Going to church makes you feel better €“ survey

If you’re looking for something to lift your spirits, you may want to give church a try.

A poll from the US-based research organisation, Gallup, has found that people who attend a church, synagogue or mosque frequently report experiencing more positive emotions and fewer negative ones in general than those who attend less often or not at all.

According to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, frequent churchgoers experience an average of 3.36 positive emotions per day, compared to the average 3.08 experienced by others.

The analysis was based on interviews with more than 300,000 Americans conducted during 2011.

The positive emotions included smiling and laughter, enjoyment, happiness, and learning or doing something interesting.

Negative emotions included worry, sadness, stress and anger.

Not only was attending a place of worship linked to higher wellbeing generally, churchgoers experienced an “extra boost” to their emotional state on Sundays.

In contrast, those attending less or not at all experienced a decline in their mood on Sunday, possibly in anticipation of the start of the working week on Monday.

While those attending church frequently found that their positive emotions rose to a high of 3.49 on a Sunday, the positive emotions of others peaked on a Saturday and declined to between 3.14 and 3.29 on a Sunday.

The report concluded: “On Saturdays, secular and religious Americans report experiencing more positive emotions than they do on Fridays.

“Sunday is the only day of the week when the moods of frequent churchgoers and those who do not attend a religious service often diverge in direction significantly.

“Perhaps some secular Americans begin to dread the return to work on Monday or curtail their social or leisure activities on Sunday to prepare for the start of the workweek.”