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Health benefits of simply being happy

Happiness improves boosts your immunity and improves your diet choices.

Photo credit: shutterstock

What you need to know:

  • Happiness can boost your immunity and help fight illness.
  • It also encourages a healthy lifestyle by making good choices like eating nutritious food and exercising.


Young adults are juggling school, work, relationships, and a million other things. It is no wonder so many of them feel overwhelmed and stressed out. Stress can take a serious toll on your health.

Unhappy people are more likely to suffer from health problems like heart disease, depression, and anxiety.

Here is why happy people are actually healthier than their unhappy counterparts.

Boosted immunity

Everyone knows that happiness is a good thing. But did you know that happiness can actually provide significant health benefits? That's right – being happy can boost your immunity and help you fight illness.

The happiest people have a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline. And it makes sense – when you are happy, your body is better able to fight infection and illness.

So next time you are feeling down, remember your health may be at stake.

Lower stress levels

Stress is one of the biggest health hazards. It can cause all sorts of problems, from headaches and stomachaches to lack of sleep and anxiety.

But what if someone told you that happiness could reduce stress levels?

Happy people have lower stress levels than those who are unhappy. This is because happiness is a buffer against stress.

When you are happy, your body releases "happy hormones" like serotonin and dopamine, which help to reduce stress levels.

So next time you feel overwhelmed, take a few minutes to relax and be happy. It may just help lower your stress levels.

Encourages a healthy lifestyle

One of the best things about happiness is that it encourages a healthy lifestyle. When you are happy, you are more likely to make healthy choices like eating nutritious food, exercising, and getting enough sleep.

This is because happy people are more motivated to care for their health and well-being.

On the other hand, when sad or stressed, people are more likely to make unhealthy choices like eating junk food, smoking, and drinking alcohol.

This is because when you are unhappy, you are more likely to turn to unhealthy behaviours to cope with your feelings.

So next time you are feeling down, make sure to get active and eat healthily. It will help improve your mood and your health.

Being happy may prolong the life

Ok, this one may be a bit of a stretch, but it is still worth mentioning. It is believed that happiness may actually prolong life. How? By reducing stress levels and encouraging a healthy lifestyle, happiness keeps the body in good shape and prevents disease.

Stress levels have been linked to all sorts of health problems, from heart disease to depression. And unhealthy lifestyles have been linked to a whole host of diseases, from obesity to diabetes. So, it is not hard to see how happiness could prolong life.