ScienceDaily: More than fun and games: Celebrations can benefit your health and well-being

Making an intentional effort to recognize positive life events and achievements while gathering for food and drink will leave you feeling more socially supported, new research shows.

The research, published online in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, finds that celebrations with three conditions -- social gathering, eating or drinking, and intentionally marking a positive life event -- will increase perceived social support. Perceived social support, according to previous research, is the belief you have a social network that will be there for you in case of future, negative life events. That belief is associated with health and well-being outcomes, including increased life-span and decreased anxiety and depression.

"Many celebrations this time of year include two of the three conditions -- eating and drinking while gathering together," said Kelley Gullo Wight, assistant professor at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business and co-author of the study. "Adding the third condition, making an intentional effort to recognize other's positive achievements, is key. For example, take the time to congratulate someone for getting accepted to their first-choice university, or a work project that went well, or a new job offer. This will maximize the benefits to your well-being and the well-being of all the attendees at that holiday party."

Some Insights From This Article

• Celebration and intentional mental attempts to recognize the positive events in your life and/or share positive times with family or friends can be more than just fun, it can support your feelings of social support and general positive feelings.

• Social support or the act of perceiving social support is the belief that you have a social network available for you that will celebrate your future positive events and also be there for you in case of any negative ones too. This perception is correlated with increased positive mental and physical health outcomes including decreased anxiety and depression.

• Next time a friend or family member invites you to a celebration, give an effort to try to go and genuinely celebrate the achievement! It can be one plausible way to address loneliness in your life and start building new social networks that will be able to help and support you throughout your life.

What was the most fun celebration that you had experienced in your life?

Full article is here!

#Celebration #MentalHealth #Happiness