10 Things Science Says Will Make You Happy
By: Jen Angel - Yes! Magazine - December
9, 2008
In the last few years, psychologists
and researchers have been digging up hard data on a question previously left to
philosophers: What makes us happy? Researchers like the father-son team Ed
Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener, Stanford psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, and
ethicist Stephen Post have studied people all over the world to find out how
things like money, attitude, culture, memory, health, altruism, and our
day-to-day habits affect our well-being. The emerging field of positive
psychology is bursting with new findings that suggest your actions can have a
significant effect on your happiness and satisfaction with life. Here are 10
scientifically proven strategies for getting happy.
1.
Savor Everyday Moments
Pause now and then to smell a rose or
watch children at play. Study participants who took time to “savor” ordinary
events that they normally hurried through, or to think back on pleasant moments
from their day, “showed significant increases in happiness and reductions in
depression,” says psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky.
2.
Avoid Comparisons
While keeping up with the Joneses is
part of American culture, comparing ourselves with others can be damaging to
happiness and self-esteem. Instead of comparing ourselves to others, focusing
on our own personal achievement leads to greater satisfaction, according to
Lyubomirsky.
3.
Put Money Low on the List
People who put money high on their
priority list are more at risk for depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem,
according to researchers Tim Kasser and Richard Ryan. Their findings hold true
across nations and cultures. “The more we seek satisfactions in material goods,
the less we find them there,” Ryan says. “The satisfaction has a short
half-life -- it’s very fleeting.” Money-seekers also score lower on tests of
vitality and self-actualization.
4.
Have Meaningful Goals
“People who strive for something
significant, whether it’s learning a new craft or raising moral children, are
far happier than those who don’t have strong dreams or aspirations,” say Ed
Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener. “As humans, we actually require a sense of
meaning to thrive.” Harvard’s resident happiness professor, Tal Ben-Shahar,
agrees, “Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning.
Whether at work or at home, the goal is to engage in activities that are both
personally significant and enjoyable.”
5.
Take Initiative at Work
How happy you are at work depends in
part on how much initiative you take. Researcher Amy Wrzesniewski says that
when we express creativity, help others, suggest improvements, or do additional
tasks on the job, we make our work more rewarding and feel more in control.
6.
Make Friends, Treasure Family
Happier people tend to have good
families, friends, and supportive relationships, say Diener and Biswas-Diener.
But it’s not enough to be the life of the party if you’re surrounded by shallow
acquaintances. “We don’t just need relationships, we need close ones” that
involve understanding and caring.
7.
Smile Even When You Don’t Feel Like It
It sounds simple, but it works. “Happy
people…see possibilities, opportunities, and success. When they think of the
future, they are optimistic, and when they review the past, they tend to savor
the high points,” say Diener and Biswas-Diener. Even if you weren’t born
looking at the glass as half-full, with practice, a positive outlook can become
a habit.
8.
Say Thank You Like You Mean It
People who keep gratitude journals on a
weekly basis are healthier, more optimistic, and more likely to make progress
toward achieving personal goals, according to author Robert Emmons. Research by
Martin Seligman, founder of positive psychology, revealed that people who write
“gratitude letters” to someone who made a difference in their lives score
higher on happiness, and lower on depression -- and the effect lasts for weeks.
9.
Get Out and Exercise
A Duke University study shows that
exercise may be just as effective as drugs in treating depression, without all
the side effects and expense. Other research shows that in addition to health
benefits, regular exercise offers a sense of accomplishment and opportunity for
social interaction, releases feel-good endorphins, and boosts self-esteem.
10.
Give It Away, Give It Away Now!
Make altruism and giving part of your
life, and be purposeful about it. Researcher Stephen Post says helping a
neighbor, volunteering, or donating goods and services results in a “helper’s
high,” and you get more health benefits than you would from exercise or
quitting smoking. Listening to a friend, passing on your skills, celebrating
others’ successes, and forgiveness also contribute to happiness, he says.
Researcher Elizabeth Dunn found that those who spend money on others reported
much greater happiness than those who spend it on themselves.
