A recent article in the Healthland section of Time magazine’s website reports that people who plan ahead experience less stress than those who operate off-the-cuff, according to Harvard University researcher Robert Epstein.
Moreover, he found in a study that one-quarter of a person’s happiness is dependent on how well they are able to manage stress.
“Stress kills,” said Epstein, quoted by the source. “Stress is not only daunting, it’s also an important factor responsible for the acceleration of the biological clock.”
While he found that people who keep stress levels in check by planning and organizing tend to be happier, most people are not very good at managing their anxiety.
A Gallup poll measuring stress and happiness by state supports the connection that Epstein found. The majority of the states with the lowest levels of tension also appeared on the list of the country’s happiest states, and vice versa for the most stressed states and least happy.
