.The Amazing Benefits of Happiness
March 8, 2021
All too often, many people think of happiness as a self-indulgent emotion—warm fuzzies and spine-tingling sensations that merely delight oneself at the moment.
Yet, there is a growing science showing the amazing benefits of being happy. It spills over to many important aspects of life and helps us in many ways.
In our United Nations World Happiness Report, my co-authors and I reviewed all the positive benefits of being happy on “The Objective Benefits of Subjective Well-Being.”
Here were some of the takeaways:
- It can improve your relationships: People like being around happy people. Happier people give more to others.
- It can enhance your productivity: You produce more when put in a positive mood.
- It can promote better health behaviors: Happier people engage in more exercise
- It can lead to better immune functioning: Happier people are more resistant to colds and even experience faster-wound healing
- And it predicts greater longevity! Yes – happier people live longer.
Knowing this, I encourage us to rethink our notion of happiness – especially for those of us who relish the dour and morose. Happiness is not a self-indulgent emotion. It serves an essential function in our lives.
Would you be willing to take steps to improve happiness in your life? You may start seeing benefits beyond the fleeting rush of positivity.
Be well,
Louis
Dr. Louis Tay
Tay is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences. He has expertise in well-being, assessments, and data science. Be sure to check back each week for another wellness tip of the week!
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- Well-Being Tips 2021 Archive
- Reimagining Boredom
- Growth Mindsets in Online Learning
- Feeling Inadequate When Comparing With Others
- Asking for Help
- Staying Active During a Pandemic
- Interrupted Work and Stress
- You Don’t Need to Feel Grateful to be Grateful
- The Amazing Benefits of Happiness
- Opening Up for Healing
- Persisting and Overcoming Challenges
- Obsessing Over Happiness: A Self-Defeating Exercise
- Overcoming Challenges One Step at a Time
- Happiness in Seeking the Welfare of Others
- Exercising Toward Greater Happiness
- Exams: Failing Does Not Mean You Are a Failure
- Beyond Mental Health: The Science of Well-Being
- Navigating the New Academic Year with Community
- Optimizing Your Goals
- Pursuing Both Imminent and Long-Term Goals
- Have a Productive Discussion With Someone You Disagree With
- Attitudes and Mindsets that Support Success
- Reading With Purpose: A Personal Reflection
- Being Happy at Work: More Than Money
- Sports and Physical Activity
- Effect of Spending Time Outdoors on Well-Being
- Engaging in Team Sports for Greater Well-Being
- Social Media Use and Unhappiness: Part I
- Social Media Use and Unhappiness: Part II
- Gratitude for Achievements and Successes
- Learning to be Okay with Uncertainty
- Growth Mindsets in our Relationships