How to Become a Happier Person Pt. 3
For the third and final blog on how to become a happier person, we will be focusing on how a healthier lifestyle can help you obtain and maintain a healthier mind.
How a healthy diet can make you a happier person.
“Researchers found that people who switched from eating almost no fruit and vegetables in their daily diets to eating eight portions of fruit and vegetables a day experienced an increase in life satisfaction equivalent to what an unemployed person feels after finding a job (Blaszczak).”
Studies have shown that maintaining a healthy balanced diet helps improve your mood before it improves your health. The physical benefits of a healthy diet can take months or years for you to notice but the emotional benefits are almost immediate.
Certain fruits and vegetables contain pigments called carotenoids that have been shown to increaseand improve one’s optimism. There are also foods that contain the amino acid tryptophan, which is what serotonin is made of.
Foods like eggs, pineapples, ripe tomatos, cheese, salmon, turkey, tofu, nuts, and seeds all contain high levels of tryptophan. These foods and many others can help increase your serotonin levels.
How exercising daily can make you a happier person.
Exersicing daily, even if it’s just a walk around the block is a great way to help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Exercising releases natural chemicals in your brain that improve your sense of well being. You can also use exercise as a way to take your mind off of things and escape for a while.
Physical activities and exercising are also great ways to meet new people that also want to improve themselves. By surrounding yourself with people that are motivated and hardworking you will start to act the same, and it may lead to you being more motivated in other aspects of life.
Your confidence is another factor that is affected by exercise and physical activity and exercise. By setting goals and challenging yourself you will gain confidence and learn to believe in yourself. In addition the physical affects of exercise can improve your confidence in your appearance.
Sources:
Blaszczak, Agata. “Eating More Fruits & Veggies May Make You Happier.” LiveScience, Purch, 14 July 2016, www.livescience.com/55407-eating-more-fruits-veggies-linked-with-life-satisfaction.html#:~:text=Studies have also suggested that,regulating mood, the researchers said.
“Depression and Anxiety: Exercise Eases Symptoms.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 27 Sept. 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression-and-exercise/art-20046495.
Wasylenko, Jennifer. “10 Reasons Why Exercise Makes You Happier.” Lifehack, Lifehack, 1 Apr. 2014, www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-reasons-why-exercise-makes-you-happier.html.