Celebrating events can make you more resilient at challenges like pandemic, studies show
MANILA, Philippines — A recent study, collected from data from over 20,000 people, reports how happy the participants feel at randomly selected moments during daily life, and it revealed that people are actually happier than usual on holidays.
“Spending time with our friends and family turns out to be a robustly positive predictor of our happiness,” said happiness researcher Matthew Killingsworth, a Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholar who organized the study.
Meanwhile, social psychologist Fred Bryant found out from his study published in the 2007 book "Savoring: A New Model of Positive Experience" that those who celebrate something are generally happier than those who don’t celebrate anything. Bryant added that when one stops to savor the good stuff, he builds resilience, which helps him to manage stress and the daily challenges that can cause it.
His research, along with research from Victoria University in New Zealand, did discover that savoring the little things, like family holiday celebrations, can lead to stronger relationships and improved mental and physical well-being.
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