Happiness Tip - Nurture Yourself

Just as you stop to fill your car/automobile with water, oil, and petrol/gas in order to ensure it keeps running, so too do you need to take time out to ensure you ‘keep running’. The human body is designed in such a way that it needs nutrition and rest. If you don’t feed your body sufficiently, you will suffer on a mind, body, soul level. That is, if you are not taking in sufficient nutrition, your body cannot function and could fall prey to sickness and disease. At the same time you will lose your capacity to think clearly. In effect, your brain functioning reduces dramatically. Therefore, just as you take time out to fill your car, take time out to nurture your mind, body, and soul. This will have a direct and positive impact on how you feel, on the level at which you are able to operate, and therefore your overall levels of happiness.

As already alluded to many times, your body chemistry has an effect on how you feel. This chemistry is affected by your thoughts and emotions as well as the way you live your life. Our brain alone produces many chemicals that naturally raise your levels of happiness. Endorphins are one example. Endorphins are a natural pain killer. Another example is serotonin which naturally calms anxiety and relieves depression. These chemicals are permanently on tap, ready at any time to raise your levels of happiness.

A stressful life style (too much work, stress, drugs, alcohol, sleep deprivation, a diet that is not nutritious enough, and little to no exercise, for example) hinders your body’s ability to produce its natural happy chemicals, which in turn negatively affects your ability to be naturally happy, feel generally good (including the brain operating at peak or improved efficiency). Leading a balanced and healthy lifestyle is essential if you wish to raise your levels of happiness.

Your moods are linked to four neurotransmitters in your body that produce a ‘state’ of happiness. Neurotransmitters (refer to definition below) are fueled by nutrients called amino acids. Amino acids are supplied to your body through the food that you consume on a day-to-day basis. It goes without saying that if you are not taking in the correct foods that have the required amino acids, your levels of happiness will be reduced. That is, if the amino acids are high enough, you will generally experience a good mood and be happier.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neurotransmitter) defines “neurotransmitter” as follows: -

Function: noun

A substance (as norepinephrine or acetylcholine) that transmits nerve impulses across a synapse

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/synapse) defines “synapse” as follows: -

Function: noun

Etymology: New Latin synapsis, from Greek, juncture, from synaptein to fasten together, from syn- + haptein to fasten

The point at which a nervous impulse passes from one neuron to another

If you are uncertain as to whether your diet is appropriate, that is, positively contributing to your overall health, wellbeing, longevity, and levels of happiness, visit an experienced nutritionist (and possibly even a biokineticist) to obtain a blood analysis and balanced eating plan.

At the end of the day, studies and research clearly demonstrate that a balanced eating plan that’s combined with regular exercise (exercise increases the flow of endorphins, the natural high brought about through exercise), healthy breathing techniques, and sufficient rest and sleep (at least eight hours a night), increases (amongst other things) your energy levels, your ability to concentrate more effectively, overall health and well being, a natural state of joy, and optimal levels of happiness.

In their book, Happy for No Reason, Marci Shimoff and Carlol Kline make mention of Dr. Henry S. Lodge, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at ColumbiaUniversity and co-author of Younger Next Year. They go into detail about how Dr. Lodge states that the body replaces approximately one percent of the body’s cells on a daily basis, which equates to a whole new body every three months. He goes on to say that when you exercise, the muscles of the body release specific substances that tell your cells to grow. On the opposite end of the scale, when you lead a sedentary life style, your muscles send out chemicals that tell your cells to die. If this alone isn’t sufficient motivation to get you off your behind and get a life, to be happy, then heaven alone only knows what is.