When you think of the most significant contributor to happiness, what comes to mind? Wealth? A loving family and good friends? Being attractive or famous? Health? Certainly, health must be at the top of the list to enjoy anything else, but a report by The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology says that what’s most important to overall happiness is: autonomy. Autonomy means that you feel that YOU are the one in control of your own life and the decisions you make are chosen only by you.

If we assume (and we do) that happiness (and we would add life satisfaction) leads to a calmer nervous system and lowers stress, then your level of autonomy has a direct effect on chronic pain and other chronic symptoms.

Autonomy applies to various aspects of your life circumstances: your job/work/career, your relationships, where you live, how you spend your money…and your time. And I encourage to evaluate all these...