Of course, material life is among them, but it is much easier to get it.
For a long time, we think that happiness and health are two relatively independent goals.
We know that if we are not healthy, we are likely to be unhappy, but we also know that even if we are not sick, we may be unhappy. But from the perspective of money, the survey results show that money can really bring us happiness, but there are certain limits. Those who struggle in the lower class will have a sense of satisfaction once they join the middle class. But those who grew up in middle-class families will not feel the same satisfaction even if they join the middle class.
For these middle classes, even if they suddenly become a member of the upper class or enjoy a luxurious life, they will not feel the surge of happiness.
The old saying may be true: the more money, the more problems. According to the survey of the poor in the third world, although they are not rich, in fact, they are often as happy as those who are well-fed and even rich. Moreover, simply positioning happiness as material pursuit is not a wise long-term strategy. You must have seen those depressed faces in the trading room when the stock price plummeted.
We need to further study a pair of relationships: the influence of happiness on our physical condition. If we have a positive attitude towards life, does it mean that our health will become better? Does a happy attitude make us look younger or keep us away from illness? Can a positive and healthy attitude towards life make us live longer?
Happy people do look healthier. In fact, keeping a happy attitude will also make you healthy.
Happiness, like a person's smoking habit, is an important factor affecting a person's health. Still worried about a heart attack or stroke? A happy attitude is the bane of these two diseases. Want to stay away from colds? A study shows that people who think they are happy are less likely to catch a cold if they are also infected with the cold virus. Even if they are infected with the virus, they seldom show cold symptoms. Are they always depressed?
Then you'd better see a doctor: research shows that depressed adults are 60% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than ordinary people. As for the reason, it is likely that the stress hormone cortisol causes the blood sugar to rise.
Even those poor people who are troubled by food, clothing, housing and transportation are closely related to their health. A study on 6.5438+0.5 million adults shows that a happy mood and a positive and optimistic attitude are more conducive to health than basic needs (water, food and shelter).
More interestingly, it seems that maintaining an optimistic attitude can even prolong life. But it only works for people who are already in good health. For unhealthy people, it seems to have no effect. We can compare happiness to a wholesome plastic sofa cover. It can protect your sofa, but it can't fix the existing problems. Those old people who can live independently, whether they live by themselves or with their families, may live longer as long as they keep a positive and optimistic attitude. For those old people who live on medical care, happiness seems to have nothing to do with life expectancy.
Judging from the above facts, happiness seems to be just a protective measure, which can't fundamentally solve the problem. The degree of control over your life and work will also affect your happiness, which in turn will affect your health.
For example, patients who have easy access to medical information are happier than those who do not. And those who have little control over their work or have little say in their performance seem to be more unhappy than others.
So, what can I do to make myself happier? Studies show that happiness can be cultivated and improved through meditation. Besides, some experiences, such as traveling, are more likely to make us happy in the long run than having more material wealth. In fact, the impact of happiness on health doesn't have to wait for many years to show up. As long as you keep an optimistic attitude for three years, it will play its role and you will easily find yourself healthier.