It may seem like it’s only unrest & gloom these days when we watch the news or read a newspaper. It is unwise to think we be happy every single moment in our lives but is being in a state of happiness out of reach? Absolutely not. Happiness is within our grab, but it is okay to occasionally become consumed with negative feelings. In those times, we must ask ourselves, Why Happiness is Important in Life? In today’s article, we’ll give you eight reasons why focusing on happiness in your life is essential.
Why Does Happiness Matter
1. Happiness Reduces Stress Level
When people experience stress, their levels of the hormone cortisol rise; cortisol is a significant part of our chemical structure, but in high amounts, it can cause health problems. These include high blood pressure, fatigue, muscle weakness, & mood swings. On the contrary, studies show that when you are happy, cortisol levels go down. If you are having a stressful lifestyle, indulge in those things that make you happy.
2. Happy People Are More Successful
We all know that “success makes us happy,” but actually, it is backward. Instead, being happy makes us more successful in life’s activities. Happy people have a higher possibility of acing job interviews & professional tasks, thus acquiring better positions. Happy people are more positively appraised by superiors & show higher efficiency & performance.
The same stands true for being better managers of others. Moreover, happiness makes us more dynamic employees while improving our aptitude for problem-solving. In an experiment performed by economists at the University of Warwick, UK, researchers found that those prepared for happiness were 12% more dynamic. While on the job, happy employees are less prone to show work burnout & disorderly behavior.
3. Happy People Maintain Better Relationships
If you are still wondering Why Happiness is Important in Life, consider this. Another vital aspect of life is nurturing old & new relationships ranging from friendships to romantic associations. Relationships have been proven to be the most significant factor for the continuance of the human species.
Happy people can have better social support and more friends & are usually more satisfied with group activities & friendships. The happier people are likely to have the highest-quality relationships, are less jealous, & share stronger bonds with family members & friends.
This is particularly true for marriage. There is a prominent link between happiness & satisfaction in marriage. Those with more happiness are likely to be more satisfied with their partner. Like upholding great relationships with our friends & family members, happiness boosts a good marriage, & the reward can be marvelous. Happy people are more liberal in that we are more willing to compromise & put extra effort for our friends, family, & life partner.
4. Happiness Makes You More Creative
Happier people are not only more dynamic, but they are also more creative. Studies have proven a connection between positive thinking & an acceptance of new ideas & experiences. Some researchers have claimed that as someone’s mood becomes more positive, they are capable of seeing more possible solutions to creative challenges.
This goes against the “tortured artist” banality. While the artist community is likely to have higher rates of mental illness like depression & anxiety, there is little confirmation that unhappiness is what boosts creativity.
5. Happy People Are Healthier
Happy people have proven to sustain better physical health, have fewer hospital & emergency room visits, & fewer repulsive physical symptoms. Also, they tend to use less medication, resulting in fewer work absences. Better health naturally relates to less overall physical pain.
Likewise, happy people have better mental health & have fewer symptoms related to mental ailments like schizophrenia, hypochondriasis, anxiety, social phobia, & depression. Many of these mental health issues are caused by substance abuse problems, so happy people are less expected to have a history of drug abuse.
Additionally, happy people are much more flexible than unhappy individuals. Flexibility is our capability to bounce back & recover from demanding situations. The goal of happiness is to make the most of good times & effectively manage the bad times we all experience. The result of this is living the best life possible, despite of harshness of the situation.
To be happy, we should learn to jump back up on the horse after falling & returning more robust than ever. This means eradicating the negative feelings piling on us during or after a challenging situation.
Furthermore, evidence shows that negative emotions & common unhappiness can be harmful to our health. While there is considerable research on the subject, it is easy to determine that happiness positively affects our immune systems.
Studies have found that those with the most positive emotions are less likely to get sick. This could also be due to other aspects or motivating ourselves to exercise, eat healthily, & maintaining a good mood.
6. Happy People Are More Generous
Happy people are naturally more prosocial, which means they have a higher penchant for helping others. There is a strong link between feeling happy & doing something good for the community or the world. That means higher participation in volunteering than unhappy people, joining community service, religious, health-related, & socio-political groups, & giving back to charity.
Not only helping others make us feel good but happy people frequently share their good fortune with unhappy people. Happy people want to make the world a better place for everyone.
7. Happiness Increases Output at Work:
Based on many researches, happier employees take fewer days off work, use fewer sick days, and are likely to be more productive. Happy people are also much better at problem-solving, which is an essential skill in a workplace. This information proves how significant it is for companies & organizations to invest in their employees’ happiness. It is good for business.
8. Happy People Live Longer
Logic states that if happiness positively impacts our health, it will also extend our life. One study was conducted that found a connection between the life expectancy of a group of Catholic nuns & their preliminary emotions when they first started at the convent.
The happiest nuns lived 7-10 years longer than the unhappy nuns. This is one of many studies that confirm happiness is a significant component of longer lives. People with the habit of regular exercise, eating healthy, lower stress, finding creative means, & nurturing healthy relationships live longer & healthy lives.
Conclusion
The benefits of being happy comprise being more successful & better performance at work. Happy people are wealthier & more successful & possess higher creativity & efficiency.
Science proves that happiness is advantageous & that happier people are kinder, more helpful, physically healthier, mentally more flexible, & enjoy better relationships & marriages. The science in question is Positive Psychology – a branch of psychology that can help us to understand Why Happiness is Important in Life?
Research in this area, ranging from the late 1990s to the present, has proved that happiness offers many short-term & long-term benefits. Every day, new research reveals more advantages of happiness.
