The idea that happiness and health go hand-in-hand is not new, but an increasing body of research confirms this connection. Happiness seems to have a protective effect on health. I have had patients who, despite challenging life circumstances, maintain an upbeat attitude and resilience that serves them well. On the other hand, prolonged unhappiness takes its toll on the body. Understanding these connections more deeply can help us prioritize happiness – both our own and those around us. Fostering well-being emerges as preventative care in its own right.
How Happiness Impacts Healthy Behaviors
Happy people are more likely to engage in behaviors that are good for overall health. For instance, those reporting more positive emotions tend to eat healthier diets full of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. They are more physically active and less sedentary. Happiness is also linked to better sleep quality and duration.
I often advise patients looking to establish healthier lifestyles that substantive change begins with the mindset. When you are feeling spirited and content, you will likely have more energy and motivation to meal prep, exercise regularly, and establish consistent sleep routines. Posts on social media projecting an image of “health” rarely highlight the underlying happiness enabling better self-care.
The Effect of Happiness on Heart Health
A growing body of research indicates that happiness protects cardiovascular health. This likely stems from both biological factors as well as the healthy behaviors mentioned above.
Population studies have found that more cheerful individuals have reduced risk for heart disease and stroke. Scientists believe that stress hormones released when people experience prolonged anxiety, depression, and anger can damage blood vessels and raise blood pressure. Happiness mitigates these effects – it may lower the production of stress hormones as well as substances that cause inflammation.
As a doctor, I always emphasize lifestyle changes that can improve patients’ heart health. But cultivating happiness emerges as preventative medicine for the heart as well. Things like strong social ties, community, gratitude, and purpose all seem protective against heart disease.
How Happiness May Strengthen Immunity
There are tantalizing clues that happiness strengthens the immune system and makes people less susceptible to illnesses. Studies indicate that happier individuals catch fewer colds. Researchers tracking susceptibility to the common cold exposed people to the rhinovirus and quarantined them for observation. Those reporting more positive emotions were substantially less likely to develop colds when exposed.
This may occur because positive emotions buffer the immunosuppressive effects of stress. During periods of anxiety and depression, processes like inflammation and high cortisol undermine immune function. In contrast, happiness appears to boost the activity of immune cells and antibodies that fight infection. Though more research is needed, deliberately cultivating positivity may be a proactive step people can take to fortify immunity.
The Positive Benefits of Pain Management
Here in my practice, I have long noticed a relationship between patients’ moods and their physical symptoms – including the severity of pain. Those who are depressed or lonely seem to suffer more intense and debilitating pain. On the other hand, patients who are in spirits manage pain better.
Clinical studies back up these observations. Participants who underwent experimental pain tests reported less pain when they were prompted to feel happy via suggestions of uplifting scenarios. fMRI imaging shows that the same painful stimulus triggers less activity in areas of the brain processing pain sensations when participants are experiencing joy. This reveals a biological basis for the link between happiness and pain perception.
Therefore when working with patients managing chronic pain, I emphasize that protecting one’s emotional well-being emerges as another avenue for coping. Whether through socializing, enjoyable hobbies, or seeking purpose, happiness helps dial down the body’s pain signals.
Happiness as Preventative Medicine
An increasing number of high-quality studies substantiate what I have observed in my years as a doctor – happiness seems to fortify us at a biological level. It empowers healthy behaviors, strengthens cardiovascular fitness, bolsters immunity, and even helps the body tolerate discomfort. Moreover, happiness confers resilience against stressors thrown our way by life.
Therefore, I suggest that happiness belongs right alongside diet and exercise as a central component of preventative medicine. Making intentional choices that spark joy, cultivate gratitude, foster social ties, and create meaning can help us thrive. Protecting both personal happiness and that of people we interact with may emerge as the most powerful health intervention.
At the end of life, people overwhelmingly regret not small indulgences but rather a lack of fulfillment in their relationships and life purpose. Perhaps the most vital prescription I can offer is simply this – seek out and cherish happiness in the everyday. Doing so serves both body and soul.
