In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly declared 20 March as the International Day of Happiness, an idea that originated in the small Himalayan Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan. The Asian country was the first in the world to introduce the concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH) to measure the well-being of its people, saying it says more than Gross Domestic Product, or GDP. A nine-point index is used to gauge how people feel about themselves economically, socially and emotionally. The main message of World Happiness Day is that growth figures and economic values are not the only key indicators: other conditions also influence people’s satisfaction.
But happiness also protects our hearts!
Numerous scientific studies have shown that there is a link between happiness and the development of cardiovascular disease and the condition of people who already have heart disease. People who are optimistic and happy are less likely to develop cardiovascular disease or pre-existing conditions because their positive emotions have many positive effects on health.
Positive emotions reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure and improve immune function. In addition, happy people tend to lead healthier lives than sad or negative people, which also reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
A 10-year study showed that people who were optimistic had 50 percent fewer heart attacks and other heart diseases than people who were pessimistic. In addition, happiness clearly has the ability to improve cardiovascular health.
These findings therefore suggest that there is a strong link between happiness and the development of cardiovascular disease, and that an optimistic lifestyle and positive emotions can help to maintain cardiovascular health and reduce the development of disease.
And what is the key to happiness?
For many years, the famous happiness researcher, psychologist Edward Diener, has been exploring the meaning of happiness. He found that the happiest people have strong friends and family ties and spend a lot of time with loved ones.
