Running for Happiness: Why Running Boosts Our Happiness
Running is one of the most effective confidence, mental health, and happiness boosters. According to a study by a team of reputable researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University- led by Dr. Emmanuelle Tulle- over 90 percent of runners lead more satisfying lives as compared to those who never run. The researchers argue that running gives an individual some sense of accomplishment which, in turn, brings happiness and satisfaction to the individual.In this post, we look at the 7 main ways in which running brings happiness to our lives.
Feeling of empowerment
Running makes people stronger, physically fit, and good looking. As you walk the streets after days of regular running, you feel like everyone is admiring your impeccable stature. That gives you enough confidence to socialize with people.On the other hand, being physically fit means that you will have no fear when confronting the things or people who bring sadness to your life. Others give you the respect that you deserve without you asking or begging for it. All these bring happiness to your life.
Reduced chances of depression
Research findings published in the American Journal of Psychiatry indicate that people who run or engage in high levels of physical activities are not likely to fall into depression. This is particularly because completing a race gives you reasons to celebrate every day; running an extra mile or finishing a race in a shorter duration makes you feel like an achiever. That feeling prevents you from falling into depression. The signs of depression are very common nowadays. The social pressure, stress at work, increased level of life responsibilities all lead to induced levels of stress. In such cases, running is an alternative to help cope with levels of depression. But, if you continue feeling bad and keep struggling in life, hire the services of a life coach who can help find your way back in life
If you run as a group, then you get to socialize with people on a daily basis. You get a group of people who hold your back when you need a boost and who genuinely care about your personal goals. These are people who probably share the same goals as you- losing weight, healthy eating, and such. When you have such friends in your life, you always feel like you have a shoulder to lean on whenever sadness engulfs. That sense of security makes you happy. Besides, smiling at people as you run along the streets can make you feel like you are on the top of the world.
Releasing of endorphins
Endorphins or natural painkillers are released into your brain every time you wear your running shoes and hit the pavement. They make you feel energized during the course of the race and happier after the race. If you had a gloomy mood and then you run for a mile, you will definitely be smiling on the other end of the race
Relieving stress
Running makes you forget the life baggage that stresses you out. Eyes on the road, ears on the music, and every vein in your body moving in a rhythmic fashion, you cannot have the time to think about the things that have been making you sad and created stress to you.
Goal setting
We all live for a purpose and when that purpose is withdrawn or defeated, we often feel sad and incompetent. But with running as your purpose, you will never feel disappointed. You can, for example, set out to run for as little as half a mile and upon achieving that, you feel motivated to reset your goals to a full mile. A step at a time, you keep setting and accomplishing new goals. Running gives you a purpose every single day and the motivation to pursue that purpose. If you replicate this goal-setting model in your workplace, you end up achieving more and growing your career. That, by itself, makes you happy.
Indulges your competitive nature
Human beings are naturally competitive. We all want to be and feel better than others; stand out in a group of people. Sometimes we even challenge ourselves to be better – constantly competing against ourselves. But sometimes competing with people around us make us feel like we are being unfair or selfish. It is common to find colleagues feuding at each other because they both are competing for one promotion vacancy, forcing one to back down reluctantly.
Now, running indulges this nature by allowing you to compete with anyone including your boss without feeling bad about it. If you outrun your previous record, you feel like you have successfully competed against your own record. When you achieve your weight loss goals ahead of someone else, you feel good about yourself. In a nutshell, indulging your competition instincts makes you happy.