9 Things That Make You Happy, According to Science

happy headerPhilosophers have argued over the nature of happiness for thousands of years. Yet the average person still struggles to find their own path to contentment. With all the developments of the modern age, you’d think we’d have worked it all out by now; so why are we still asking ourselves the age-old question? Because happiness means different things to different people, and there is no one definitive method for finding it.

What we do have, however, are scientifically proven tips on where to begin. For example, quitting Facebook may be daunting, but one report showed users who deactivated their profile for one week enjoyed increased happiness ratings. Another study showed that looking at cute pictures of animals can make us happier and more considerate — but maybe we didn’t need science to tell us that.

Our new infographic shares nine misery-busters, backed-up by science. Not all of them might work for you, but from listening to your favorite music to eating more fruit n’ veggies, there’s no harm in trying. Happiness is both a state of mind and a wellness of body, and the first step is taking positive action to try and bring those warm feelings into your life.

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Sources

 

Newman, KM. (2015). Six Ways Happiness Is Good for Your Health. greatergood.berkley.edu

Steptoe, A and Wardle, J. (2011). Positive affect measured using ecological momentary assessment and survival in older men and women. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 108(45). pp. 18244-48

Steptoe, A and Wardle, J. (2005). Positive affect and biological function in everyday life. Neurobiology of Aging. 26(1). pp. 108-112

Oswald, AJ et al. (2014). Happiness and Productivity. warwick.ac.uk

Mujcic, R and Oswald, AJ. (2016). Fruit and Veg Give You the Feel-Good Factor. warwick.ac.uk

The Happiness Research Institute. (2015). The Facebook Experiment: Does Social Media Affect the Quality of our Lives. happinessresearchinstitute.com

University of East Anglia. (2014). Walking or cycling to work improves wellbeing, University of East Anglia researchers find. eurekalert.org

Nittono, H et al. 2012. The Power of Kawaii: Viewing Cute Images Promotes a Careful Behavior and Narrows Attentional Focus. PLoS ONE. 7(9).

BBC Magazine. (2013). How much can an extra hour’s sleep change you? bbc.co.uk

Nawijin, J et al. (2010). Vacationers Happier, but Most not Happier After a Holiday. Applied Research in Quality of Life. 5(35).

Spechler, D. 2015. The Power Of Touch: How Physical Contact Can Improve Your Health. huffingtonpost.com

Harvard Medical School. 2008. Happiness is a collective – not just individual – phenomenon. web.med.harvard.edu

McGill University. 2011. Musical chills: Why they give us thrills. sciencedaily.com

Austin, M. 2010. Achieving Happiness: Advice from Plato. psychologytoday.com

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