mmalabanan
- Happiness is 40% genetic, 10% circumstantial and 40% based on intentional activity.
- There are a number of surprising things or activities proven to make you happy.
Did you know that happiness is somewhat in our control?
While several studies claim that an individual’s happiness is 40% genetic and 10% circumstantial, 40% of it based on intentional activity. That’s right, you can do certain activities or things to take control of your happiness.
Here are some of them.
1. Show gratitude for the good things in life.
Doing this not only boosts your happiness level. It can make you a better person and improve your relationship with other people. As a result, people around you can have a better life too. Keep track of the good things that happened to you everyday and jot it down every night before you go to bed.
2. Focus on your signature strengths.
Your signature strengths are the things in which you are uniquely good. Doing them on a regular basis increases your happy thoughts. This is the reason why “starving musicians or artists” are happier with their jobs than CEOs.
3. Spend time with people you like and love.
If there’s one thing that most people regret, it’s probably not spending time with the people they love. Spending more time with friends and loved ones provides a raise in happiness worth up to an additional $133,000 annually.
4. Create a feedback loop of happiness.
In order to create a feedback loop of happiness, you have to give, help others or volunteer. By doing these nice things, you can make others happy and more importantly, make yourself happier for the rest of the week.
5. Take time to savor the good things.
One of the secrets of the happiest people is savoring what’s important. One way of doing this is through positive mental time travel wherein you think of happy memories of look forward to something.
6. Strive to reach ambitious goals.
Challenging yourself is another way to be happy. Take it as an opportunity to grow and learn. While it may seem that binge-watching TV series can combat feelings of sadness, mastering a skill is happiness-boosting in the long-term.
7. Think positive.
It may seem like a cliche but optimism is the key to happiness. While it may seem that optimism makes you out of touch with reality, people with positive illusions about their relationship have fewer problems, are more satisfied and score higher on love and trust.
8. Hit the sack.
It may not be obvious but sleeping or taking a nap can drive away negative emotions and increase happy thoughts. Moreover, not having enough sleep can ruin your mood the entire day.
9. Appreciate the little things of everyday life.
Are you still waiting for that big event of your life? Stop waiting for that moment and savor the little things of everyday life that make you happy. Having lots of little good things leads to happiness.
