Happiness

I was speaking to a psychiatrist today, not as a patient but as a colleague, when the topic of happiness came up.

I told her of a study I had seen which suggested that one's general level of happiness is fixed and will tend return to "normal" despite the occurance of either very joyous or very devastating events.

She told me that indeed, a person's cheerfulness is relatively fixed, but that there were some factors ( borne out by a longitudinal study of MDs in the USA) which were more highly associated with long-term happiness.

These factors were strong personal relationship(s), good health, not overexercising and sufficient funds to live comfortably.

Sounds plausible.

I am surprised that overexercising is in the mix though! I'd better be careful.

PS The tennis team played its first game. I was unavailable. We lost.