Happiness Cake

If COVID is Paula Deen sneaking tubs of butter into everything you eat, the delta variant is Gordan Ramsay calling you an idiot sandwich on national television.

There’s talk of another shutdown.

We’re so proud in the US of taking care of me and mine, but the problem is that taking care of me and mine goes against what biology tells us actually takes care of me or mine.

Let’s break down the research.

Giving to others on a large scale—performing acts of good for no reason other than that they benefit those around us (also known as altruism)—feeds the body much like oxygen, or maybe like green smoothies and kale salad. Giving to others without expecting anything in return increases levels of happiness and well-being. Happiness, in turn, improves both mental and physical functioning. People who are happier not only enjoy increased resistance to stress, a higher income, and better work performance (improved quality of work and increased productivity), but they also benefit from better physical health, showing stronger immune function and a longer lifespan. They get sick less often and tend to live longer.

And, while a portion of our happiness is genetic, much of it is a skill. We can learn to get happier just as we can learn to bake a cake. A few of the ingredients to create that happiness cake include building on our strengths (as opposed to honing in on what we suck at), practicing gratitude, taking a positive outlook (“looking on the bright side”), and performing acts of kindness.

Now let’s bake that cake.

If we perform acts of kindness on a regular basis (getting the vaccine, for example, because it benefits society), we will increase our levels of happiness. If we increase our levels of happiness, we will enjoy an improved immune function and better mental health. If we enjoy an improved immune function and better mental health, we will get sick less often, live longer on average, and have greater resistance to stress, higher productivity and enjoyment at work, and increased income potential, among many other benefits. Check the research.

Taking care of me and mine is like saying we want cake but then shopping for the ingredients, stocking the pantry, studying recipes, and never actually making the cake.

If we don’t bake it, we’re stuck with bags of flour and tubs of frosting. That’s great if that’s what you like, but do you? Wouldn’t you rather lick the bowl, fill your kitchen with the aroma of freshly baked triple tier, and cut up a fat slice for you and a friend?

Taking care of me and mine.

As of this writing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC), slightly over half the country is not currently fully vaccinated. We have been requiring five-year-olds in the US to show proof of vaccination before entering school now for over a century. I’m not sure why the COVID vaccine is the political hill on which we choose to die (and we are dying).

If you truly want to take care of you and yours, please consider me and mine.