Most of the posts here on the Zenith Labs blog are about health conditions and their potential solutions, but today I’d like to talk about happiness. Health and happiness are mutually exclusive, which is no surprise. You can make small choices in life without immediately understanding how they will completely change the trajectory of your life and happiness going forward.
Why are we talking about happiness? I value happiness both for myself and my patients. Recently, I was in a grocery store and saw a Time magazine article about the state of happiness in human beings. Dedicated researchers and scientists looked at the commonalities worldwide on how people can experience and create more happiness in their lives. There are several contributing components for happiness to familiarize yourself with.
The Key To Happiness | Doctor Shelton’s advice
Geography
Geography and where you live can either help or hinder your happiness. Some studies show that the economics of gross domestic products (GDP) of a country can increase happiness. Some northern European countries are rated as the happiest countries on Earth because the GDP per capita is quite high. This can translate to many years of healthy life expectancy and freedom to make decisions independently, both of which encourage happiness in individuals.
Generosity
Generosity fosters happiness in your own life. Making a point of giving back on regularly feeds into your happiness, and also fights the perception of corruption or danger in your life. Being generous comes back around multiple times and encourages happiness.
Sleep
Something as simple as sleep has a dramatic impact on your emotional wellbeing. If you’re not getting an average of eight hours of sleep each night, I encourage you to start immediately. 42% of Americans get less than the recommended eight hours of sleep per day, which encourages happiness in your life.
Exercise and Being Outdoors
Exercise and spending time outdoors can increase happiness. Exercise boosts endorphins and being outside increases the amount of Vitamin D your skin produces from the sun, both improving your overall health. Being outdoors also increases serotonin levels in the brain, which many psychiatrists say is the ‘happy’ neurotransmitter. Heading outdoors for a walk in the park or the woods will easily boost serotonin levels.
Good Posture
Studies have shown that people who pay attention to correct posture are more enthusiastic and excited through daily life. Having good posture means standing tall, pulling back your shoulders, and pushing your chest out. Staying mindful of your body decreases your likelihood of being passive, sleepy, fearful, and intimidated. Smiling is another easy action that increases positivity and in many studies has been shown to lower blood pressure.
There are a few other factors that feed your happiness. 40% of your experience is due to behavioural changes and the choices you make. 50% is genetics, which you can’t control. 10% is circumstance such as your geographic location or economic circumstance. Life is happening for you, not to you, so it’s important to understand the things you can change to create more happiness.
Creating Your Happiness
People who do simple things to create happiness in their lives also end up improving their heart health, strengthening their immune system, and reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Focusing on happiness also makes it easier to maintain a healthy weight, manage chronic pain, and increase the longevity of life.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the idea of creating your happiness, remember that every master in the beginning was a disaster. Start by identifying what things will foster happiness in your life and making a few simple changes.
If you’re an introvert, you may not enjoy the work of creating relationships, being vulnerable in front of other people, or talking about your feelings and your health. I believe in something called the collective consciousness and the idea that we’re all in this together. If you can tap into that collective consciousness, be vulnerable, and create shared experiences with other people, it will go a long way in creating happiness in your life.
If you still struggle with the idea of being vulnerable, remember that we are here because of creation. Create something by writing down your thoughts, grow a garden build a bicycle, or make art. Keep it simple and just create something that has never been created before, and it will feed into your happiness.
There will be challenges and obstacles in creating your happiness such as doubt, skepticism, restlessness, and worry. Creating something will help you feel like you’re contributing something to the collective consciousness and fight those negative feelings.
Everyone craves happiness, wellbeing, and great health, and you can have that for yourself through creativity and connectivity to community.
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I believe in the original meaning of the word doctor, ‘docere’, which means teacher. I’m here to help educate you on how to take care of yourself in ways that you may not have heard of before, but that are effective. I always want to hear your ideas and feedback so be sure to leave me comments below!
