I think being happy is possibly the most important thing in life to health. It affects everything in life, really. Think about whenever you are happy. You are on top of the world and almost feel like you are glowing. This affects your mood for the rest of the day and influences your actions. Would you go out somewhere at night if you were upset or happy? Would you be more likely to talk to someone new? Your mood affects everything you do, so it makes sense that it would also affect your health.

The biggest piece of health that it affects is your mental health. And this makes sense, right? Your emotions are controlled by your brain, and it affects your mood and behavior. Since mental health is such an important topic and is being better understood every day, the large influence of emotions on mental well-being is at society’s forefront.

I would also argue, however, that being happy is a multitude of emotions. When you are nervous before trying something new, maybe before presenting in front of a large crowd, those nerves are not bad. You are still happy. I feel it is a mixture of multiple emotions that really create that happy feeling.

Another example of this might be after you finish a long project or something that was very time-consuming. The mixture of relief, pride, and satisfaction all combine together to make you feel happy. I know a great example of this that I can think of is the paradigm shift essay from last semester. That essay took hours to write and edit, and it involved deep thought. But after it was finished, I felt happy and relieved.

I would say that we most often feel happy after something good happens to us. When we are happy, we are also confident, and confidence typically brings more happiness. It seems to me like I get on streaks. When I am happy, good things happen to me and I gain more confidence, resulting in more good things. A great example of something that influences my happiness every day is the stock market. When the market is good one day, I feel great and it makes me feel good the rest of the day. But this is not the only thing that can make me happy, so even on down days, I try to look for something, anything, to make me happy. Thus, I would say that one of the most important things in life is staying happy because it really makes everything better.