Lifestyle and Happiness

Lifestyle changes can be hard to make - and even harder to maintain. When it comes to achieving psychological wellness, it’s important that you see these changes as enduring or long lasting. In other words, these changes should ideally involve developing habits that can be practised for the rest of your life. But the first step is to understand why it is important to make lifestyle changes to improve your happiness.

Lifestyle matters

According to WHO, 60% of factors that influence mental health are correlated to lifestyle.

Adapting to the modern world

Certain factors, like the use of technology, will always be an unavoidable part of modern life. So, it’s important to use technology wisely. Overuse or abuse of technology can have several adverse effects - leading to chronic emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is therefore important to instil happiness in daily life by regulating your use of technology.

The Mind-Body connect

Your mind and body are connected to each other. This means that when your body is affected, your mind gets affected as well (for example, when you’re tired or unwell, you might feel low). The opposite is also true (for example, if you feel low, you might often feel tired). As a result, in order to stay resilient and strong, it’s important that you pay close attention to your diet and fitness as well.

Prevention is better than cure

Psychological health difficulties, just like physical health problems, can be expensive and time consuming to treat and recover from. A lasting, positive lifestyle change can help you stay healthy and be strong in the face of stress, thereby preventing the need for professional intervention.

Happy people perform better

Psychological wellness boosts productivity, which means that when you feel better, you perform better at work and in other areas of life.

Happiness breeds happiness

Your positivity benefits the people around you. When you feel happy and healthy everyday, you can build and sustain healthier and happier relationships. Subsequently, if you create a strong social support system, you will be able to use the support to your benefit and handle life’s stresses better.

Happy people live longer

The healthier you live, the longer you live. According to a 2012 study in the British Medical Journal, having even mild mental health problems may lower your life expectancy. Moreover, depression and anxiety can put you at an increased risk of death.

All of the above points support the conclusion that a happy life is a good life. Happiness is real, and a few small lifestyle changes, if maintained with regular practice and dedication, can help you live a happier and healthier life.