'Happier people live longer': UBC prof to study how you can boost your happiness levels
Credit to Author: Denise Ryan| Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2019 20:39:21 +0000
For the good of your health, a UBC psychology professor wants you to have to a happier life — and it won’t require a lottery win, a bigger house or all new people.
Dr. Nancy Sin, a health psychologist, says a happier life, even a happier holiday season, might just be found in recognizing the small, good things that happen in the course of an ordinary day. A dog walk. A chat with a neighbour. A smile from a child through the window of a passing car.
“Happier people live longer,” assistant professor Nancy Sin said in a phone interview with Postmedia. “Scientific research over the last decade has exploded around the connection between positive emotions and health outcomes.”
Sin is launching a three-year study to examine how happiness levels can be boosted and what interventions can lift the daily contentment set point — and health — of the less happy.
“We all encounter numerous stressors throughout the day, but when we track them we see that positive experiences outnumber the negative,” said Sin.
Much of the research on stress and health outcomes has focused on major stressors, such as divorce or job loss, but Sin will be focusing on the small stressors we all face daily, from being late or encountering traffic or a negative exchange with a stranger that can be distressing.
Just as small stressors have an impact on physiology and emotional well-being, small moments and simple pleasures pack big rewards. “Positive experiences we have throughout the day, feel-good activities as simple as having a chat with a stranger, exchanging a hug with your child or getting out in nature can provide enough of a boost to counteract some of the negative health affects of stress,” said Sin.
Nancy Sin walks her dogs Luke and Muffet. ‘We all encounter numerous stressors throughout the day, but when we track them we see that positive experiences outnumber the negative,’ says the health psychologist.
Sin is now seeking Metro Vancouver participants for the study to better understand how positive experiences can help people survive and thrive in spite of daily stressors. Participants will carry cellphones to record the encounters that feel good and take saliva samples throughout the day to track stress hormones.
Sin and her team will examine physiological and emotional reactions to stressful events and what it takes to recover from them.
“There is a benefit to participants as well,” said Sin. “We will be giving personalized reports and sharing recommendations for actionable changes.”
Part of having an active and engaged life is opening yourself up, and if you do you will experience bumps along the way, said Sin.
“Minor hassles and daily stressors are not the problem,” she said. “It is how your react and whether you can focus on the positive experiences as a way of recovering faster.”
Interested participants can contact Dr. Sin through the UpLift clinic at UBC.
CLICK HERE to report a typo.
Is there more to this story? We’d like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. Email vantips@postmedia.com.