There are a few „tricks” through which we can achieve happiness, and researchers have tested them and say they yield results.
A research program has discovered that there are seven simple and effective methods to be happy, another has shown that having a meaningful purpose in life is more important than pleasure, and a third has revealed that spending time in nature and listening to birds is the simplest way to feel happy.
World Economic Forum reviews four surprising things that can make us feel happy.
There are 7 happiness tricks. Use them!
A study called "The Science of Happiness", conducted by the University of Bristol, surveyed 228 psychology students who took a positive psychology course. Immediately after the course, they reported a 10-15% improvement in mood, and researchers found that by continuing the activities they were taught, over half of the group maintained a positive attitude over the next two years.
Dr. Bruce Hood, the lead author of the study, identified seven "happiness tricks." As simple as they may seem, they are just as effective:
- perform acts of kindness;
- build social connections, including with people you don't know;
- savor experiences;
- focus on the positive things in each day;
- seek to be grateful and thank people;
- do your best to stay physically active;
- practice meditation and mindfulness techniques.
Purpose rather than pleasure is the key to happiness
An important purpose, a goal to strive for, can be a more powerful source of fulfillment than the momentary satisfaction provided by pleasure. This is the conclusion of a study conducted by ESCP Business School.
The research analyzed how pleasure, purpose, and belief influenced the satisfaction levels of 2,615 subjects from six continents. The result was that purpose in life is a stronger indicator of satisfaction than pleasure and spirituality.
The study authors stated in an article for the World Economic Forum that the results could be useful for managers seeking new ways to improve employee satisfaction. Leaders could benefit by broadening their focus from pleasure-based benefits, such as financial rewards, to provide employees with a sense of purpose, they said.
You are happier if you watch or listen to birds
Happiness often hides in the simplest things and actions. A study conducted at King’s College London found, for example, strong links between watching or listening to birds and mental health.
Over 1,200 people worldwide were asked, through an app, to rate how they feel, including if they are happy or stressed, if they can see trees at that moment, and if they can see or hear birds, according to The Guardian.
The research showed that daily encounters with birds may be related to "long-term improvements in mental well-being." Furthermore, the study authors said these improvements were evident not only in healthy individuals but also in those diagnosed with depression, the most common mental illness in the world.
Quality relationships make us happy and help us live longer
Researchers from Harvard University have been trying for 85 years to scientifically demonstrate what makes us happy. And they believe they have found the answer: to be sociable.
The study focused on 724 participants, from teenagers to the elderly. Regardless of material status, physical health, or occupation, what stood out during this project was that individuals with solid, reliable relationships were happier, healthier, and lived longer than others.
The study also showed that "social fitness" - the ability to form and maintain strong relationships - played a more important role in ensuring a long and happy life than genetic inheritance, social class, or intelligence quotient.
"Personal connections create mental and emotional stimulation, which automatically strengthens mood, while isolation is a mood destroyer," said research director Dr. Waldinger.
T.D.