Comments on: Are Happy People Really Healthier? Yes! http://blog.happier.com/2009/are-happy-people-really-healthier-yes/ blog with news about positive psychology, tips for increasing happiness, video from Martin Seligman and positive psychology experts Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:36:14 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Patrice http://blog.happier.com/2009/are-happy-people-really-healthier-yes/comment-page-1/#comment-711 Patrice Sun, 27 Sep 2009 02:52:39 +0000 http://blog.happier.com/?p=1974#comment-711 Very interesting post and I also love reading the comments. Well, for me happy people are healthier. Very interesting post and I also love reading the comments. Well, for me happy people are healthier.

]]> By: Andrew Rosenthal http://blog.happier.com/2009/are-happy-people-really-healthier-yes/comment-page-1/#comment-703 Andrew Rosenthal Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:05:44 +0000 http://blog.happier.com/?p=1974#comment-703 HI all - great to see the questions and discussions about the blog post. And Acacia - thanks for following up with some additional reading opportunities for people. -Andrew a member of the team at happier.com HI all – great to see the questions and discussions about the blog post. And Acacia – thanks for following up with some additional reading opportunities for people.

-Andrew
a member of the team at happier.com

]]> By: WJ http://blog.happier.com/2009/are-happy-people-really-healthier-yes/comment-page-1/#comment-702 WJ Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:17:40 +0000 http://blog.happier.com/?p=1974#comment-702 Yep - seen that study as well Heaps of questions as well eg. Do happier people report less illness beacuse they have a positive bias? Off to do some exercise? And why do I do it - I'm one of those lucky people who expereience an exercise high. I guess I should be grateful that I experience an exercise high Enjoy you evening. Yep – seen that study as well

Heaps of questions as well

eg. Do happier people report less illness beacuse they have a positive bias?

Off to do some exercise? And why do I do it – I’m one of those lucky people who expereience an exercise high. I guess I should be grateful that I experience an exercise high

Enjoy you evening.

]]> By: Dr. Acacia Parks-Sheiner http://blog.happier.com/2009/are-happy-people-really-healthier-yes/comment-page-1/#comment-701 Dr. Acacia Parks-Sheiner Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:07:56 +0000 http://blog.happier.com/?p=1974#comment-701 Wayne - there is no question that generally speaking, happiness leads to better physical health (not to mention long-term success). A meta-analysis came out in 2005 by Lyubomirsky, King and Diener in which they made this argument quite compellingly. The study by Emmons and McCullough that I talked about was just an example of this effect (I picked gratitude since it's a topic addressed often on happier.com), but there are many, many examples. I hoped to provide in this brief blurb an idea of how this broader, more long-term effect (e.g. that happier people live longer and are generally healthier) might manifest itself on a day-to-day basis (through things like exercise and sleep quality). Wayne – there is no question that generally speaking, happiness leads to better physical health (not to mention long-term success). A meta-analysis came out in 2005 by Lyubomirsky, King and Diener in which they made this argument quite compellingly. The study by Emmons and McCullough that I talked about was just an example of this effect (I picked gratitude since it’s a topic addressed often on happier.com), but there are many, many examples. I hoped to provide in this brief blurb an idea of how this broader, more long-term effect (e.g. that happier people live longer and are generally healthier) might manifest itself on a day-to-day basis (through things like exercise and sleep quality).

]]> By: WJ http://blog.happier.com/2009/are-happy-people-really-healthier-yes/comment-page-1/#comment-700 WJ Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:56:00 +0000 http://blog.happier.com/?p=1974#comment-700 Given the limitations of the research you are quoting the article probably should have read Are happier people really healthier - perhaps? If you are female, under 25 and are prone to focus on hassles then gratitude might help Given the limitations of the research you are quoting the article probably should have read

Are happier people really healthier – perhaps?

If you are female, under 25 and are prone to focus on hassles then gratitude might help

]]> By: Dr. Acacia Parks-Sheiner http://blog.happier.com/2009/are-happy-people-really-healthier-yes/comment-page-1/#comment-699 Dr. Acacia Parks-Sheiner Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:47:20 +0000 http://blog.happier.com/?p=1974#comment-699 Hi Jannnie - thanks for your comment! They didn't look at this, though I think there is some research out there on the health benefits of laughing. There are two relevant tidbits: 1) laughing means positive emotion, and positive emotion is good for your health, and 2) laughing, if you do it enough, is kind of a physical workout. #1 is the most heavily supported by research (and it is really, really heavily supported) but people are definitely arguing #2, also. If you google around, you can even find estimates of how many calories you burn when laughing! Ha! Hi Jannnie – thanks for your comment! They didn’t look at this, though I think there is some research out there on the health benefits of laughing. There are two relevant tidbits: 1) laughing means positive emotion, and positive emotion is good for your health, and 2) laughing, if you do it enough, is kind of a physical workout. #1 is the most heavily supported by research (and it is really, really heavily supported) but people are definitely arguing #2, also. If you google around, you can even find estimates of how many calories you burn when laughing! Ha!

]]> By: Jannnie Funster http://blog.happier.com/2009/are-happy-people-really-healthier-yes/comment-page-1/#comment-698 Jannnie Funster Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:39:07 +0000 http://blog.happier.com/?p=1974#comment-698 Did they do any parts on how much you laugh? That would be cool to know! Came here via Positively Present. She and you rock. Did they do any parts on how much you laugh? That would be cool to know!

Came here via Positively Present. She and you rock.

]]> By: Dr. Acacia Parks-Sheiner http://blog.happier.com/2009/are-happy-people-really-healthier-yes/comment-page-1/#comment-697 Dr. Acacia Parks-Sheiner Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:14:06 +0000 http://blog.happier.com/?p=1974#comment-697 Not sure I agree - isn't it kind of the norm to focus on one's hassles? People tend to think they are doing themselves a favor by focusing on problems, but it's clearly not helpful in this case. The hassles case emulates something that a lot of people do, thinking they are helping themselves. Like any study, this needs to be replicated and expanded upon, but I don't think the lack of a difference with the control group renders the finding meaningless. Not sure I agree – isn’t it kind of the norm to focus on one’s hassles? People tend to think they are doing themselves a favor by focusing on problems, but it’s clearly not helpful in this case. The hassles case emulates something that a lot of people do, thinking they are helping themselves.

Like any study, this needs to be replicated and expanded upon, but I don’t think the lack of a difference with the control group renders the finding meaningless.

]]> By: Wayne Jencke http://blog.happier.com/2009/are-happy-people-really-healthier-yes/comment-page-1/#comment-696 Wayne Jencke Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:10:56 +0000 http://blog.happier.com/?p=1974#comment-696 Acacia - just checked out the research - there were three groupds - gratitude, hassles and events (where people reported what they did - I guess the control). Exercise increase was only significant compared to the hassles group - not the control. Not a glowing testimonial for the link between gratitude and exercise. Acacia – just checked out the research – there were three groupds – gratitude, hassles and events (where people reported what they did – I guess the control).

Exercise increase was only significant compared to the hassles group – not the control.

Not a glowing testimonial for the link between gratitude and exercise.

]]> By: Dr. Acacia Parks-Sheiner http://blog.happier.com/2009/are-happy-people-really-healthier-yes/comment-page-1/#comment-695 Dr. Acacia Parks-Sheiner Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:59:49 +0000 http://blog.happier.com/?p=1974#comment-695 It sounds like you want to read the study yourself! Here is the reference (I am pretty sure this is the right study). Emmons, R.A., & McCullough, M.E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: Experimental studies of gratitude and subjective well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 377-389 It sounds like you want to read the study yourself! Here is the reference (I am pretty sure this is the right study).

Emmons, R.A., & McCullough, M.E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: Experimental studies of gratitude and subjective well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 377-389

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