Sun and quality time with friends are the keys to a happy life according to the Spanish. Today is celebrated ‘Yellow Day’known for being the happiest day of the year, also coincides with the arrival of the summer season and greater leisure options. Enjoying activities with family and friends and physical exercise are key to improving emotional well-being according to experts. In addition, exposure to sunlight has benefits on people’s mental and physical health.
This June 20, a series of circumstances come together that make us a little happier. The heat sets in, the holidays are approaching and, in many workplaces, intensive work hours are present. With the arrival of summer not only does the rise in temperatures come, we can also enjoy more hours of sunshine to have fun in the company of our loved ones and take advantage of a greater number of outdoor activities and leisure options.
On the International Day of Happiness, the consultant Ipsos publishes the World Happiness Report 2024, which evaluates the feelings associated with happiness in more than 30 countries, Spaniards consider that the main reasons for being happy are health and having good social relationships. According to this study, when examining long-term trends, Spain has experienced the largest increase in the reported happiness index since 2011, with a 7% increase in the last 13 years.
Taking this into account, experts remind us of the importance for our mental health of staying positive and improving our mood by using the company of loved ones and promoting a healthy lifestyle and habits. “Having healthy personal relationships and spending time enjoying activities in company are key points to improve your mental and emotional health,” highlights the professor. José Antonio López Morenofrom the Department of Psychobiology and Methodology in Behavioral Sciences of the Complutense University of Madrid. In addition, he adds that “the good weather, the sun and the holidays create a perfect climate to socialize and enjoy outdoor activities, such as traveling, enjoying the terraces in the company of friends having a few beers and taking up hobbies that have been left behind.” “The summer season is the best time to recharge our batteries and improve our mental and emotional state.”
Healthy habits to promote happiness
Maintaining healthy habits and lifestyles in combination with the multiple options that the beginning of summer offers us are essential to promoting happiness. For example, Carrying out physical and sports activities greatly improves mood, not only during your practice, but also after it. A study, published in the International Journal of Medicine and Sciences of Physical Activity and Sports confirms that with sports practice values such as tension or blood pressure or the propensity for depressive processes decrease significantly.
According to López Moreno, “exercising, playing or participating in group activities are practices that contribute to our happiness, releasing endorphins, and improve our physical condition. In addition, exposing ourselves to the sun and enjoying small pleasures with friends or family, such as getting together to exchange impressions over a beer on a terrace, are key to cultivating our relationships and our well-being. The professor adds that, “if we want to have a healthy lifestyle that makes us feel good physically and emotionally, it is important that our diet is complete and balanced. For example, The Mediterranean Diet is not only nutritious, but it also makes us happy because it promotes socialization at meals.“.
According to some studies, moderate consumption of fermented beverages such as beer has scientifically demonstrated its ability to provide possible health benefits. Moreno clarifies that “socialization around any element of the Mediterranean Diet, such as the moderate consumption of beer as a fermented drink in the company of friends or family, or another excuse that allows us to meet with loved ones, could help us feel happier and, therefore, our emotional well-being is greater. Taking this into account, studies and specialists point out that Enjoying a beer (200 ml), in the case of women, or two (400 ml) in the case of healthy adult men, with your favorite skewer and your circle of friends, is not only beneficial on an organic level, but which also contributes to emotional well-being.
Regarding the celebration of days like Yellow Day, Professor López Moreno points out that, “it is very important to feel accompanied in order to improve our emotional well-being, both today and every day, bFind those moments that make us happy, so meeting with our loved ones to enjoy free time is an optimal option. to welcome summer.”
