Story Published: Jul 28, 2009 at 10:50 AM PDT
Story Updated: Jul 28, 2009 at 10:50 AM PDT
Laugh a little; you'll be healthier. Read our special report to find out how to improve both your happiness and your health.
PORTLAND, Ore. -- If you're happy and you know it, then chances are you're healthier too. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests there's a direct link between the two.
So if you are trying to get healthy, you may want to start by getting happy. We've come up with five tips, all backed by research, to make it happen:
1. Be thankful. Take a moment to count the positives in your life, maybe a beautiful day or a considerate co-worker.
"There's mounting evidence that just doing that act itself can have a powerful effect on mood over time," said Dr. John Christensen, a clinical psychologist at Legacy Hospital.
2. Make friends. Volunteer to clean up the beach, or join a club.
"We are wired to be social and to be connected with other people," Christensen said. Plus, chronic loneliness is associated with high blood pressure and stress.
3. Follow your passion. Maybe that passion is gardening or something more daring like sky diving.
"Identify what you love doing, or what you'd like to try doing, and do it," Christensen said.
4. Get moving! In recent studies regular exercise had the same effect as antidepressant medication.
5. Laugh. It reduces stress, helps maintain a healthy immune system and improves blood flow. "Laughter, when it's genuine, just breaks through [any sadness]," Christensen said.
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