Science of Living Happier, Longer
The science of living happier and living longer is a simple message of reducing stress levels and doing more of the things you love to do. What IS surprising are the staggering statistics of what stress and living a life that compromises happiness is doing to us.
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SCIENCE CONFIRMS THE OBVIOUS
The current environment most people are living in is not leading to increased happiness, living longer, or increases in general well-being. “Happiness has not risen in western nations in the last 50 years, despite massive increases in wealth” (1) and “stress has been called America’s #1 health problem, and it is estimated by the American Institute for Stress that 75-90% of visits to the doctor are for stress-related problems creating an estimated one million workers absent from work each day due to stress related complaints. Hormones related to stress have been shown to effect the body in its entirety and have been linked to all the leading causes of death such as cardiovascular disease, cancers, accidents and even suicide. Stress can cause decreased thyroid function, glucose and insulin elevations, decreased kidney functions, depressed immune functions, poor absorption of nutrients from the GI tract, change in the sex hormones, and sleep disturbances.” (2) A two year heart disease study of over 70,000 Japanese men and women showed those who reported high stress had a two-fold higher risk of mortality. (3)
The good news is “the 7 key factors now scientifically established to effect happiness most are: mental health, satisfying and secure work, a secure and loving private life, a safe community, freedom, and moral values.” (1) Additional research on happiness shows that “people are happiest on the weekends” (4) (yes, they did a study) and something as simple as “spending time in nature makes people feel more alive“ (5) and “happy life is social and conversationally deep rather than solitary and superficial.” (6)
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THIS INFORMATION
Having objectively identified what makes us happy, what doesn’t make us happy, what can kill us, and what can make us live longer and ‘feel more alive’ – it seems time to use that information. Based on the research above, and what we know and feel to be true, this would mean simply building and living in an environment committed to mental health, satisfying and secure work, a secure, safe and loving community, freedom, and moral values. In short, an environment specifically tailored to living happier and living longer.
CREATING SOMETHING REVOLUTIONARY IN ITS SIMPLICITY
Taking a little common sense and combining it with careful planning, One Community is defining a sustainable lifestyle as meeting key human needs and providing a place of beauty immersed in nature, personal growth and contribution, meaningful interaction with each other and the world, where people are free to be themselves, and a culture of cooperation, collaboration, and contribution to creating a better world for everyone. Our goal: create an open source blueprint for a sustainable civilization and model that any small to large group of people can organize and recreate to live happier and live longer while teaching even more people to do the same.
