10 Practical Ways to Improve Happiness
Depending on how happy we are, all of these things are really associated with a happy life. But they do not help because they cannot function in any practical way. Very few people raise their foreheads and say, “It all makes sense now — I thought a tense and angry marriage was the secret to happiness, but it isn’t!”
This is a major weakness of the many social science research
I have devoted myself to my learning life. Much of it is descriptive and descriptive, but it does not really help us to live better lives. It can tear us down when the secret of happiness is not found. There is very little chance of me being a Dane, for example (although my grandfather was alone, so I probably have a small hygge sitting somewhere in my genome).
Every once in a while, people in my work need to do something. Based on what they see in data from surveys and surveys, what should we do that is more efficient and possible in order to increase our happiness, starting today?
In 2020, an international team of experts tried to find out. They came up with 68 ways that people are often counseled to increase their happiness, and then they asked 18 of the most prominent and well-trained academics in the science of happiness to measure themselves as effectively and efficiently as possible. In other words, according to experts, these methods of finding greater happiness are practical and effective.
Here are the top 10, respectively, and my evaluation as an additional happiness researcher on a positive scale.
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Invest in family and friends.
Research is clear that although our natural motivation may be to buy things, we should invest instead of developing our close relationships by sharing information and freeing up time to spend together.
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Join a club.
The “social security” that you receive through voluntary and regular interaction with other people, whether acting or not through a legal entity, has long been known to promote a sense of belonging and protect loneliness and isolation.
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Be mentally and physically busy.
You can make this advice as difficult and expensive as you want it to be. But if you like to keep things simple, just try going for an hour and reading for an hour (not for work!) Each day.
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Practice your religion.
This may sound absurd if you do not have a traditional religion or practice it. However, for the sake of pleasure, religion can be broadly understood, as the spiritual or philosophical approach to life. Search for facts beyond your daily life.
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Exercise.
This is a small version of No. 3 above: Your daily routine should be supplemented with a meaningful exercise program. This is in line with research showing that regular physical activity of all kinds improves mood and social functioning.
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Do well.
Consistency is consistently associated with happiness, and it can be easily developed.
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Be generous.
Self-centered behavior deliberately damages the brain and enhances the excitement of dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin.
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Examine your health.
Of all the health problems, the ones that cause the most unhappiness are often chronic pain and anxiety. Ignore your visits to the doctor and dentist, and seek mental health help if your emotions are interfering with your job, relationships, or community activities.
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Enjoy nature.
Studies have shown that, compared with urban travel, hiking in the jungle significantly reduces stress, increases mood, and improves working memory.
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Talk to a colleague outside of work.
The data showed that work friendships increase employee engagement, which is linked to both the happiness and productivity of employees. I believe that long-term relocation during violence has unknowingly reduced the real compensation for the work of millions, partially defining what is called the Great Resignation. Partnering with a partner is a way to get you back.
The list is similar to the advice often given to top academic writers who write to renowned audiences, such as UC Riverside psychiatrist Sonja Lyubomirsky (who was also one of the 18 experts in research), as well as academics who write about the science of happiness. , like Gretchen Rubin. “These ideas are good — and common,” said Rubin. What impressed her was not their origin (your grandmother may have told you most of them); rather, it was a fact that both were practical and useful.
Some common happiness advice is ineffective, impossible, or both. In a 2020 study,
low-level ideas include working part-time (which is not possible for most people) and building wealth (wealth means only 1 percent of the difference in happiness). The 18 experts were also not fans of creating a “proud place” —a place of your home dedicated to reminders of your successes and achievements. That is not surprising: As I pointed out in my recent book From Strength to Strength, reminding yourself of your past magnitude is actually a great way to reduce your present satisfaction.
Issuing guidelines for normal-but-bad happiness can be a full-time job. Aside from the ones mentioned above, my favorites are “If it sounds good, do it” (which can seduce us into bad habits and away from deep intent) and “Let go of your anger” (research that clearly leads to more anger, not relief.). In my experience as a researcher, almost all the advice to allow yourself to be controlled by your emotions and desires is bad.
If there is one thing that worries me about the list of happiness ideas above, that is incomplete, as they are cut-outs. If you really want to have more fun, you need a fully integrated strategy.
The fun strategy has three parts to it. First, you need to make a commitment