Gallup Poll: Churchgoers Report Better Moods & Higher Overall Well-being

I’m biased, I know, but this is interesting. Gallup has recently done some research on the impact of religion upon our lives. They found there is a direct correlation between positive emotions/good moods and how often you attend church. They’ve developed something called the “well being index” in which the very religious people (defined as those for whom religion is important for their daily life), are simply better off in their lives than those who are not. Moving from non-religious to very religious could give you about a 5% bump in overall life satisfaction… just saying…

Here’s a quote:

It is also possible that the relationship is straightforward, that something about religiosity, defined as a personal importance placed on religion and frequent religious service attendance, in turn leads to a higher level of personal wellbeing. Religious service attendance promotes social interaction and friendship with others, and Gallup analyses have clearly shown that time spent socially and social networks themselves are positively associated with high wellbeing. Religion generally involves more meditative states and faith in a higher power, both of which have been widely used as methods to lower stress, reduce depression, and promote happiness. Religion provides mechanisms for coping with setbacks and life’s problems, which in turn may reduce stress, worry, and anger. Many religions, including Christianity, by far the dominant religion in the U.S., embody tenets of positive relationships with one’s neighbors and charitable acts, which may lead to a more positive mental outlook.