So what’s the magic formula for how to live a happy life?
Well there’s no silver bullet to happiness, however if you’re looking to make some improvements to your current happiness, science and research gives us 10 areas for focus, which are listed below.
So identifying where you may be weak in these areas should show you where to focus your efforts on making changes in your life to improve your own happiness.
1. Exercise
This is a quick way to boost your happiness ‘today’. The University of Vermont found that just 20 minutes of exercise can boost someone’s mood for up to 12 hours.
When you exercise, your body increases production of the brain chemicals associated with feeling happy and confident, such as endorphins, serotonin and dopamine. Exercise also reduces the stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin.
2. Relationships
The Harvard Study of adult development which has tracked the lives of Harvard sophomores since 1938 (as a point of interest John F Kennedy was one of the more famous original recruits of this study!) – has shown that close relationships are what keep people happy throughout their lives. Relationships are better predictors of long and happy lives than money, social class, IQ or even genes – and these findings still stood true when the study was expanded to include people from much more varied educational and social backgrounds.
Relationships in this context included family, friends and community – it’s about having good relationships with a variety of people in your life that’s important rather than having a ‘significant other’ necessarily.
3. Acts of kindness
A study done on the comparison of acts of kindness showed that performing acts of kindness results in a increase in life satisfaction for the kind person. In addition, when we perform acts of kindness, we generate the neurochemicals associated with self esteem and optimism – and this in turn enhances social bonding and trust to help develop our relationships with others – see point above about relationships.
The Greater Good science team at Berkeley explain that studies also show not only that people who spend money on others (no matter how small the amount) are happier than those who spend it on themselves, but also that once this happiness was felt, they were also more likely to continue to be kind and spend money on others.
4. Spiritual practice
Study after study shows that those with a spiritual or religious practice tend to be happier than those who don’t. They are less depressed, less anxious and more resilient to handle life’s inevitable curveballs that we all get from time to time.
For those who aren’t religious, a regular meditation practice is strongly linked to increased happiness and resilience as well as a huge range of other health and wellbeing benefits.
5. Proactive development of positive emotions
According to Dr Martin Seligman (American Psychologist, famous for his work ‘Positive Psychology‘), positive emotions such as hope, compassion, joy, love, cheerfulness and gratitude are not equally distributed genetically across the population, but they can be both learned and developed. These emotions can counterbalance the impacts of negative emotions. Dr Martin Seligman suggests that by training oneself to give increased focus to positive events, experiences and influences relating to these emotions, then happiness can be improved. He recommends doing the following practice for 1 week: at the end of each day write down 3 things that went well and why they went well. .
6. Choose the right food
The right foods can help to boost your mood. Here’s a list of some foods that you might want to add more of into your diet:
- Coffee – whilst there are some negative impacts of caffeine for health, it isn’t all bad. It increases the release of mood-boosting neurotransmitters such as dopamine, and is full of antioxidants
- Dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids) – if the flavonoids don’t do enough to help with your mood regulation then it’s a healthier hit of sugar than other options
- Oily fish – omega 3’s are related to lower levels of depression
- Berries (particularly blueberries) – antioxidants can help manage inflammation associated with mood disorders
- Nuts and seeds – great source of tryptophan, which helps you to naturally create more mood boosting serotonin
- Mussels – very high in vitamin B, which is good for mood regulation
- Lentils – good source of folate, which helps maintain serotonin levels
- Yoghurt – the probiotics help maintain a health microbiome
7. Sense of purpose
Or as Maslow called it – self-actualisation. The concept that you have a purpose in life which gives you a sense of value and worth, whether this is through your profession, a social or political cause you support or a creative or religious/spiritual endeavour.
Working and living with a sense of purpose and meaning is associated with not just living in a happier and more fulfilled way, but also a longer and more healthy life.
This may be about seeking challenges that just match your greatest strengths – so you need to know what your highest strengths are. If you don’t know what they are then you can use the VIA strengths test to find out.
8. Mindset & achievement
According to Seligman, self discipline and grit is about twice as important as IQ and talent as a measure for success.
We all need to feel some level of accomplishment in life so that we can feel some level of pride in ourselves. If this is something that you’d like to give some focus to, then take a look at ‘Project:YOU!’ which is a 6-step process specifically designed to support you in identifying and then achieving goals.
9. Exposure to light
Increasing exposure to sunlight enhances the brain’s production of the mood-enhancing chemical serotonin. This isn’t always easy if you’re stuck in an office for most of the day – or indeed if you live somewhere where daylight is limited at certain times of the year, such as it is in the UK during winter.
However there are viable light boxes and daylight simulation lights which you can get for use indoors – and are commonly used by sufferers of SAD (Seasonality affective disorder). So if getting outside regularly isn’t easy, then this may be an alternative option.
10. Time in nature
A large study of 20,000 participants looking at their location and their own measurement of mood concluded that people are “significantly and substantially happier outdoors in all green or natural habitat types”. Another study showed that “active interaction with indoor plants can reduce physiological and psychological stress compared with mental work”.
So if you’re opportunities to get outside in daylight are limited, make the most of them by getting yourself into a green or natural environment if possible. And if all else fails and you’re stuck indoors, get yourself a plant!
If you’ve identified areas of your life from the list above that you’d like to change, then you may benefit from ‘Project: YOU!’. This 6-step process will allow you to take control, set some goals, put a clear structure in place to make them happen – and move you to the achievement of the goals that are right for you. You can find out more about the process here, or if you’d like to talk to me, then fill in the form below to organise a free 30 minute call.
Deborah xoxo