How to Enjoy Life More

What does it take to make life more enjoyable? In this course, Nicholas Cohen, MD, takes you through an exploration into the science of life enjoyment. Dr. Cohen, a UCSF affiliated family medicine physician in downtown San Francisco, specializes in health optimization and life extension.  And it turns out that enjoying life leads to a longer life.

Researchers have identified four components to an enjoyable life: 1) enjoying the things you do; 2) enjoying the company of others; 3) looking back on your life with a sense of happiness; 4) feeling full of energy. Only one in three adults reports high levels of life enjoyment over time.

Why does it matter whether I enjoy my life? Enjoying life well…is more enjoyable. Moreover, people who report high enjoyment of life over time have up to a 24% reduction in risk of premature death compared to those who don’t report high levels of enjoyment.

How does enjoy life lead to a longer life? There are two factors involved.  People with a positive wellbeing are more likely to stick to healthy behaviors like physical activity, and a healthy diet.  Furthermore, people with high levels of subjective wellbeing experience lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), and less signs of inflammation in their body; as well as a lower risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.

How do you enjoy life more? There are four key strategies for enhancing life enjoyment covered in this course, from finding Flow, to connecting with others, finding meaning, and enhancing your energy levels.