Most people spend their lives chasing happiness or, more often, running away from unhappiness. healthy coping mechanisms Or an unhealthy escape route.
Behavioral scientist and happiness expert Arthur Brooks, a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, spoke about the balance between happiness and unhappiness in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“They’re actually processed in different hemispheres of the brain, and you need both,” he says.
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“To live a good life, you need a lot of happiness, but you also need unhappiness, because that’s a signal that there’s something that needs your attention,” Brooks continued.
“If you had no negative emotions, you would be dead within a week. That’s the truth of the matter.”
Managing negative emotions is especially important for people who tend to experience them more intensely, or “highly negative emotions,” experts say.
There are some unhealthy ways to manage negative emotions. addicted to drugs or alcohol Using technology as a distraction.
“It’s like scrolling through Instagram and looking at these platforms, and you’re just trying to get out of your head because you don’t have time to distract yourself from what you’re actually concerned about,” Brooks said.
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One of the worst ways to manage negative emotions is to continuously overworkor what Brooks calls a “workaholic.”
“Most workaholics are trying to distract themselves from something they don’t like in their lives,” he said.
“And they know that they’re very good at what they do…and when they’re working they kind of get into a zone and they don’t think about anything they don’t want to think about. That’s where workaholism generally comes from.”
Brooks noted that while there are very few “workaholics” today who are asked to work “excessively” by their bosses, it can happen. More commonly, it is caused by a personal urge to try harder. “Most workaholics are domineering bosses themselves,” he added.
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Workaholism can lead to severed relationship Brooks cautioned against spending time with loved ones, from spouses to parents to children.
“I’ve never had a functional relationship with a workaholic,” he says.
Brooks encouraged people who work too much and feel it’s “damaging” their relationships to reflect and ask themselves, “Why am I actually doing this?”
”[You] something needs to be done manage anxiety in a more productive way,” he advised.
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Rather than numbing or running away from anxiety and negative thoughts, Brooks offered proven practices. mood managementincluding movement and metaphysical or spiritual connections.
“There are two best ways to manage anxiety: tap into your faith and spirituality, and run around carrying heavy objects,” he says.
”physical activity and exercise And spiritual activities…they are very good for mental health, including relationships. ”
