{"id":8565,"date":"2023-07-29T19:42:33","date_gmt":"2023-07-29T11:42:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/?p=8565"},"modified":"2023-07-29T19:42:35","modified_gmt":"2023-07-29T11:42:35","slug":"create-your-own-happiness-for-better-mental-and-physical-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/create-your-own-happiness-for-better-mental-and-physical-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Create your own happiness for better mental and physical health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A growing number of Filipino adults are increasingly recognizing the importance of mental health in our country today. Recognizing the profound influence of happiness on mental health and overall well-being, it becomes clear that each individual has the power to cultivate their own happiness. In fact, this relationship works both ways – a healthier person tends to be happier, and a happier person tends to be healthier! By understanding this connection, we can take significant strides towards achieving better mental health and experiencing a more fulfilling life.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a byline written by Dr. David Heber, MD, Author, Chairman of the\nHerbalife Institute, and Herbalife Advisory Board Member, happiness is the\nphysical, mental, and emotional state of well-being.  It can be achieved by boosting your physical\nhealth as well as optimizing your emotional and mental health. Following a\nhealthy lifestyle of balanced nutrition and physical activity can result in a\nlower heart rate, blood pressure, and anxiety, all of which can be linked to\nhappiness. Additionally, happiness is associated with the release of\nendorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and other neurotransmitters associated with\nbrain health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

August is Wellness<\/em> month and the perfect\nopportunity to assess our own mental health, evaluate what makes us happy,\nshare what happiness means to each of us with those we surround ourselves with,\nand how we can find it. In openly discussing your perception of happiness with\nothers, you may discover that much of what can make you happy is not only\nlinked to greater health and wellness but completely within your control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Makes People Happy?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to an Ipsos survey, people most look to their health and well-being (both physical and mental), their family (partner\/spouse and children), and having a sense of purpose as what gives them \u201cthe greatest happiness.\u201d Next comes their living conditions, feeling safe and in control, being in nature, having a meaningful job, and having more financial security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the path towards better health and its connection to happiness may\nbe relatively straightforward, finding your purpose is also a personal journey\nrequiring you to dig deep and get to know your true self. Positive psychology,\nthe field which studies the optimization of emotional and mental health as well\nas happiness, has found that people who have a purpose are more likely to be\nhappy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are several proactive tips that can help guide you in your journey\nto creating your own happiness and achieving better overall health long term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fuel Yourself<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Science shows that healthy eating also contributes to happiness. The physical state of well-being is largely determined by how you fuel your body. Your body is a vessel that can only run optimally the better you take care of it. We do this by adopting daily habits of practicing balanced nutrition and a healthy active lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exercise Regularly <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exercising regularly and maintaining an active lifestyle can benefit\nboth our bodies and our minds. When we exercise, our muscles and brain benefit\nfrom an increase in blood flow bringing oxygen and nutrients to our brain\ncells. Our dopamine pathways in the brain are also stimulated which activate\nour pleasure center. For this reason, exercise is used for treating mood\ndisorders, depression, and addictive behaviors including overeating. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make Time to Relax<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a reason why the worldwide interest in self-care is growing\u2014 making the time to relax and recharge is one of the best ways to find true happiness. The most effective way to do this is by igniting the relaxation response. This theory shows that relaxing has many effects on the body including lowering blood pressure, and pulse and calming the mind. The step-by-step process to triggering the relaxation response includes 1) Sitting quietly in a private spot 2) Relaxing your muscles from head to toe by contracting and relaxing each muscle 3) Focusing on your breathing 4) Breathing deeply; and 5) Thinking of a relaxing image like ocean waves. Practicing this for just 20 minutes a day can recharge your mind and help you get to sleep at night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding Your purpose<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key principle of Positive Psychology is finding your \u201cwhy,\u201d or your\npurpose. True happiness comes from living a life that you choose because it\nfulfills your personal purpose. To find your purpose, elaborate on these four\nsteps: 1) Find your passion or what you love 2) Establish your mission or what\nyou feel the world needs more of 3) Work for which you can be paid 4) Have\nconfidence in what you\u2019re good at doing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you have worked through these four steps, your purpose will be\nrevealed. For myself and my colleagues at the Herbalife Nutrition Institute,\nthat purpose is to foster the world\u2019s premier health and wellness company and\ncommunity, giving people the tools to live their best lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remain Grateful<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reframing your mindset can go a long way\u2014rather than complaining about\nthings that are wrong in your life, focus on the good things, large or small.\nWhile this may be easier said than done, psychological research shows that\nconcentrating on what is good in your life and expressing gratitude will make\nyou happier. Keeping a gratitude journal or making a brief gratitude list every\nday giving thanks for all you have can help you improve your mood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focus on Things You Can Control<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of us have a circle of influence and a circle of concern. The circle\nof concern is made up of all the external factors that are out of your control,\nwhile the circle of influence includes things you can control\u2014like your\npersonal habits. Choose a proactive approach, and work on the things you can\nchange rather than worrying about the things you cannot change. Taking\nresponsibility for your personal habits and accomplishments will increase your\nconfidence and your sense of happiness. Having a proactive mindset allows you\nto focus on change, rather than being inactive, which paralyzes your growth\nthrough worry and anxiety. One of the best ways to improve your happiness is to\ndevelop healthy habits in all aspects of your life\u2014including eating a balanced\ndiet and implementing a healthy active lifestyle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is not an accident, or something that just happens, but\nsomething that you make happen. Happiness is a physical, emotional, and\nspiritual sense of well-being, that when found, should give you a lasting\nfeeling of contentment. Use this month to consciously create your own happiness\nby implementing habits that will positively impact your physical and mental\nhealth enabling you to maintain a sense of inner peace. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We can take significant strides towards achieving better mental health and experiencing a more fulfilling life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8566,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[19,806,919,2357,736],"class_list":["post-8565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsmakers","tag-health","tag-health-products","tag-healthcare","tag-healthy-products","tag-herbalife"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8565"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8567,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8565\/revisions\/8567"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8566"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}