According to science, you can do these things to be happier in life
- Although people aspire to be
happy, achieving it is not an easy task.
- So much so that science has spent
years studying the keys that can contribute to people's happiness.
- To help you feel like you've had
a full life, here are 14 science-backed ways to be happy.
In many cases, achieving this
happiness can be complicated by linking it to too unattainable expectations. Or
perhaps by focusing on aspects that are not really as linked as you think to a
full and happy life.
There may also be the error of
aspiring to it as if it were a permanent state of the person when rather it
should be understood as a sum of specific moments of full joy.
In other words, happiness can be
a path that must be traveled throughout existence.
What is happiness?
Happiness is a complex and difficult word to define, especially since the path to happiness is different
for each of us.
I am not a psychologist and
therefore I undertook the task of investigating the subject in depth.
Indeed, a number of the
factors that affect happiness could also be beyond our control (such as
genetics or certain circumstances). But there are always actions we will take
from now on to amplify our good feelings.
The psychologist who is an expert
in happiness, Mónica López, comments in an interview that she did the following
to her: happiness consists of making small decisions every day, which are
translated into actions to live happier.
According to the expert, acting
in a manner consistent with our personal values and goals allows us to take
these small actions regarding our happiness and, in this way, have a
combination of more positive than negative emotions.
What can I do to decide to be happy?
Happy people find that happiness becomes a habit. They are not victims of circumstance. Nor do they pursue that "happiness" in some person or material good.
Some days you indeed can feel better than others (maybe the weather or a particular date affects you)
but if in the total count of days a year you decide to feel good and happy, you
are on the right track.
Although it sounds impossible,
you'll take hold to smile more times each day and be more satisfied with life.
These small actions are divided into two parts:
- Small actions that improve our perception and relationship with the surface world
- Small actions that come within us and improve our attitude towards life
Try to introduce any (or all) of
those actions into your routine. This is how we make sure you feel better and
are happier inside and out!
There are 14 scientific ways to make your life happier at the end of your life that can make it easier on this difficult path to becoming happier.
1. Laugh more
Laughing can help combat negative
emotions and even anxiety and stress, as science has repeatedly highlighted.
According to a 2006 study led by Dr. Lee Berk, associate professor at Loma Linda University in California (USA), laughter can prevent stress by reducing the production of hormones linked to it.
"Laughter seems to cause all
the reciprocal or opposite effects of stress," Dr. Berk explained to Time.
Laughing lowers the levels of
cortisol, the stress hormone, and adrenaline. In addition, according to
research, laughter seems to trigger the production of beta-endorphins, capable
of blocking the sensation of pain.
Other 2015 research published in
the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that laughter
therapy sessions helped improve depression and negative moods in cancer
patients.
So if you are one of those who
tend to be serious, start by trying to laugh more on your way to happiness.
2. Spend time in contact with nature
Leaving behind the artificial office
lights and screens and going outside can be a way to lift your spirits.
Science has repeatedly shown the
physical and mental benefits of spending time outdoors in natural settings.
Being in contact with nature
seems to have positive effects on stress.
A 2011 study analyzed the
differences between participants living in forests in Japan versus those
located in the city. The results showed that those who were in natural settings
had a generalized decrease in cortisol levels and in heart rate.
Spending time in nature, and
especially if it is practicing some type of exercise, also seems to have
positive effects on anxiety and depression, according to other research from
2010.
"The natural environment
improved self-esteem and mood," says among its conclusions a review of 10
previous studies on how interacting with nature affect cognition and affect in
people with depression.
But it's not just about escaping
to the country on weekends. A window overlooking a natural environment in the
workplace seems to have a positive effect on employees, improving their job
satisfaction and stress levels, as found in the conclusions of a 2006 study.
3. Try to be an early riser
You may be surprised to find on
this list that getting up early can help you lead a happier and healthier life.
But the truth is that it is so, although with nuances.
It is not about setting the alarm
clock for 6 a.m. and forcing yourself to get out of bed reluctantly and without
having had enough rest. The positive effects of waking up early are more
closely linked to people who by nature define themselves as early risers versus
late risers.
According to scientific evidence,
early risers tend to be happier, optimistic, and more satisfied, while
late-night women show a greater tendency to pessimism and depression.
This is reflected in a study
carried out by the University of Toronto in 2012. Although the causes of this
are not known, the authors of the research point to circadian rhythms. That is,
if you go to bed earlier and wake up earlier, your body is tuned to the
revolutions of the Earth, the environment and you rest better.
Another 2019 study found among
its conclusions a "link between nighttime preference and an increased risk
of schizophrenia and depression."
Although as the authors of the
research explains, having a tendency to go to bed late and be active at night
does not have to lead to depression or unhappiness. All this is more complex
and is linked to the genetics of each person, which in turn also influences
these time preferences.
4. Fill your days with plans and try to be
Having a happy life seems easier
when you have free time to enjoy yourself. But in their place, you have the constant feeling that your weekends are lasting less and less.
The good news is that ending this feeling is possible.
To make your free time expand to
the maximum, science advises that from time to time put laziness aside and
start filling the hours with plans.
As neuroscientist David Eagleman,
a professor at Stanford University and author of The Brain: The Story of You,
explains to The Cut, "when you experience something new, it seems to have
lasted longer," he says, "because you're more focused on collecting
the unknown information in a memory. "
Therefore, including some new
activities or plans on your weekends or days off can help give the feeling that
more time has been enjoyed.
Simply "going out to explore
new neighborhoods" or eating out instead of staying home all day can help
stretch the hours in positive ways while filling life with pleasant memories
and experiences.
But you should be careful when
managing these plans since too much organization can also lead to less
enjoyment.
According to research published
in 2018, overdoing your leisure management rather than favoring spontaneous
plans can make them less enjoyable.
The reason is that they are
assumed by our brain more as a task within "a programmed list" than
as a leisure activity.
So if you want to be happier, try
to be more spontaneous.
5. Don't give up on your passions
A 2015 study published in The
Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that pursuing your passion helps reduce
stress and leads to greater happiness.
According to the findings, those
participants who invested time in their hobbies were 18% less sad and up to 34%
less stressed while doing the activities.
Making your passion a job also
has benefits, as it can promote commitment and work performance. But it doesn't
have to be that way to lead to happiness. C
As an article on the subject in
Harvard Business Review collects, the reality indicates that even "greater
benefits tend to occur when personal passions and real work are very
different."
Either way, spending time doing
what really fills you seems to lead to happier moods, productivity expert Laura
Vanderkam tells The New York Times.
"There are moments when time
is nearly meaningless because we are very proud of what we do. The more time
you spend in that area, the better life will be perceived."
6. Bet on kindness
As they say, being nice doesn't
cost money and in return, it will bring you a series of benefits.
As stated on the Mayo Clinic
website, kindness can help improve self-esteem, empathy and improve the mood of
those who practice it.
Not only because by carrying out
pleasant and affectionate gestures, but it is also expected that you feel more
connected and close with others.
On a physiological level, is
kind favors the activation of serotonin and dopamine, hormones linked to
pleasure, while it seems to help reduce pressure and levels of cortisol, the
stress hormone.
7. Try saying 'yes' more often
Think about how many plans you
tend to reject. A friend who invites you to a party, go dancing classes with
your partner, or even a new professional project. Novelty tends to make you
nervous and laziness is also to blame, but changing chic and starting to say
"yes" more often can help you have a happy life.
The first because it seems more
convenient to complain about something you did not like than to regret not
having tried it.
Also, trying new things involves
releasing dopamine in our brain, related to pleasure and good spirits.
As Keith Rollag, author of the
book What to Do When You're New: How to Be Comfortable, Confident, and
Successful in New Situations explains to the Fast medium Company, "We've
all experienced the thrill of something new, and that thrill that comes from
new accomplishments. That's dopamine at work."
And he adds, "Scientists who
study happiness have found that one of the best ways to bring more happiness
into our lives is to meet new people and try new things."
8. Turn off your mobile from time to time
How long has it been since you
turned off your mobile? You probably don't even remember. Believe it or not,
doing so has many benefits and it is not about lengthening the life of your device, rather about making yours healthier and happier.
Science has shown that freeing
yourself from this device for as little as 15 minutes has a positive impact on
people.
Other scientific evidence has
pointed out that screens have negative effects on people's social
relationships, showing that the simple gesture of leaving the mobile on the
table or holding it in the hands while having a conversation (does that sound
like something to you? ), causes the other person to perceive less connection
and empathy with their interlocutor.
But with mobile, the scientific
community seems to also mean social networks.
As a study published in The
Journal of Social Psychology explains, giving up Facebook for a few days can
reduce levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
And something similar happens
with Instagram, declared the worst social network for mental health in
adolescents.
So if you want to have a happy life full of good relationships in the real world, try to focus on the people
in front of you physically and forget about mobile and the internet from time
to time.
9. Take a vacation and travel
Traveling is something that to a
greater or lesser extent everyone likes. Knowing new places, different cultures
and above all getting away from routine and work obviously has to feel good.
And so it seems. According to the
evidence shown by science in this field, traveling is one of the ways to
contribute to having a good life at the end of our days.
According to research published
in the Wisconsin Medical Journal focused on women, those who traveled more
often were less likely to be tense, depressed, or tired afterward and more
satisfied in their marriage.
But even the mere act of planning
a vacation and having a trip on the horizon helps lift your spirits.
As a UK-focused analysis found,
participants who hoped to go on vacation were much happier with their life in
general, experienced less negative or unpleasant feelings, and were happier
with their family, finances, and health than the group that did. I do not
travel.
The good news is that you don't
need too many days off. As a 2013 study in the United States reflected, after
just a day or two of vacation, 89% of those surveyed saw significant drops in
their stress levels.
10. Spend time with friends and family
Social interaction, friendship,
and ties with the family are placed as one of the basic pillars when it comes
to have a happy life.
Several studies and happiness
experts have pointed this out.
George Vaillant led part of an investigation that for 80 years has followed the lives of 268 men to find out
what makes people happy.
When asked in an interview in
2008 what he had learned from the men in that study, the researcher left no
room for doubt in his answer "Your relationship with people is basically
the only thing in life "
Something that a study published
in the Journal of Socio-Economics also shows, aimed at discovering the economic
value of social relationships in the life of an individual.
The results obtained found that
while social ties reach high economic amounts, money, in turn, could buy very
little happiness.
"An increase within the
level of social participation is worth up to 85,000 pounds annually (more than
100,000 euros) in terms of satisfaction with life. Real changes in income, on
the other hand, buy very little happiness," the study states.
This is how it is simple and
clearly summarized by Harvard happiness expert Daniel Gilbert:
"We are happy when we have
family, we are happy when we have friends and almost all the other things that
we think to make us happy are actually ways to get more family and friends."
11. Help other people
Helping people also have positive
effects on our happiness, according to Professor Martin Seligman of the
University of Pennsylvania, in an article in Inc .: "Scientists have found
that doing something nice produces the most reliable momentary increase in
relative wellness."
And it is that providing support
to someone who needs it has an impact on a neurological level, by reducing
activity in areas of the brain related to stress and activating those that have
to do with reward and care, as a study showed in 2016.
Research has also pointed out
that when it comes to money, people who spend more on others (known as
prosocial spending) report more happiness than those who only invest in
themselves.
12. Focus on the good things you have
One way to achieve a fuller and happier life is to try to put the negative aside and focus on the good and
positive that happens.
The "three good things"
exercise allows you to do this simply and effectively. It is about
starting a journal in which each day three good things that happened throughout
the day is written, adding an explanation of why they are considered to be
good.
The objective is to focus on
positive events and be able to resort to them when faced with pessimistic thoughts. Research has found that people who perform this exercise
tend to be happier and less depressed.
Another 2003 study also
emphasized the advisability of taking a conscious gratitude approach, finding
that those patients who focused on the good aspects of their lives achieved
greater emotional and interpersonal benefits.
13. Avoid resentment
Forgiveness is not always easy,
but failure to do so can lead to a permanent feeling of anger, bitterness, and
in the worst case even revenge, which can clearly derail the purpose of
achieving a happy life.
On the contrary, opting for the practice of forgiveness can lead you towards "physical, emotional and
spiritual well-being", according to the statements of CllÃnica Mayo
itself. It is not about forgetting or excusing the damage, rather about not
being controlled by the negative emotions derived from something that has
damaged you.
Practicing forgiveness can help
reduce stress and anxiety, leading to better mental health and better
relationships.
In 2017, the first study to
provide prospective longitudinal evidence in this regard found links between
the practice of greater forgiveness and lower levels of stress and better
mental health.
Previously, in 2014, other research found that forgiving yourself and others can protect you from severe
stress, and it possibly leads to more serious mental illness.
14. Try to be kind and tolerant of yourself
Previously, it has been shown
that being kind to others leads to greater happiness.
And while most people don't
hesitate to be a good friend, co-worker, neighbor, and at best a citizen,
things can be very different when it comes to your relationship with yourself.
Many people tend to be overly
strict, severe, and self-indulgent, not allowing themselves to make the
slightest mistake at work, in the family, or even when it comes to their looks.
But if you aspire to achieve a full life, the way forward begins with the practice of tolerance towards
yourself.
As the professor at the
University of Texas (USA), Kristin Neff, a pioneer in this field, indicates to
Inc., "self-compassion is related to less anxiety, less stress, less
depression, greater happiness and greater abilities to cope with things".
Something that a 2019 research
confirms, the results of which suggest that people who are kinder to themselves
tend to feel more compassionate and more connected to others while showing a
more relaxed and confident bodily response to situations.
Try to be less severe and demanding of yourself the next time you make a mistake or just look in the mirror. In the long run, this will lead to a happier life.
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