Walk into any self-help section of bookstores (or should I say click on any self-help tab on Amazon) these days and we find ourselves staring at various titles promising to divulge the key to happiness. In recent years, we have been increasingly told to focus on being happy—is happiness overrated?
Turns out, Eudaimonic happiness (the type we experience from working towards a purpose greater than us) – not so much Hedonic happiness (the type we experience when we eat something tasty), is in fact good for our health. Here’s how:
Stronger immune system
Studies have shown that people who report high levels of happiness by pursuing a greater good had lower levels of inflammation, and stronger antiviral and antibody gene expression. Instead of merely experiencing less symptoms, happiness actually works on our immune system at a cellular level.
Also read: Dr Andrea Lim debunks 10 health myths
