You have probably heard the saying that money cant buy happiness but for many people, money is even more important than happiness! Unfortunately, a large number of people fail to understand just how important happiness can be for not only your wellbeing, but your physical health as well.

How to Measure Happiness
Happiness is a subjective state of being the things that make one person happy may not have the same effect on another person. This being the case, it can be difficult to measure happiness. A specialist in mind-body medicine at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Amit Sood, suggests that happiness is best measured by assessing an individuals thoughts and feelings. Indications of happiness might include feelings of satisfaction with life and community, engagement in the community and overall health.

Happiness might be difficult to quantitatively measure, but it is certainly easy to recognize. A person who is satisfied with his work, involved in his community and has a feeling of purpose is more likely to appear happy than someone who is not. Though happiness is different for every person, these factors are often a common link.

Happiness and Health
When it comes to good health, you probably think of things like exercise and a good diet. I know when I think of the word healthy, I picture things like a fresh salad loaded with vegetables, a brisk walk and the pile of nutritional supplements I take each morning with breakfast. What many people dont realize, however, is that happiness is a factor in your health as well.

There have been many studies making correlations between the happiness of individuals or communities and health. Some of the factors used to measure these correlations include lower stress levels and improved immune function. It has also been shown that happier people tend to live longer!

How to Get Happy
You probably dont have to hear about the health benefits of happiness to want it. Everyone wants to be happy but sometimes it can be hard to get there especially when there is so much stress and pressure in our everyday lives threatening to bog us down. If you want to increase your happiness, try out some of these simple tips:

Make time for the things you love dont sacrifice your own mental wellbeing for the sake of getting a little extra work done

Do something that has meaning you dont necessarily have to start a nonprofit or anything, just do something that has meaning for you

Go for a walk or make some other effort to increase your daily activity exercise stimulates the production of serotonin in the brain

Take some time to clean up and organize things many people feel less stressed and more uplifted when their physical environment is clean

These are just a few of the many things you can to do increase your happiness. It is important to remember that happiness is subjective it is different for everyone! Do not judge your own happiness based on what others do and dont have. It is your life, after all, and you should enjoy it!