Many people associate health with nutrition and the gym, but there is so much more to a healthy lifestyle than physiological well-being. Health can be divided into six main dimensions: environmental, physical, spiritual, intellectual, emotional and social health. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, one must be in tune with all of these dimensions. One dimension, such as emotional health, is enough to make a healthy person susceptible to illness if it is out of balance.
Researchers have found simply being happy is a major enhancement to physical health. Most health professionals have noticed a happy lifestyle may reduce risk for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, sickness and diabetes. CNN aired “In Pursuit of Happiness: Sanjay Gupta, M.D. reports” which found corroborating results. Happiness, however, is not easy to achieve. Some people are not naturally as happy as others. Some, such as college students, are prone to a stressful lifestyle. The effects of stress on the body are the opposite of happiness, as they increase risk for disease.
Stress is not easily avoided, as humans live a stressful lifestyle with hardships and high expectations. Some cultures value techniques such as meditation to manage stress, but others do not. American culture does not, but the U.S. is also one of the most hard-working countries in the world. College students often end up juggling both of these tasks while struggling to adjust to a new lifestyle.
Thankfully, health professionals and researchers have found two very important ways to manage stress and teach oneself to maintain a healthy state of mind. First and foremost is to strive for an internal locus of control instead of an external locus of control. People with an external locus of control depend on others for happiness. But, as many college freshmen quickly find out, other people let you down. Depending on your social environment for happiness is not a healthy way to go because one simple thing, such as a friend changing plans on you, could throw you off. A person with an internal locus of control, on the other hand, is able to find happiness within themself. These people are often the type that love to socialize, but also do not mind a weekend at home alone. In fact, they might prefer time alone to regain their mental balance or catch up on their hobbies. The best protector of your happiness is you. If you can learn to maintain an internal locus of control, you will have a lot more going for you than if you were to wait on others to make you happy.
Since our culture does not promote meditation on a regular basis, the second discovery applies mostly to people who are not naturally happy. If meditation sounds in the least bit appealing to you, go for it. CNN reported that about 20 minutes of mediation a day can lower stress hormones. Student Counseling Services in Hathorn Hall has a daily meditation session every day at 3 p.m.
For people who are not about sitting on the floor for that amount of time, it might be just as beneficial to practice the ability to change negative thoughts into positive ones. In other words, block a stressful thought by thinking of something that makes you happy or helps you relax. At the end of the day, take a few minutes to clear your mind by using the same technique.
These strategies are not the only ways to manage stress. In fact, there is a lot more to keeping a happy lifestyle in check. This also does not mean that you have to be happy all the time. It means that internal happiness is the most important part of happiness, and striving for internal happiness will make you healthier in the long run.
