Life

“Friendship doubles our joy and divides our grief.” – Swedish Proverb.

Friends make your life happier. You can never measure the actual benefits of friendship. It is impossible to calculate how much joy your best friend has brought to you over the years. Research says that people are happier when they are with other people. Source.

Joy is having good friends by your side. These social bonds can have a positive impact on your health and happiness.

Here we present to you six reasons why friendship is crucial for a happy life. 

1. Friends keep you healthy.

Friendship is good for your physical and mental health. Having a close circle of good friends can decrease your health risks such as heart attack and stroke. They also encourage a healthy lifestyle which has a direct impact on your well-being. Friends help you reduce the feeling of loneliness and emotionally support you. 

2. Friendship encourages positive interactions. 

Friends help you to be optimistic. When you have your friends beside you, the visual perception of challenges changes. You are encouraged to deal with all the negative aspects bravely. Positivity increases your satisfaction with life and reduces the risk of depression. 

3. A friend always makes you happy.

Happiness is contagious among friends. They make you burst into If your friend has a healthy mood, you too are likely to have the same. When you are happy for a friend when their happiness, success, beauty, and celebration make you happy, celebration makes you happy. It is then you realize the magic of friendship. 

4. Friends help you reduce stress.

A lack of friends makes you vulnerable to depression and substance abuse. You may be going through stressful situations in your life. Friends help you cope with such events. According to a study, People who hang out with friends during stressful situations produce less cortisol. Another research says that people are 12 times more likely to feel happy on days spent with friends. Source

5. Friends help you live longer.

Did you know? People with strong social ties are 50% less likely to die. Source. Friendship doesn’t just make lives better; it makes them longer. The social support that you get during stressful times makes you feel comfortable and make your life better. Stronger social relationships have a 50% lower risk of mortality. Thus friendship is crucial to have a longer and happier life. 

6. Socialize for betterment

Friendship is necessary for you to feel happy, and the happiest people are the most social. People who connect with more people are positive and optimistic. Simple activities such as joining a club, walking/jogging together, or hanging out with friends are all means of socialization. These banish loneliness feelings and promote a sense of safety, belonging, and joy that helps people to feel secure. 

Friendship is a bond that shares the joy. It lasts when two people fill specific roles, perform tasks for each other and share a connection. Love and relationships indeed begin and end, but the joy of friendship stays forever. Be happy and nurture your friendship with Joyscore. 

Joy is a great feeling. It can be brought on to you by a big life event or something as simple as watching a child’s smile.

Did you know? You feel joy in the neurotransmitters in the body. These are responsible for feelings and every aspect of your body. The level of joy also depends on the complex interaction of genes, behaviors, and what’s going on in our lives at a specific moment in time.

Here are few benefits of joy that boosts your overall wellness

1. It promotes a healthier lifestyle 

When you are happy, you tend to eat and sleep better. You might find it smokeless and do more exercise. You will have more energy to do active things. You will have positive chemical changes which improve your health. Being joyful and feeling good about yourself is important to your self-esteem. By being happier, you are doing what is right for your body.

2. It helps you to fight diseases

Being happier can help you to have a stronger immune system. It may help reduce the risk of developing colds and infections. Positive emotions bolster your body’s resistance to viruses and increase antibody activity to fight invaders. Source.

3. It helps you to fight stress and pain

Happier people cope with chronic pain better. The heart of the happy people recovers at the earliest. It helps you divert yourself from the pain and go towards interest and enthusiasm to encourage other positive emotions. The feel-good chemicals which are released promote an overall sense of well-being.

4. Longevity improves

Those who are joyful tend to live longer than those who are not happy. Being joyful can help you to lengthen your life. A study shows that people with a higher level of optimism have a longer life span. They have a greater chance of living past 85 years. Source.

5. Joy protects your heart

Research says happiest people are 22% less likely to develop heart diseases. Source. People who have negative emotions are prone to frequent heart attacks. Being in a joyful mood improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which reduces cardiovascular problems.

6. It strengthens your body and mind

Did you know? 50% of joy you feel is dependent on genetics and 10% on personal circumstances. Source. 

Joy boosts your mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the effects of stress. Nothing works faster to bring your mind and body back into balance than a joyful moment. It lightens your burden and connects you to others. 

Know that you are meant to feel joy. Try to look for ways where you can add more joy to your life. It is scientifically proven that being joyful has major benefits for your health. If you focus on the things that make you feel joyful, it will improve your life and extend it. Discover the benefits of joy by downloading the Joyscore app.

Joy is a feeling of great pleasure. It is a choice that you can make to be happy in your life, whatever the circumstances. You should be positive and think that there is still hope. 

Joy is within your grasp. It is sometimes subdued with negative feelings. In those times it is important to focus on Joy.

Here are a few ways in which you can find joy in everyday life. 

1. Practice an attitude of gratitude –

It is a conscious habit to express thankfulness and appreciation for every part of your life.  Every day spend five minutes writing down five things that you are grateful for. Expressing gratitude with others multiplies joy. An attitude of gratitude makes you feel happier and creates more positive vibes around you. 

2. Add happiness right now –

Understand what could bring joy to your life. Change your perspective of being happy. Just add happiness and contentment to your life on this day and be cheerful. 

3. Take care of yourself –

Make self-care a part of your routine. You are required to hit the reset button every now and then. This should make you a better version of yourself. Keep aside a few minutes each day just for yourself. It makes you resilient. 

4. Do something that excites you –

Take away a few minutes from your busy life and do an activity you are passionate about. Be it a hobby such as painting/singing or good habits such as daily exercise/meditation, do that. It boosts your mental health and makes you happy.

5. Enjoy and appreciate small things –

Joy is connected to appreciating particular things. Acknowledge small actions which are pleasurable. Enjoy positive experiences to be in a good mood. These small actions create good. Stop worrying about small things. 

6. Be with positive people –

If you spend too much time around the pessimists, you might have a sour mood. When you are around happy people, you tend to feel happier. The positive influence of these people affects your choices in life. 

7. Laugh more –

Laughter has many health benefits. When you laugh endorphins are released into your body which is good for you. It reduces stress and boosts your immunity.

8. Spend time with your loved ones –

Strike up a conversation with friends and family. You tend to be happy when you connect with people. Even if it is a virtual happy hour, just go for it. Social connections and small talk with strangers make you feel happier. 

9. Go outside –

Did you know?  Spending just 5 minutes walking in a natural and green environment will increase happiness.  Great outdoors could make you healthier and happier. Spending time in nature soothes your brain. Exploring a local park or walking through the woods reduces stress and blood pressure. Being with nature increases your creativity and life expectancy. 

10. Find bliss in what you have –

Be aware of what you already have. Appreciate the little things which are just in front of your eyes rather than wishing things were different. Contentment is about peaceful satisfaction. Learn to enjoy simple things in life. 

Joy and happiness are within your grasp, but sometimes just out of reach. Understanding what works best for you is the first step in finding joy in everyday life. Be more joyful by downloading the Joyscore App.

Habits are part of life. Some behaviors get locked in and become automatic. These may be good or bad habits. Even though you may not admit it, bad habits that range from inconvenient ones to seriously threatening ones have inculcated your life. 

How can you break a bad habit?

You may want to change. You also know that you need change, but you resist. It is because you are in your comfort zone. Here are a few steps to break bad habits and stop their reinforcement.

1. Become aware of your habits –

The first step is to be aware of your negative behaviors.  Try to find out what causes this automatic behavior and also those behaviors which you want to change. If you know what is behind those behaviors which contribute to bad habits, you can understand the triggers and can plan to resolve those.

2. Create a plan  –

Make a plan that involves goals for behavioral change. It should include strategies for minimizing habit triggers. A plan will help you break down unwanted bad habits, creating a new pattern in your behavior.

3. Take it slow and make small changes –

It is known that making a better habit is quite harder but breaking a bad one is much harder. Try to focus on one small habit at a time and trick yourself into changing that behavior. These might make a big difference in the long run.

4. Visualize the success –

Imagine yourself breaking the bad habit and indulging in desired behaviors. Practice this in your mind. Imagine a situation, where you are tempted to engage in performing a bad habit, but you chose not to do it. You chose the better option. This will help you reinforce positive behavior patterns. 

5. Change your environment –  

The surroundings around you can become a trigger for your bad habits. You may not have even noticed these. Change your scenery and see if the bad habits become less tempting. An example: Keep the junk food at a place that is quite less accessible and keep the healthy food in the front. This way, you can control the urge to eat junk food.

6. Try to replace them with good ones –

All of the habits have the same characteristics. Habits are created when a behavior is rewarded. You need to change the reward associated with that. Try an alternative action that is not boring. Do something which you want to do and love to do. This obviously results in a positive outcome, and it will be easier for you to make the switch.

7. Be patient with yourself –

You cannot break the habits overnight. It takes time. Don’t worry if the behavioral changes do not happen instantly. Be patient as it takes a while for your brain to adjust to a new type of behavior. 

8. Have an alternate plan –

You repeat the bad habits as these are loops. You need to disrupt this system and replace the bad habits with good ones. Know what triggers the bad habits; try to rewire the brain until the new habits are established. If not, you need to have another plan to break it. 

Finally, as you follow these steps, you realize the behavioral change. Know that this is a journey. There are chances that you might fall back into bad habits, but have faith in yourself that you will do it and achieve success in your life—download Joyscore App for more tips on wellness and healthy living.