Did you know that happiness is tied to longevity? According to Martin Seligman, one of the leading experts in the field of positive psychology, and author of “Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment,” research has found that happy people have better health habits, lower blood pressure, and stronger immune systems than less happy people. They endure pain better. When folks are happy, they are less self-focused, like others more, and want to share their good fortune with others.

While I found none of this to be terribly surprising, it was reaffirming to hear there is direct evidence to support that positive emotion actually predicts health and longevity.

So, the next question that comes to mind might be: What if I am just not a happy person? Or, maybe I have a reason for not being happy right at this moment. The good news is your happiness level is completely within your control. It may be as simple as starting and ending your day with music that generates that positive feeling, or perhaps making some more dramatic changes that include:

• Exploring your natural talents and strengths, and finding ways to engage them on a more regular basis;
• Improving your social relationships (data consistently shows that marriage is robustly related to happiness);
• Connecting with your religion, another variable that shows a strong correlation to happiness and satisfaction with life; and
• Engaging in some activity every day that gives you meaning and purpose.

Finally, don’t discount the impact of laughter. When was the last time you had one of those gut busting, belly-aching fits of laughter. Do you remember how good it made you feel? If this is not something you find yourself doing on a regular basis, you may want to consider this:

I recently was exposed to Laughter Yoga. Contrary to what I initially imagined, this did not involve sitting in the lotus position with a smile on my face. Rather than try to explain it, take a look at the attached video. And before you jump to the conclusion that it is utterly ridiculous (which, I admit, I was going down that path), you might want to give it a try. Seriously … !

Carolyn

www.transformingtransitions.com