Choosing to smile is a health-protecting cognitive resource.
Results from a 15-year study on the link between sense of humor and mortality found that among 53,556 women and men studied, those with high scores on humor's cognitive component were associated with 48 percent less risk of death from all causes, a 73 percent lower risk of death from heart disease and an 83 percent lower risk of death from infection.
Laughter buffers against conflict in social interactions and overall stress, preventing the escalation of stress hormones, such as cortisol, that suppress immune functions.
Success doesn't lead to happiness – it's the other way around. Happiness is a choice.
“It’s about being conscious about how we devote our mental resources and training our brain to do it. That’s why we advocate simple practices like writing down three things you’re grateful for or sending a positive email to someone praising or thanking them. By doing these habits, we’re constantly bringing our brain back to the positive, getting it to refocus on the good things that are happening, the people that are meaningful in our lives. And the more we practice, the easier it becomes to see that stuff in our environment more naturally and more easily” (Michelle Gielan, author of Broadcasting Happiness).
REFERENCES
Romundstad, Solfrid MD, PhD; Svebak, Sven PhD; Holen, Are MD, PhD; Holmen, Jostein MD, PhD. A 15-Year Follow-Up Study of Sense of Humor and Causes of Mortality. Psychosomatic Medicine. April 2016. https://journals.lww.com/psychosomaticmedicine/Abstract/2016/04000/A_15_Year_Follow_Up_Study_of_Sense_of_Humor_and.12.aspx
Michael Woodward Ph.D. Is Happiness a Choice? May 2017 https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/spotting-opportunity/201705/is-happiness-choice