Happiness: live happily to live longer
Repeated like a mantra, happiness would be within everyone’s reach. To be happy, everyone would have their own recipe. These will also be the subject of a new program “Secrets of happiness” broadcast this Tuesday evening on France 2. Being happy would therefore be easy … but what is the point? What are the benefits? Researchers have found several.
>> Also discover: 4 reasons to be nicer
The best way to convince yourself that being happy is good for you would be to argue that happiness represents a guarantee of longevity … And it would be the case, if we follow the conclusion of researchers at University College London. They found that happy people reduced their risk of premature death by over 35%. The study involved 4,000 participants, aged 5 to 79, followed for five years. Time lapse in which scientists recorded the number of deaths. During these 5 years, the subjects had to evaluate at four times of the day their state of anxiety or well-being. After five years, it appeared that people who considered themselves the happiest were less likely to die than those who felt unhappy: 3.6% of “happy” people had died compared to 7.3% of people ” unfortunate”.
>> To read also: 10 recipes to live a quiet happiness
Happiness: live happily to be less sick
There is a link between happiness and health. In other words, the more you would be happy, the less likely you are to catch certain diseases. A little easy? Either way, it would work for colds and flu. Researchers from the American Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania have highlighted the positive impact of positive thoughts against these two pathologies. 193 patients between the ages of 21 and 55 received a full medical check-up. Their emotional state was also reviewed, with researchers distinguishing between positive (calm, happy, energetic) and negative (depressed, sad, anxious, aggressive) traits in patients. Participants consented to be exposed to viruses that cause colds or the flu. They were then placed in quarantine for six days to see who contracted any of these conditions. As a result, the emotionally “stronger” patients tended to catch colds or the flu less. If they were sick, they had fewer symptoms and were more resistant than patients with more “negative” personalities.
>> Also discover: 4 tips to see life in pink
