BSN Exit Survey: Class of 2010 – May: Results - Bellin College

YOU is a monthly series
designed to provide useful
information for making healthy
lifestyle choices.
Searching For Happiness
November 2010
Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of
of human existence ~ Aristotle
The pursuit of happiness has been a preoccupation for many of us
p Our goal is to address the whole since the dawn of mankind. Yet few of us come close to this state with any
regularity. And even when happiness finally descends upon us, we often only realize
it after the fact.
person, providing you with
information, tools and tips that
will help you to cultivate the best
within you.
If at any time, our tips inspire
you or raise questions please feel
free to contact our Student
Services Offices.
Contact: Jo Woelfel, Vice
President, Student Services at:
(920) 433-6632 or
joann.woelfel@bellincollege.edu
or
Molly Gary at:
(920) 433-6663 or
molly.gary@bellincollege.edu
The Health Benefits of Happiness
There is a growing body of evidence that people think more effectively and
expansively when they are happy than when they are not. And happy people
are more energetic than unhappy people. We now know that happiness adds
about nine years to life expectancy. So even if you don’t think happiness
is such a big deal in itself, it seems to serve a useful function.
Happy people are more likely to change the world in positive ways.
Research suggests three different routes to happiness:
The Pleasant Life – consisting of as many pleasures as possible and the
skills to amplify the pleasure;
The Good Life – knowing what your strengths are and crafting your life to
use those strengths;
The Meaningful Life – using your strengths in service of something you
believe is larger than you are.
In Scotland, they are trying out a new and unusual kind of medicine – happiness. According to
Dr. Derek Cox, Director of Public Health at Dumfries and Galloway NHS, there is mounting evidence that happiness
might be at least as powerful a predictor, if not a more powerful predictor than some other lifestyle factors that we
talk about such as, cigarette smoking, diet and physical activity.
“It’s not just that if you’re physically well you’re likely to be happy but actually, if you are happy you are likely to
have less in the way of physical illness than those who are unhappy,” said Dr. Cox. Research has found that happier
people also have greater protection against things like heart disease and stroke. In other words, we already know
what stress does to the body; we’re now learning that happiness has the opposite, protective effect on those same
biological pathways.
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