Churchgoers Happier on Sundays While Mood of Others Dips, Study Finds

A new Gallup poll has revealed what many churchgoers already know – going to a place of worship and participating in a congregation makes people happier and lifts up their spirits.

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index is a real-time measurement that insights to help improve health, increase productivity, and lower healthcare costs. Gallup interviews 1,000 adults every day to compile its data that takes a look at happiness trends ranging from 2008 and onward.

The 2011 findings, based on interviews with more than 300,000 respondents, concluded that people who go to church frequently experience an average of 3.36 positive emotions per day, compared to the average 3.08 experienced by others. The positive emotions in question include smiling and laughter, enjoyment, happiness, and learning or doing something interesting. Keep reading