Category: Happiness

Some people know how to enjoy themselves.

Indulging in short-term pleasures is just as important for happiness as self-control.

While self-control is often recommended as the best route to happiness, enjoying yourself in the moment leads to long-term happiness, as well as reducing the chance of depression and anxiety.

Goals like learning a foreign language or getting fit can be rewarding, but sometimes we need to have fun.

People who find it hard to enjoy hedonistic pleasures because they are thinking about what they should be doing instead are missing out.

The study comes in response to a focus in psychology on self-control.

Higher self-control has been linked to all sorts of positive outcomes, along with happiness.

Dr Katharina Bernecker, the study’s first author, said:

“It’s time for a rethink.

Of course self-control is important, but research on self-regulation should pay just as much attention to hedonism, or short-term pleasure.”

For the study, researchers developed a questionnaire designed to test people’s capacity for hedonism.

People who are good at enjoying themselves in the moment tend to agree with statements like:

• “I often do what I feel like doing.”
• “I can follow my desires in the here and now.”

People poor at enjoying themselves agree with statements like:

• “Thoughts about my work sometimes prevent me from enjoying pleasant activities and moments.”
• “I often think about my duties even while I am enjoying a good moment.”

People poor at enjoying the moment tend to get distracted by intrusive thoughts about what they should be doing instead.

Dr Daniela Becker, study co-author, said:

“For example, when lying on the couch you might keep thinking of the sport you are not doing.

Those thoughts about conflicting long-term goals undermine the immediate need to relax.”

The results showed that some people find it hard to indulge in short-term pleasures.

They are also more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety.

None of which is to say that hedonism should be the sole aim of life, said Dr Bernecker:

“The pursuit of hedonic and long-term goals needn’t be in conflict with one another.

Our research shows that both are important and can complement each other in achieving well-being and good health.

It is important to find the right balance in everyday life.”

It can be hard work, though, enjoying yourself, Dr Bernecker said:

“It was always thought that hedonism, as opposed to self-control, was the easier option.

But really enjoying one’s hedonic choice isn’t actually that simple for everybody because of those distracting thoughts.”

One solution for those who find it hard to enjoy themselves is to to set aside specific times for enjoyment.

That way enjoyment is the sole aim of that period of time, hopefully reducing intrusive thoughts about other, more worthy, activities.

The study was published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (Bernecker & Becker, 2020).

Over four thousand people were followed for six years to assess their chance of dying through any cause.

Even small increases in happiness are linked to living longer, research finds.

Dr Rahul Malhotra, study co-author, said:

“The findings indicate that even small increments in happiness may be beneficial to older people’s longevity.

Therefore individual-level activities as well as government policies and programs that maintain or improve happiness or psychological well-being may contribute to a longer life among older people.”

The results come from 4,478 people aged over 60, living in Singapore.

They were followed for six years to assess their chance of dying through any cause.

The results showed that among unhappy older people, 20% died in the subsequent six years.

However, in happy older people, just 15% had passed away.

Dr June May-Ling Lee, study co-author, said:

“The consistency of the inverse association of happiness with mortality across age groups and gender is insightful — men and women, the young-old and the old-old, all are likely to benefit from an increase in happiness.”

The study was published in the journal Age and Ageing (Chei et al., 2018).

This perspective has been linked to a wide range of psychological and physical benefits.

A strong sense of purpose in life may lower heart disease risk. The research found that a high sense of purpose reduces the risk of heart disease by 19 percent. The risk of death by any cause was reduced by 23 percent in those who had a high sense of purpose. The study’s lead author, Dr Randy Cohen, said:

“Developing and refining your sense of purpose could protect your heart health and potentially save your life. Our study shows there is a strong relationship between having a sense of purpose in life and protection from dying or having a cardiovascular event. As part of our overall health, each of us needs to ask ourselves the critical question of ‘do I have a sense of purpose in my life?’ If not, you need to work toward the important goal of obtaining one for your overall well-being.”

This is not the first study to link a sense of purpose with both physical and psychological benefits:

• A 2009 study of 1,238 elderly people found that those with a sense of purpose lived longer.
• A 2010 study of 900 older adults found that those with a greater sense of purpose were much less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
• Survey data often links a sense of purpose in life with increased happiness.

Sense of purpose

The conclusion comes from a review of 10 different studies. Together they include data from over 137,000 people. Unsurprisingly, the researchers also found that people with a lower sense of purpose in life have an increased risk of developing heart disease. Dr Alan Rozanski, the study’s co-author, said:

“Prior studies have linked a variety of psychosocial risk factors to heart disease, including negative factors such as anxiety and depression and positive factors such as optimism and social support. Based on our findings, future research should now further assess the importance of life purpose as a determinant of health and well-being and assess the impact of strategies designed to improve individuals’ sense of life purpose.”

Related

• Live With Purpose: 15 Strategies For A More Meaningful Life (course)

The study was published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine (Cohen et al., 2016)