We often feel tension between the things that bring us happiness and what we believe makes us healthy, assuming these two aims are at odds. We hear that enjoyable things—tasty foods, leisure, or relaxation—are “bad” for us, while health requires strict diets, hard exercise, and self-denial. This mindset is not just wrong– it is counterproductive. What makes us happy often makes us healthy. Our well-being improves when we stop seeing happiness and health as opposites and recognize that they are closely linked.
We are sometimes led to believe that joy undermines health. We treat health as a set of rigid, unpleasant rules: bland food, painful exercise, and self-denial. But health is better seen as something that emerges when we live in line with what makes us happy. Chronic stress is linked to heart disease and a shorter lifespan. When it comes to health, we feel feel guilty about spending a night out with friends or sharing a meal, as if this is somehow at odds with healthy.. But this idea is flawed. Lasting health usually comes from things that leave us feeling contented and fulfilled.
Spending time with loved ones, sharing meals, or simply laughing together lifts our spirits and has real health benefits. Strong social connections reduce stress, strengthen immunity, and extend life. Activities like walking in nature or being creative help our minds and bodies recover. Having a purpose in life extends our lifespan. However, these are not usually the things that come to mind when we think about “needing to work on my health.”
When we focus on happy living—fulfilling relationships, meaningful work, and play—health becomes a natural byproduct. Dancing does not feel like exercise, like something we do for our health, but it is exercise, and a happy byproduct of dancing is joy and health.
Too often, we obsess over diets or fitness fads, thinking health lies in the details. Yet the strongest determinants of health are our relationships. People with strong social connections live longer, suffer fewer chronic diseases, and enjoy better mental health. Health doesn’t come from a pill or protein shake, but from the strength of our relationships and sense of belonging, from moving our bodies and eating nutritious food. Spending time with those we care about will improve our health more than the latest wellness trend or worrying out the macronutrient composition of our meals.
Many of us struggle to sustain new health habits because we don’t enjoy them. The only way to maintain healthy behaviors over a lifetime is to find joy in them. If we enjoy what we eat, we’ll keep eating it. The focus then needs to be on eating food that is both delicious and nutritious. If we find pleasure in moving our bodies—through dancing, hiking, or sports—we’ll keep doing it.
In the end, what makes us happy is what makes us healthy—not because we’ve forced ourselves into it, but because health and happiness are naturally connected. Health emerges almost as a byproduct from a life filled with joy. Health and happiness are not opposites—they are partners. We don’t need to choose between a happy life and a healthy one– in fact, living a healthy but miserable life is nearly impossible. The moments that bring us joy—laughing with friends, being in nature, finding purpose—are the same things that make us healthier. If we enjoy our habits, they stick. What makes us happy benefits our hearts, minds, and bodies alike.
Doc