Do Happy Firefighters Live Longer?

By: Carly Lumsden

It’s clear that happiness positively impacts your physical health and longevity, so how do you maintain a happy life?

You’ve probably heard repeatedly that to be a healthy firefighter, you need to eat well and stay fit. But are there other factors that can make or break your longevity? What about your happiness levels? Does your satisfaction with your career and life really have anything to do with living a long, healthy life?

Emotions and physical illness

The mind is a powerful force. Not only can it impact how satisfied you are with life but it can also affect your physical health. In fact, approximately 35 per cent of people who take a placebo will have improved symptoms simply because they believe that they’re receiving medication. The opposite can happen with the nocebo effect, which describes the adverse effects of someone who believes that a treatment will not work.

This scientifically proven truth is just one of the many pieces of evidence proving that our beliefs can make us better or worse in terms of physical health. Countless studies show that mental illness, such as depression, can manifest into other physical illnesses, including chronic fatigue, nausea, increased risk of heart disease, and so much more.

Even more impressive is that there have been studies directly linking happiness to longevity. In one study where an elderly population was studied, researchers found that those who claimed to be happy were 35 per cent less likely to die in the 5-year study than those who weren’t. On the other hand, in terms of stress, studies conclude that living a heavy-stress lifestyle can shorten your lifespan by at least 2.8 years.

It’s clear that happiness positively impacts your physical health and longevity, so how do you maintain a happy life?

Tips to remain happy as a firefighter

Working in a stressful environment like firefighting can sometimes have adverse effects on your emotional and physical health. However, some simple adjustments can be made to ensure that your mind stays in a positive state to live a long, happy life.

Meditation has been shown to rewire the brain. It reduces stress levels as well as your ability to manage stress, improves happiness levels, and so much more. Practise meditation for as little as 10 minutes a day to begin to notice the positive effects.

Become conscious of negative thoughts and beliefs

Once you become aware of the thoughts and beliefs causing you stress, you can actively shift them. Are these beliefs true or a result of a habit of pessimism? Positive affirmations are a great way to begin to transform your beliefs, which in turn are shown to boost happiness levels.

Resting your body to recharge

Give yourself time to rest and recharge. If you’re someone who feels like you always need to go, go, go, stop. Rest is just as important as taking action because it allows your mind and body to recharge for sustainable, long-term productivity levels. Burn out is extremely harmful and will be the result of refusing to rest. 

Yes, happy firefighters live longer

It’s true, happy firefighters live longer. Not only that, but happiness allows you to truly enjoy and live life to the fullest. You work in one of the most fulfilling industries and you deserve to live a life of happiness and fulfillment in and out of work.

Focus on prioritizing happiness to live a long life both in your career and out of it.