4 Habits to Happiness

Posted February 24, 2008 at 01:30 PM by Megan Hueter

Section: In The News, His Health, Mental Health, Physical Health, Lifestyle Health

According to a study from Yale University, being optimistic in middle age increases life span by at least 7.5 years--even after accounting for age, gender, socioeconomic status and physical health. The key: to minimize the effects of stress. A new WebMD feature from Prevention magazine describes the following four habits that experts say are at the very core of those who are happy.

1) Work your cell phone. Experts say that socializing at least once per week helps people live longer, keep their brains sharp, and prevent heart attacks. 2) Express gratitude (within reason). Record your happy events on paper, your Blackberry or PDA, or your computer. People who write down things that make them happy have a better outlook for the upcoming week. But don’t overdo it (experts found that recording happy events once per week is actually better than three times per week) 3) Perform random acts of kindness. By “sharing the love” and being extra kind to strangers, you’ll see that you will be appreciated and liked by others. 4) Reappraise your life. Set time each week to write down and record (or mentally revisit) a happy event from the past. Reflecting on experiences can reshape your perceptions, as well as your expectations for the future. Organize your life by categories. Subdivide them into triumphs, missteps and lessons for the future. It’s helpful to look at the bad times as well as the good—you can see how failures opened doors for current success.

Research sources and for more information: [picture]