The Talmud in tractate Ta’anit tells us that our happiness increases when the month of Adar begins. Until when? The Talmud tells us that this lasts until the end of the following Hebrew month, Nissan. It is therefore a seasonal phenomenon.
As these are two months in which fall the holidays of Purim and Passover, it elevates the amount of joy we should feel and express.
Yet here we are in the Hebrew year of 5784, or 2024 now on the secular calendar. It’s easier to be unhappy than happy. We are fighting a war against a vicious enemy that has taken its toll on the economy and our quality of life. The mood of the country and of the Jewish people worldwide is one of concern and depression. But nevertheless, somehow-someway, we are expected to reach back and find a way to increase our happiness at this time. Can we indeed find happiness? And, looking at the wider picture of overall health, just how important is it to be happy?
Most 20th-century psychiatry and psychology worked within a medical model, with the goal of moving people from painful mental states to more neutral ones. But newer thinkers in the world of psychology now think that positive emotions and optimal human functioning can assist people in their quest for joy and fulfillment.
Dr. Abraham Maslow is the one credited with coining the term “positive psychology” in the 1950’s, introducing the concept of “self-actualization” – a yearning for growth and meaning in life. But it was Dr. Martin Seligman who broke new ground in the 1990’s with the concept of “learned optimism” which is the basis of today’s study of happiness.
Only a few years ago, Seligman came out with the concept of PERMA—positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment. Research is beginning to bear out the benefits of positive thinking and happiness; Seligman brings many studies in his book, 'Flourish'.
HAPPINESS AND JOY can have a pronounced effect on our physical health. Among the studies Seligman mentions is one from the mid-1980s, where 120 men from San Francisco who had their first heart attacks were studied as to the relationship between type A personalities (aggressive, time urgent, and hostile) and B ones (easygoing).
Gregory Buchanan, then a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, studied their first heart attacks: extent of damage to the heart, blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass, and lifestyle—all the traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In addition, the men were all interviewed about their lives: family, job, and hobbies. Every single statement they made in regard to optimism and pessimism was taken.
Within eight and a half years, half the men had died of a second heart attack. None of the usual risk factors predicted death: not blood pressure, not cholesterol, not even how extensive the damage from the first heart attack was. Only optimism, eight and a half years earlier, predicted a second heart attack: of the sixteen most pessimistic men, fifteen died; of the sixteen most optimistic men, only five died. This finding has been repeatedly confirmed in larger studies of cardiovascular disease, using varied measures of optimism.
Looking at more evidence, in a European Prospective Investigation, more than 20,000 healthy British adults were followed from 1996-2002 during which 994 of them died, 365 of them from cardiovascular disease. Death from CVD was strongly influenced by a sense of mastery, social class, and other psychological variables. People high in mastery had 20% fewer CVD deaths than those with an average sense of mastery, and people high in a sense of helplessness had 20% more than average. This was also true of deaths due to all causes.
According to happiness researcher Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky of the University of California, Riverside, 40% of our happiness is within our power to change through our actions and thoughts; another 50% can be attributed to genes. Surprisingly, only 10% of our happiness is associated with life circumstances, such as money, health, marriage, appearance, etc.
Jewish togetherness in Israel and around the world has literally increased happiness levels
One of the positives in this time of war has been the abundance of kindness being done both in Israel and abroad. It not only helps the happiness of the recipients, but of the givers as well. Kindness has been shown to release hormones oxytocin and endorphins, which creates a greater sense of trust.
Beyond the chemical effects of kindness on our brain and body, research participants have also indicated higher reports of positive emotions after kindness acts. A study from the University of Oxford showed an increase in happiness when participants performed kindness activities for just one week. Research by Lawton and colleagues demonstrates that giving can improve your health and well-being. This is known as the “helper’s high.”
So here we are: It is the Purim-Passover season and right now, for the average Israeli, optimism and happiness are difficult to come by. I was at a lecture by Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twersky about 10 years ago. He was discussing happiness and he talked about how people “pursue” happiness. The pursuit of happiness is a false trail.
I remember him saying, “there is nothing to pursue.” Why? Because we all have that happiness inside us – it is self-contained. Now, the job is to dig deep into ourselves and to find that happiness and bring it to the surface. That’s a tall task during these times, but optimism and happiness are integral to our health, so we must.
It isn’t the time for elaborate gatherings, parties or luxury vacations. But on a minimum level we can celebrate our redemptions of the past with the hope for redemption in the near future through our soldiers, through our prayers and even through our celebrations of our holidays. As we have seen, the benefits of positivity and happiness are great. Being happy will, “add hours to your day, days to your year and years to your life.”
The writer is a health and wellness coach and personal trainer with more than 25 years of professional experience. He is director of The Wellness Clinic and can be reached at alan@alanfitness.com.