Cultivate Happiness Habits For Healing PCOS

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

Well, I’m so happy to be here, and I just love the work you’re doing and being part of this very important summit. So, yes, it’s a really interesting story about how I got into happiness. So I’m a physical therapist and I’ve been a physical therapist for a very long time, and I had gone through a bad situation early in my life. And so I’m working as an outpatient setting with chronic pain. So I’m dealing with people with back pain, neck pain, TMJ headaches. And my patients were really miserable in an extreme unhappy. And they said to me, Margie, you’re so happy. What’s your secret? And I thought, if they’d only know what I just gone through, I don’t think they would have said that.

But at that moment, it hit me that happiness was not based on your external circumstances. It was an inward job. And the truth was, I was happy, even though I had just gone through a bad situation. And I started thinking, what was it? What did I do that got me through that? And now I call them happiness habits. But I said, You know what? Everyone’s so unhappy, I’m going to start teaching it to my patients. And so I started teaching them different things because I had a lot of time to work with them. You know, you’re physically working on people and truly miraculous things started happening. Necking back pain had better, so much quicker than with just traditional physical therapy that I had doing before.

And you started seeing life returned to people and joy return. And so that was over 35 years ago. And I decided I mean, after that I studied positive psychology and I worked with a mentor, Mausi Shane Wolf, on how to teach happiness as well. But for 35 years, it’s been part of every single thing I do, and I really think it’s sort of my secret sauce, like what makes such a difference because there’s so many health benefits to happiness, so we’ll go into more things, but that’s how I got started. And I just it’s really my favorite part of the work I do. And once people start adapting it and integrating that, they just things change. And then they’re so grateful that they added that. Plus, who doesn’t want to be happier while you’re getting healthier?

Felice Gersh, MD

Well, the thing that I have always found fascinating and just listing with being around you is that you feel like you radiate happiness. And then I feel happier just being in your company. So PCOS women tend to have a lot of medical challenges and we also know that they inherently because of their hormonal imbalances, tend towards more stress, anxiety, depression. Now they always talk about you are the company you keep. So I know that in myself, you know, if I hang around with doctors in the doctor lounge, they gripe a lot. People talk a lot about physician burnout, you know, like 60% of doctors are burnt out. So just as a general statement, what do you find is like the effect of people being around negative people? You know, if you like, how do you and how do you deal with that? Like because sometimes you can’t avoid them. They’re in your family. So like just as a like a practical matter, if you’re hanging out in your daily life with people who are clearly not putting out happy vibes like you do, what do you do about that?

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

Now, I have to tell you, that’s the number one question on the ask, because a lot of times people can work on themselves, but what do you do when you’re surrounded by negative people? So this is such a good question. And as a physical therapist, when you’re working with people. So I was working with chronic pain. I had to dial this in because I used to go home and my husband knew who I saw that day because the negative vibes would just, you know, I, I would take them into a bunch of things we can do first. First of all, what it, you know, it’s sort of like who’s ever stronger. So just like you improve your immune system, if you improve your positivity and your own feeling good about yourself, the stronger energy wins. So working on your own practices so that you’re not as vulnerable, number one. So that’s one thing. Number two, there’s a couple of things that you can do.

So number two is you can fill yourself with white light. This is a really easy can’t just like use it to put a barrier. But if you feel yourself with white light, darkness cannot enter. So if you know you’re going into a room or you’re going to meet with the person, fill yourself with this great white light, and it’s just you try it. It sounds sort of strange, but it really helps if you if that doesn’t do enough, you can actually create a shield. And I had to do that, too. So you’re not really allowing you visualize a shield. So you weren’t allowing that. But what you can do is stop the person because people like to go on and on complaining and complaining. And you can say you have to make boundaries. You can say, okay, let’s talk about the problem for a couple minutes and let’s focus on solutions. So you just put boundaries so that you’re not absorbing all that, you know, and switch the person to focusing on solutions instead of the problem. Or you can do physical boundaries. You know, you can just say, you know what if I can’t see that person every day because they’re so negative and sometimes you have to get out of groups and know one patient of I was in a church group and she come in totally spasm just because it was so negative.

So sometimes physically removing yourself. But if it’s family members, then you just put your boundaries or tell the person I’m working on, I’m going, I’m working on my own positivity. Let’s discuss this for a couple of minutes and let’s focus on solutions. So you just change it so that you’re not absorbing. And lastly, you send out, you know, they’ve done studies on this, you send out positivity, I call it like kindness or I call it HP. I send that health, prosperity and happiness. I made that up. But if you do, you just send out. So if you’re visualizing white light and you’re sending out happiness, positivity, you know, you’re sending out good health to that person, it’s really hard to absorb the vibes. So these really work these techniques.

Felice Gersh, MD

Well, it’s so fascinating. They said that there was a study done a while back at UC San Diego where they had people wired up and nobody realized what was going on. And one person was said who is like a trained person, to put out positive, positive vibes to just one person in the room. And they were monitoring things like, you know, blood pressure and pulse. And that person went into like a calmer state that just and they didn’t even know this person was sending out these really positive vibes. So, you know, it’s like this was a major university that they showed that positive vibes lead to positive results. So, you know, maybe you’ll be the turning point for your negativity, you know, embedded friends and family, right?

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

It can you know, it’s funny, they did another study, I think it was Idaho State, I’m pretty sure. And they had students just walk around for 12 minutes, walk around a building. And what they were to do, they divided them in groups. So one group just would notice, like the control group was just supposed to look at like what the person was wearing. And another group was supposed to send good thoughts and positive, you know, happiness and sending them, you know, good, positive thoughts. Another one was sort of to look at how they were similar or how they were different. And another was to look at how they were better off than the person walking around and the group that sends out the good vibes and the happiness, reduce their cortisol, increase happiness. You know, all these different monitors, reduce stress. So it was very positive. Empathy was increase. And the other group that just looked at how the person was similar to them did have increased empathy. But just for 12 minutes, just sending out positive thoughts, reduce their stress. So it’s very powerful.

Felice Gersh, MD

It’s amazing. And almost everyone has probably seen the viral video of someone who’s, like, laughing in a bus, you know, like an actor. And they’re just buzz where everyone’s crowded, like rush hour bus. Nobody’s happy. They’re all, like, grouchy at the end of the day. And he’s like, you know, watching a funny movie or reading something that’s funny and starts laughing and the laughter builds, you know, in the actor, like, nobody knows he’s an actor. He’s laughing, like, hysterically, and everyone in the bus starts chatting with the person next to them and laughing and improve their their mood. And when I was in my fellowship in integrative medicine, we learned laughter. Yoga. So what’s magical about smiles? They say if you smile at a baby, the smile will cause the baby to smile and the baby will be happy. So what is going on here? How is it that people can smile at people and then they feel happy and want to smile back or laughing? It makes other people laugh and what’s going on? Do it physically. If we know or.

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

Oh yeah, we didn’t know. People have mirror neurons. Yeah, yeah. Everything is mirror neurons. And so you mirror what’s going on with another person that just happens in your brain. And so that’s why when someone yawns, sometimes you learn it’s contagious. You know, both it works in the positive and the negative. So it’s just and you feel that, you know, that’s why people think, oh, it’s so selfish for me to work on my own happiness. And just the opposite, because it affects so many people. Because when you’re happier, everybody around you is happier. And then it keeps, you know, you keep spreading it. So it’s the least selfish thing you can really do. But there’s actual reason that that happens.

Felice Gersh, MD

And can you like discuss a little bit with our viewers physically what’s happening to make you actually healthier when you feel happier?

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

Yeah, well, they’ve done different studies and they did a study and they showed that people in people who are happier actually lived on the average nine years longer. They have a 47% reduction in sleep issues in terms of, you know, people who are happier, there’s a reduction in cortisol, happier people have a reduction in the stress hormone. And so there’s, you know, real reasons. They also have a significantly improved immune system. So they’re much, much less likely to get sick. So there is you know, they really studied this. So happiness, it’s not a joke. You know, people think are people don’t people don’t really value it. They don’t realize how important it is and how it can be something that can completely change your health around.

Felice Gersh, MD

Well, I came out in the news not too long ago, which is, of course, related to happiness is the opposite, which is loneliness, that when you’re elderly, loneliness is a bigger risk factor for getting a heart attack and dying than most. Everything else is a bigger risk factor than high blood pressure. So what do people do when they’re, like, lonely if they just don’t have friends? I mean, what do you do when people have social anxiety and they don’t really have the relationships, then they’re really very lonely.

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

I think people have to realize the importance of relationships. And there was this amazing Harvard study that they looked at every parameter. They looked at men for over 80 years. It’s just incredible. And they found the most important thing. At the end of the day, they measure cholesterol. They mean everything. At the end of the day, the most important thing was your relationships that determines everything in your life. So I think people, number one, have to realize how important that is. And once they realize, like, how can they dial this in, you know, whether it’s just starting out with the few relationships that are important to them and maybe cultivating them, spending more time on them, whether it’s finding groups, even if it has to be online, finding a group. What do you enjoy? Do you enjoy gardening? You know, once you realize this is important and that you know anything you like, it doesn’t have to be anything to do with PCOS. It could be an exercise group. It could be a group of people who play piano, whatever it is, whatever interest you have to find a group, really look through local community things. You really see, whether it’s a community group. There are a lot of communities have all sorts of things to offer and just do it, you know, just go or find an online group. You know, you can that’s that’s another thing you even if you get make part of a class so at least you’re starting somewhere to be with people I know in the happiness class I teach, we, you know, we become a community and everybody can work on things while they’re while they’re being supportive. So any kind of group where you get some support is a way to start and then you start feeling better about yourself, and then you start taking more risks or doing more things. But I think making it important, making it so important to do something one little step, to start cultivating relationships or even other relationships, realizing, oh, I talk to them once, once a year, which, well, I’ll do it more than somebody you like something that’s working. I talk to them every week or, you know. So I think just making it important and taking baby steps and starting to just gradually figure out what could work for you.

Felice Gersh, MD

Well, those are great suggestions. And what about like if you’re part of a family unit and the family is very busy and what do you do? And do you, like, encourage, like family togetherness? Like we’re a team family like let’s eat together, let’s go out and do things together. And like, do you ever say, you know, watching too much television, too much, too many screens is actually impairing your ability to be happy?

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

You know, when I do tell people about, you know, cultivating their time with your family and sit around at the table and what’s you know, I’m very much into changing the dialog from negativity to positivity, what is working and what we focus on growth. So are the families together. You know, we can ask like go around the table what’s working today and, you know, do other things together as a family. So, yes, you know, because of the negativity, sometimes I tell them to do the blame shame, complain, game, wear, catch yourself. Like when are you blaming, screaming and complaining and you know, put money in a jar just doing family things or appreciation. You’ll go around the table. What do you appreciate about each person? So to try to change the dialog and I couldn’t agree more. It’s, you know and again you can’t force people to do things. You can just give them suggestions and they see, you know what, that would work well for me. And I think when people realize how important relationships are in their family in that, well, you know, the damage, as you said, with just watching television and not having meals together. And so I think when people start doing some of these practices, just everything gets better and I think they continue them. Yeah. So that’s a good point.

Felice Gersh, MD

Well, just communicating and I know in certain climates where it’s very dark, I mean, they have, you know, seasonal affective disorder. Do you utilize any light in any way getting also nature getting outside?

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

Oh, absolutely. I tell you, I’m very, very because, you know, our society, we run on medium too fast. I mean, everyone’s just like going where the rhythm of nature is medium, too slow. So when you go out and there’s so much research about grounding and walking in the woods, and so to me, there’s absolutely nothing better. And so, yes, I’m a big believer. And I also tell people first thing in the morning, get that sunlight, get that circadian rhythm. You know, don’t wear your eyeglasses outside your cycle. Just get that sun first thing in the morning and, you know, do a little exercise, but just get out in the sun as much as you can, you know, especially in the morning and and during the day. Yes. So whenever you can get out in nature, it just changes everything. And you’re also more in tune. You’re more in tune to messages into signals. And your life just becomes so much more synchronistic. And again, just to really focus on the trees, focus on you being mindful when you’re outside. So, yes, I’m a very big believer. I do that myself, but I absolutely promote that.

Felice Gersh, MD

Well, that’s such an important thing. I also feel so badly when people are working in cubicles that have no windows and they’re in, you know, like basically living in a closet day after day at work, you know, so escaping in the morning and at lunchtime, whatever you can to get some light. I even read that if you put nature photos on the wall, if you don’t have windows and you know, then that can make you feel happy. You’re just looking at photos of nature.

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

You know, it’s true because the mind doesn’t know real from perceived. And that could be a problem because, you know, stress has so many negative effects on us. And yes, there are real stress. You know, you’re in a your a car’s burning. So we run from the tiger. I mean, there are major things that can be stressful, but people are worried, oh my God, my child. And my grandchild or I’m worried about, you know, this that I’m doing that. So all this worry affects the body exactly the same. And it’s just, you know, that’s the problem that so perceive perceiving nature can also have that good effect, causing the relaxation response and counteracting some of the stress that we may be experiencing. So, yes.

Felice Gersh, MD

Know that I love nature. I’m looking at your flowers. That’s me. He’s like, oh, flowers, right? Can make you smile and feel. 

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

That’s really true. You have to fill yourself with what makes you happy, what objects? What exactly. So bringing some nature in is such a powerful tool and even just going out and grounding barefoot, if you can, you know, just just going outside, visualize your feet as tree trunks, absorbing your being on the earth and like any negativity, let out and absorb all the good wisdom from Mother Earth. It’s really powerful.

Felice Gersh, MD

Well, I love that whole being outside thing. And of course, some people go outside and they take walks or they exercise in your background. Physical therapy, of course, involves exercise. So what’s the role of physical activity in that, helping to grow happiness?

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

Okay. Well, physical activity is so important for happiness in general, in terms of, you know, exercise people that exercise, it affects every aspect of your body, but it really just people are more relaxed. It reduces their cortisol. And but with PCOS with this summer, it’s about exercises. So can I deviate at all from the happiness? Because it’s I think peace.

Felice Gersh, MD

Well, I was going to deviate at some point because physical therapy is your primary and happiness is your secondary, but they can overlap. It’s a.

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

Yes.

Felice Gersh, MD

One or the other can be one or two, but absolutely go with it. Yeah.

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

Because this is a thing. No happiness. Absolutely. There’s no question that exercise reduces stress. It increases happiness. But with PCOS, it does so many amazing things in terms of insulin and in terms of they’ve actually found it reduces insulin resistance. It also reduces fasting insulin. But the best exercise is what they when they really looked at all the different types of and first of all, you have to enjoy it. Exercise should not be punishing. You know, some people get on the treadmill, oh, I have to exercise because I want to reduce my blood sugar or whatever it is. And that’s just getting negativity swarming all over you. And that’s not that’s not the mindset we want at all. You should love your exercise and figure out you can find there’s so many different types of exercise that you can figure out what it is. 

I mean, even if it means turning the music on and doing dance. But you need to figure out what you like. But anyway, they found that the actually the most effective is the high intensity interval training when it comes to PCOS. Because what you can do, you can do bursts because if you keep doing it, this is just the most effective you can do bursts of high intensity followed by a rest. So you don’t get yourself sore, you don’t increase your cortisol. And they found that it’s really been most effective in reducing, you know, insulin resistance and decreasing fasting blood sugar and decreasing fasting insulin as well. As a matter of fact, there was one study that showed that with the high intensity interval training, so a 31% decrease in fasting insulin versus I mean, while exercise is good, moderate exercise a 9%. So there really was a difference when they looked at and there’s even articles written about PCOS and how it improves just so many different parameters, even weight loss with it. So that’s the absolute, you know, the high intensity interval, it’s called hit HIIT. But any exercise is really good and I’m a big fan of Taichi Yoga has been studied and so yeah. So all of that does just make you feel so much better besides helping with all the different other aspects of, you know, blood sugar regulation, insulin resistance, weight loss, all of the things that, you know, are important for people with PCOS plus making you just so much happier when you’re on an exercise program.

Felice Gersh, MD

Well, and I was going to bring in like some of the related physical effects we know on a cellular basis. So when you’re exercising and you’re improving insulin resistance, that would lower your level of systemic inflammation. I know there’s been a lot of talk about inflammation, normal inflammation like inflammation in the brain affecting psychological state. So do you find that everything that we can do to lower inflammation in terms of nutrition or improving sleep and like you mentioned, physical activity has that direct effect on improving actual functionality of the brain and then improving happiness?

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

Yes. Yes, I do. I find that everything, everything works together. That’s what’s so great when you work on all these different pills. It’s not as you use such an integrative physician and you bring all these pieces into when you work with people. And that’s what’s so important, because it’s not just one thing. Sure. When you exercise, when you eat well, when you reduce your stress and figure out the habits that work for you and you know, in the root cause, etc., when you do all those things, it works. It really works well. And it’s amazing when you see before and after. And I think it’s empowering to people because there’s so much that can be done gradually. Big believer in not overwhelm. Overwhelm is, you know, we’re talking about happiness. Overwhelm is the enemy. Overwhelm is the worst thing people can do. I find. So, you know, you do one thing, you feel good about it. You add the next. It’s not a race. You don’t have to do everything right away. And in that way it’s sustainable and doable. And people make the progress that’s lasting.

Felice Gersh, MD

And now you’ve mentioned that you have a happiness course. Maybe you could pull some of the pearls from your happiness course to share with all of our listeners. Like what are some of the key things that you teach in your course to promote happiness?

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

So the course has like seven different areas that we go into, but so, you know, we look at it because it’s really happiness. Happiness is not, you know, walking around with a big smile. That’s not the happiness we’re looking for. It’s an inward sense of peace and well-being, regardless of your circumstances. So the first beginning is the foundation is. And the biggest thing here, I think I teach is to be a victor in life and not a victim, because a lot of people live in the poor me or poor me, you know, I have this, I’ve gained weight, I’ve gained this. And that unfortunately gets you nowhere. It’s just you just stay in that negativity. So to switch to a victor means looking at solutions instead of focusing on the problem, which I sort of mentioned before, with the other people’s negativity. But a lot of people live in victimhood. And as and you blame shame and complain, those are three ways that you know about victimhood. So that’s the foundation. Then the next thing is the mind, the pillar of the mind. We really work on the mind because 80% of the average person’s thoughts are negative. So those are that. I’m going to give you some tips for this right now.

So eight, can you imagine 80% of the average person’s thoughts are negative in 95% of our thoughts, the same thoughts we have every day. So what do we do? I mean, the reason is because in caveman days, we had to be more aware of the tiger lurking than if someone gave us a compliment. So there’s ways to do it. And I’ll just share three ways that everybody could do right away. Number one, start focusing on the good. Be a detective for the good. There’s a lot of times there’s good around us, but we just don’t see it. So start, you know, starts like seeing like when you wake up in the morning, okay what good is your eye may not see and just start looking for the good and if you really have an issue with that, give out awards, you know, pretend you’re like the awards, the Academy Awards. I’ll give out the cutest dog or the nice person, you know, just start rewiring your brain. And the research has shown that when something good happens, if you savor it savored for ten, at least 20 seconds, you can create new neural pathways. So someone says something. Now, you know, this summit is so great. Instead of saying, Oh, it’s nothing, I’ll thank you. I’ve worked so hard, I really want to bring the right information to people, absorb it for at least 20 seconds, take it. And so and then the third thing is and now I don’t believe in just throwing negativity in the closet. There are other techniques that would just take too long to explain here, but you can’t just forget about it.

You do need to deal with it. But another thing you can do, instead of being absorbed by all the negativity with, you know, someone says something to you sometimes the whole day, you’re you’re upset over it. Well, one thing you can do is like question it, you know, is it really true? Just questioning it? Because so often we live on things that aren’t even true. But the other thing is you can counter it by thinking three true but positive things like, okay, you know, if you’re thinking about, oh, you know, I feel so heavy today, okay, that’s not the most positive thought. I’ll think of three things. You know, I’m exercising today. I’m eating well and I’m I’ve been meditating or whatever it is you think of three true but positive things to help counter that. So that’s where I would start. In terms of you know, the rest of the course we go into living from the heart forgiveness, gratitude and connecting to something higher, looking for signs and just, you know, asking the universe for guidance as well as relationships and as well as, you know, living with passion and purpose. So those are all the different areas.

But I would start with being I think it’s really powerful. Just see, when you’re a victim in life, you know, when you’re in that poor me and what happens to me, we’re all of a sudden feeling bad for myself. And I’m like, All right, this isn’t going to get me anywhere. How can I be a victor? What are some things like what are some action steps I can take? What are some solutions? And let me focus my energy on that. And then the three tips for the year starting to rewire our brains for positivity.

Felice Gersh, MD

You know, just listening to what you’re saying, it seems that you could apply this in a variety of ways. Like, for example, sometimes women with PCOS, they get really depressed and then they go like eat in a binge way. You know, they’ll eat a tub of ice cream, a bag of chips or something, and then they feel even worse. So it would seem like you could sort of maybe change some of your will, say, poor health habits just by thinking positive thoughts.

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

Yes, absolutely. You know, when you’re feeling bad about yourself, that’s an impetus to just, oh, who cares? And I’ll just eat the ice cream and I’ll just do all this. But yeah, you know, one of the things in the love module, when we talk about self-love, you know, just start saying nice things to yourself like, you know, we’re so we’re nice to the world some time that we’re so mean to ourselves. So just sometimes, you know, look in the mirror and say nice things and positive things about yourself. You three nice things. Because so often we don’t do that just like you said, that will lead you to, oh, poor me and just get that ice cream Santa to self-soothe. Yeah.

Felice Gersh, MD

And one of the things that you didn’t say, which is often prevalent in our society, is money back. What you what you talk about people who prioritize objects, you know, possessions or money does that bring happiness? That’s been a question that comes up on and off.

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

You know, it’s really interesting because they did a study. Everybody has a happiness set point, sort of like your base level of happiness and everyone’s different. It’s sort of like a thermostat. But the good news is they found that new every body can do habits and actually increase that base level. But what does that base level made up? So they found 50% is genetics. But as we know with epigenetics, we can actually figure out, you know, we can help turn genes on and off. So but 50%, they said, is genetics then ready for this? Only 10% is based on circumstances, which would be money, only 10% on how much money you’re making this and that, 40% were habits. So money played such an unimportant role. And they found that when people win the lottery for maybe a year, they’re happier. But then their base level goes back to what it was. It doesn’t stay there. So money is you know, people think it’s the and again, those people are poverty stricken and they’re really in despair. That’s a different story. But money is not with people, you know, because everyone says, oh, that, you know, if only I had more money or if only I had a different job, I would be happy. But they found those circumstances were only 10%, a very minor part. So, yes, I think people think that that could help them. But the reality is it’s not been proven at all, just the opposite.

Felice Gersh, MD

Well, I think that’s really key. Like, so where are you going to put your energies right? Only into getting more possessions and I’ll tell you, I have many patients who reach the age of retirement and they’re looking at downsizing. All their kids have left home and they’re looking at older stuff and they think can my kids take it? Can anyone take all this stuff? I don’t even want it. So, you know, accumulating stuff for decades doesn’t seem to bring happiness as you age. I can see that all the time. In fact, leading a simpler life seems to be the happier life.

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

Yeah. You know, I think when people start focusing on just doing different habits, you know, whether they’re working on positivity or what brings them joy, I think that’s a good question because so many people don’t prioritize it. And so I always I think something like contraction, expansion, like how does it make you feel? You know, can we do something here? We have a minute to just so we have a minute with everybody.

Felice Gersh, MD

Nothing.

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

All right. So I want you to do this, too. So I want you to just squeeze your hand, squeeze your shoulders, squeeze your face, get sort of what’s called contracted. Not a good posture and say, I feel happy.

Felice Gersh, MD

I feel happy.

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

Did you feel happy in that position? Now let’s go this.

Felice Gersh, MD

Incredibly.

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

Now, very, very now. Ready to do this. I want to be expanded so your chest is expanded, your arms. I was like, I feel miserable.

Felice Gersh, MD

I feel miserable.

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

So when you’re yeah, when you’re expanded, you feel happy. And then they’ve done even studies about expanded posture and happy. So I have people use that as their own barometer, you know, go through your daily activities. What are you spending your life in? You know, is it make and wants you to interact sort of like your own GPS? Is that shopping spring making you feel expansive or making you feel contracted? You know, you want to sort of see what you’re spending your time doing and you want things that bring you joy. So it’s sort of, you know, you can use that to try to you know, it’s a principle just to try to do activity, use that cause expansion. And it’s just a much better way of living. But you’re right, you know, people need to me to see what, you know, what brings them joy or what you know, what excites them in life. You know, what gets them just so happy, you know? And are you doing that? Are you doing that in terms of, you know, passion and purpose?

Because a lot of people it doesn’t have to be your job. It may not be, but then do it in other parts of your life. Do it as a hobby or something, because why should we waste our time in life not doing something that makes us come alive and excites it and is exciting to us and it’s not that people don’t want to. Sometimes they just don’t prioritize their own happiness and realize that they can. They can course correct and make changes in their life. So that they do have more joy, which will translate into everything else. You know, it will just make a big difference.

Felice Gersh, MD

Well, the concept that you can be empowered to bring yourself joy and happiness is so, so meaningful. And you mentioned purpose. That’s not a cliche, is it? I think it’s.

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

Very you know, I.

Felice Gersh, MD

Write.

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

That’s what I tell people when people are really down in the dumps and, you know, again, you have to sort of fill your cup, too. First, you can’t give on an empty you know, you’re empty, but there is nothing better than when someone gets involved in the community, whatever it is. Just like you said, there is nothing better to raise your own happiness than giving of yourself. It’s just the best. And that’s also that actually answers that other question. You said the person who’s just feeling so bad that you asked me very early on, go, go and volunteer somewhere. That’s probably the easiest way to get involved with a community and start changing your happiness. Because when you’re with a whole group and you’re in this and you’re all doing something for a good cause, you know, it could be right working with the dogs, with the blind or whatever it is, you know, whatever it is, it could be environmental group, it could be anything. But when it calls you and you’re all involved together, it’s you know, it’s very hard not to have your happiness sort and feel purpose. And that’s what we all want to feel, purpose and appreciation. And. Yes, so I couldn’t agree more with you.

Felice Gersh, MD

Well, this has been such a wonderful experience to have this interview with you. And I think everyone should know and feel in their heart that happiness is attainable, that this is not the unattainable, you know, like invisible goal. No, it’s real. And there are real steps that they can take and tell everyone out there how they can follow you or if they are interested in taking your course or learning more about how to pursue happiness. What can they do next.

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

Well my website is just MargieBissinger.com and the happiness course is just called Happy Me, Happy Life and that’s under my programs. And I also have a podcast called Happy Bones, Happy Life because I also work with osteoporosis. But in that podcast, there’s a lot of episodes really dealing with happiness as well, and you have some great talks on the podcast as well for people as well.

Felice Gersh, MD

I love working with you and it’s just amazing how you have morphed into this, like we’ll say, dual mind body practice right directly with the body and totally with the mind. You blended it perfectly because we know there’s really no separation. So I can’t thank you enough. And everyone out there make happiness a priority, right?

Margie Bissinger, MS, PT, CHC

Absolutely. Thank you so much for inviting me to be with you here today on the summit.