By Mark Kaplan / February 25, 2020
These are times in the U.S. that we watch with anticipation as a pandemic infects the globe. The U.S. hasn’t been swarmed yet, but it has very little to do with precautions we are taking nor our personal immunity to this flu.
Flus, Stress, and Happiness Affect Our Immunity
This is a great moment to assess our Well-Being. The small world made close by communications has proven just as small by transportation. We have also gotten just as close in our economies.
We can see how a flu in China affects the stock market in the U.S. The global affect is influenced by the individuals contracting this virus. Getting it is scary, but dying from it is more frightening.
Stress and Happiness Affect All Parts of our Well Being
When we are under stress, our immune system is compromised. It is like running onto the battlefield without a gun. This is a good time to take stock of how stress affects our immunity but also our risk of heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, and a number of other diseases.
Some work requires stress. Sometimes it’s a choice. It’s a choice because we accept the responsibilities that cause us stress and don’t build in positive relief behaviors. We often use the stress as a rationalization to let ourselves off the hook and dive into negative behaviors. These can be cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, pills, shopping, gambling and sedentary behavior.
Happiness behaviors need to be habits included in our daily schedules to protect us from diseases, lower productivity, burn out and depression. Most every doctor including for cancers would say our attitude and behaviors can be our strongest immune defense.
Habits of Happiness and Immunity
Health is physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Nutrition, exercise, rest, solitude, and connection are important facets of Well-Being. We can plan our days so that each facet is included. When we think we don’t have time, consider that you had contracted an illness or disease how it would affect your time and quality of life.
Injecting positive behaviors that affect our career and health each day like learning, creativity, contributing, health and fitness shape our attitude about our potential and our life satisfaction. We can’t always eliminate stress, but we can attempt to balance it with behaviors that deliver happiness.
The suggested behaviors are scientifically proven to deliver happiness because they stimulate the neurotransmitters and hormones of dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphin. They deliver the opposite of a compromised immunity system. They deliver mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health.
Stress, Happiness, and Balance
Work life balance is not only time management, but stress and happiness management. Work life balance can also be a measure of how purposeful we feel and whether our time contributes to a meaningful life. Doe meaning mean happiness or growth and progress toward what we feel are worthwhile goals?
Workers balancing lives packed with work and families can feel purposeful when they have some autonomy to take care of the responsibilities of each. Our days can be packed with activities that leave little time to breathe, but it is crucial for the whole package to have meaning that we are making time for growth activities and not just a day of “to-do-lists”.
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