Description

Good morning! Good evening people! 

Happy Birthday, Niko! That's how we're gonna start! Niko is 42 years old and happy. That is why today's episode focuses on happiness and the long, full of obstacles, falls, trips, and climbs road to achieving it. 

We find happiness in doing different things, but certain elements create its foundation. Not without a reason, we wish entirely different things to different people's birthdays. We have standard, slightly old-school birthday/Christmas wishes in Polish "Zdrowia, szczescia, pomyslnosci". Which means "health, happiness and good fortune". 

So, what are the pillars of happiness based on books and research? 

1. Positive emotions are feelings of joy, contentment, and fulfilment. They could come from health, wealth, love or gratitude. 
2. Engagement in the activities that give our existence purpose and meaning. 
3. Relationships, when strong, supportive and meaningful, can incredibly affect our wellbeing, increasing happiness (more later). 
4. Accomplishment comes from setting goals aligned with our values and the purpose of our being. Those could be work or personal, but they give us a sense of progress. 

During the episode, we ask each other what is important for our happiness. For Niko, it is time for everything he values most: family, music, writing, and what benefits his health and stability. For Klaudia, the strongest foundations are relationships and the goals aligned with the purpose. 

So, the relationships - cause a large part of this episode focuses on them. We all know that being with others who matter to you, respect and accept you is beneficial. Why is it? Research suggests that meaningful relationships and interactions with people we're bonded with increase levels of oxytocin, which increases the bonding! Oxytocin affects GABAergic transmission, and GABA is an inhibitor of melatonin synthesis. Melatonin is necessary for achieving a good sleep or even falling asleep in the first place. So, to say it simply, spending time with people you care about and interacting with your loved ones is helping you sleep well!!! 

Somewhere along the lines, we talk about the cold baths and how they change how we feel and react to stress in different situations. Again, there's a science behind it! Cold baths stimulate something called valgus nerve, and that stimulation can help relieve stress and help you better handle stressful conditions. 

To finish this nerdy description, we would love to wish all of you find sources of your happiness. And it might change a million times, but each time you feel the joy, you're healthier and a better version of yourself; it's something. Make a note of it. Practice it and be happy! 

As always, we love you! 

Niko & Klaudia 

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Research used for episode - there's more but who would read it ;)

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0265407514536294

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fncel.2019.00178/full

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5446506/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9953392/

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If you're struggling with your mental health, please get in touch with your loved ones, GP or mental health professionals.

Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans, or email: jo@samaritans.org

You can call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 689 5652

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