of happiness. A paper published in the journal Psychological Science looked at 222 undergraduate college students, comparing the top 10 per cent who were consistently happy to the bottom 10 per cent. “The very happy people are highly social, with strong romantic and other social relationships, compared to less happy groups,” they wrote. They were more outgoing, more agreeable and less neurotic. The happiest group was not more religious nor did they report that more ‘good events’ happened to them. “The happiest group experienced positive, but not ecstatic feelings, most of the time, and they did report occasional negative moods. This suggests that very happy people do have a functioning emotion system that can react appropriately to life events,” the authors said.
Case study: Vera W, 91
Vera was my 91-year-old grandmother. I think one of the main reasons for her good health and longevity was her positive attitude and her overall zest for life. She was someone who was in excellent physical health until her 90s. So much so that she was able to live at home, unassisted until she was 90.
She was passionate about many things in life, including cooking, gardening and her family and friends. Mentally I don’t think she ever felt old. She would refer to people who were younger than her as ‘elderly’. I don’t think she ever thought about her age or ever saw herself as old. She certainly never felt dependent on others. With a large clan of grandchildren and great grandchildren, she was very interested in young people and the lives of people around her. And she had a resilience and enthusiasm for life that was infectious. She had many passions, with cooking at the top of her list. She would cut out recipes and send them to her family to try, as well as perfecting her own recipes which became family favourites. She lived a life of balance and peace and was happy despite out-living two husbands. Her spirit of optimism rubbed off on those around her. Maybe that is one of the reasons she lived such as long and happy life.
This is an extract from Sophie Scott’s Live A Longer Life. To purchase the book, please visit Sophie’s website here.
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