By Darla Heath, Development & Volunteer Coordinator for Meadows Communities
I am a happy person. I am sure of this by the joy I feel in my heart and because people frequently tell me I’m the happiest person they know. Happy people often fall under suspicion. I am frequently asked how I can be so happy. The answer is that I’ve made a conscious decision to be happy, and that I’ve found strategies that cultivate my happiness.
There are many health benefits to being happy, and there is a body of research backing the argument that being happy results in better health. This research has proven that negative emotions harm the body, and that sustained stress can eventually lead to heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Laura Kubzansky, a professor at the Harvard Medical School of Pediatric Health found that emotional vitality-enthusiasm, hopefulness, engagement in life, and emotional balance appears to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.
Other studies prove that happiness strengthens the immune system, combats stress, and reduces aches and pains. Happiness is also associated with improvements in chronic diseases as well.
Is it nature or nurture that creates happiness? Kubzansky’s research concludes that 40 to 50 percent of happiness is a result of being born with the “happy gene.” She also found that happiness can be cultivated, and it is never too late to choose happiness.
There are many ways to cultivate happiness, such as listening to music and being around positive people. Below are some of the other key strategies I use to cultivate happiness:
Accept Yourself
Accept your appearance, strengths, and weaknesses. Be true to your beliefs and engage in activities that connect with your values and capitalize on your strengths.
Forgive Others
Forgiving others is very freeing. Failure to forgive is more detrimental to your own well-being than that of the other person. If there is someone you need to forgive or who asks your forgiveness, find a way to give it. It may be helpful to put the hurt into words. Then shred it, burn it, or write it on a balloon and pop it.
Let Go of the Past
Every one of us makes mistakes and poor decisions. Let go of the past, forgive yourself and look to the future. It is helpful to learn from past mistakes, but dwelling on them takes the joy from today.
Replace Worry with Gratitude
Worrying was once my greatest past time, but it is a past time that wastes a great deal of energy with no outcome. We cannot wish away concerns or keep the tragic things that we can conjure up in our heads from happening.
There’s a saying that worry robs today of its strength. It keeps you from being present and interferes with enjoying the only time we have, which is right now. Replace worrying with being grateful for the good things in life.
Serve Others
Research shows that volunteering a minimum of 40 hours per year yields health benefits. Serving others releases hormones in our brains that contribute to happiness. Not only does volunteering increase happiness and improve our health, but it can increase longevity also.
Whether we are born with the “happy gene” or not, each of us has the power to cultivate our own happiness. We may think other people or possessions make us happy, but this is only for a short time. For true, long-term happiness and improved health, find the keys to your own happiness; cultivate them and live joyfully.
Meadows offers a full range of senior living options — Independent Living, Independent Living Plus!, Assisted Living, Memory Care, Respite Care, and Achieve! Wellness and Rehab Therapy — with two locations: Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community in Chenoa, and Meadows at Mercy Creek in Normal. To learn more about senior living options at Meadows, visit meadowscommunities.org or contact Holly Hall at 309-268-1501.