Evidence is growing that the connection between mind and body — between well-being and physical health — is real! This according to Laura Kubzansky and K. “Vish” Viswanath, co-directors of the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Although skeptics may argue the idea of greater happiness could lead to better physical health is wishful thinking, well-controlled studies conducted in large populations indicate that people who are more optimistic or have a greater sense of purpose have at least a 20% reduced risk of developing major illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes.

Obviously the pursuit of happiness and being more optimistic is easier said than done, especially when you’ve had a series of setbacks in your life or have lived a life of pessimism and skepticism. According to Kubzansky and Viswanath, happiness or being optimistic or satisfied is also a product of how one is engaged in the world and one’s social conditions. If a person lives in poverty, has few or no strong friendships or family supports, that person’s ability to lead a happy or a healthy life is diminished.

One of the things I mentioned in my original video (full video/story here)was how, after unknowingly applying a variety of daily habits, I was able to attain this sense of happiness/blissfulness for a sustained period of time. Again this was not by design or something I had planned. I had hit rock bottom regarding my stress and anxiety after the loss of my father but through a series of daily routines that I turned into habits, I was able to reach this blissful state.

For over a month all the stress I had with regards to the loss of my father as well as work and other life stressors had vanished. I had an awareness and appreciation for life I had not been conscious of previously. Life slowed down and I was in a state of happiness and flow. I was able to stay and be present in every moment and conversation.

Although I have not been able to keep this state as constant after that initial month I know there is something about the new habits I implemented which continue to keep me at happy and present state more often than not.

So what are those key ingredients of psychological well-being that are linked to improved health? How can we achieve those desired psychological states?

Ideas for how to do this have been around for decades … Eat more of this, exercise more, show gratitude and so on. But what if it’s a combination of these. For me I find that it is not just one thing like diet and exercise. It was only after I began filling my mind and body with positive thoughts and emotions through meditation, reading, writing and acupuncture did I begin to obtain this level of psychological well-being (happiness 😀)

Similar to food being the fuel for our body, our thoughts are the food for our minds. If you take in processed fatty food and high fructose corn syrup soda all the time, you are going to become overweight, lethargic, etc which leads to unhappiness and often depression and other health related issues. The same can be said if you are constantly thinking bad thoughts or listening to negative people on a consistent basis. The news is another source of negativity I avoid like the plague.

Since that period of bliss in early 2018, I’ve made it my mission to backwards engineer the steps and habits I took which led me to this blissful state. I believe the foundations are found in the seven mindsets and habits I outlined in my Optimum Balance Series.

As I continue to test and research new methods like, floating, cryotherapy, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and Wim Hof’s daily cold shower routine, I hope to share my experiences. Part of my ongoing journey and mission is to expand human consciousness to help people … be happy! That’s what I feel is my true purpose.

At the end of the day, we (humans) are love being expressed outwardly all the time. It’s the negativity that gets in the way.

If you already have certain habits that work for you please feel free to share in the comments section below.

TIP: 

If you don’t already have certain habits that work for you and would like a place to start, a helpful tip is to stop watching and reading any type of news for one week. If it’s that important, you will most likely hear about it around the Keurig machine at work. If you notice a positive change in your mood and happiness, try not watching ANY television for the following week. Anytime you get the urge, pick up a book instead.

Godspeed!

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