How to live a happy life

I get really excited when information completely changes the way I think or view something and this happened recently when I learned about some of the latest research emerging from the new science of stress. 

I had always thought of stress as a bad thing, something to be avoided, but this is proving not to be the case and it comes down to our perspective. Changing the way we think about stress is key.When you find yourself in a stressful situation,  Ian Robertson suggests telling yourself, "I am excited" rather than trying to calm yourself. Robertson states that, "The bodily symptoms of excitement and stress are identical." So, let your body react normally and change your perspective instead.

Caring creates Resilience

In Kelly McGonigal's humorous and eye-opening TED talk, she explains how changing your mind about stress changes your body's response to stress. When you view the stress response as HELPFUL, "energized and preparing you for a challenge," the body's physiological response changes. Heart and breathing rates still increase but the blood vessels do not constrict, and this change is similar to the body's response to joy and courage!

McGonigal also explains how oxytocin, a stress hormone that the pituitary glands pumps out as part of the body's stress response, "primes you to do things that strengthen close relationships. When you reach out to others under stress, either to seek support or to help someone else, you release more oxytocin. Your stress response becomes healthier, and you actually recover faster from stress."

Your village

McGonigal's talk leads beautifully into Susan Pinker's TED talk on the secret to living longer. It turns out that community and relationships are key to longevity. Susan refers to the people in your life who care about you as "your village" and says that if you want to live beyond 100 then you need to "build and nurture your village."

It will take just 30 minutes to watch these two TED talks, please take the time to do so. I found them eye-opening, inspiring, and comforting. How wonderful to know that the people we love and love us are key to living longer and happier lives.