{"id":19346,"date":"2020-09-22T21:33:47","date_gmt":"2020-09-22T13:33:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?p=19346"},"modified":"2022-10-16T21:03:49","modified_gmt":"2022-10-16T13:03:49","slug":"how-to-increase-happiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/how-to-increase-happiness\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Proven Ways to Increase Your Happiness"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In my earlier post, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/pursuit-of-happiness\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the pursuit of happiness (& how to be truly happy)<\/a> was about living life by the moments <strong>rather than spending most of our time <em>thinking<\/em> about what we should achieve next.<\/strong> We can take charge of our happiness by engaging in activities like physical exercise and performing acts of kindness to help us find happiness.<\/p>\n<p>The good news is that there are also <strong>several other scientifically-proven activities<\/strong> which, when done habitually, <strong>can help us in our quest for happiness<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>After looking through many of these suggestions supported by studies and experiments, I want to share the following 8 with you. Feel free to share your comments in the comments section below.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ref-block ref-block--post\" id=\"ref-post-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/science-you-and-social-media\/\" class=\"ref-block__link\" title=\"Read More: 5 Effects Social Networks Have On You\" rel=\"bookmark\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">5 Effects Social Networks Have On You<\/span><\/a>\n<div class=\"ref-block__thumbnail img-thumb img-thumb--jumbo\" data-img='{ \"src\" : \"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250x160\/science-you-and-social-media.jpg\" }'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<noscript>\n<style>.no-js #ref-block-post-17928 .ref-block__thumbnail { background-image: url(\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250x160\/science-you-and-social-media.jpg\"); }<\/style>\n<\/noscript>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"ref-block__summary\">\n<h4 class=\"ref-title\">5 Effects Social Networks Have On You<\/h4>\n<p class=\"ref-description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIf you are active on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc, it's probably a way of...\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Read more<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>1. Practise mindfulness<\/h2>\n<p>In a comprehensive <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencemag.org\/news\/2010\/11\/daydreaming-downer\">research<\/a> to study the level of happiness of 2250 participants, Harvard psychologists contacted the participants at random intervals during the day to find out the activity they were engaged in, their feelings and their thoughts.<\/p>\n<p>The  responses revealed that half of the time, <strong>the participants were not paying attention to what they were doing<\/strong>. Those who daydream, and thus are not concentrating at the task at hand, were reported to be less happy. It is this <strong>wandering of the mind that is causing them to be gloomy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/how-to-increase-happiness\/daydream.jpg\" alt=\"daydream\" width=\"800\" height=\"619\"><\/figure>\n<p>Rather than focusing on what was happening right at that instant \u2014 living in the moment \u2014 some of the sadder participants were thinking about the past or something that had yet to happen.<\/p>\n<h3>Mindfulness living<\/h3>\n<p>Mindfulness living is about living consciously, and according to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thebestbrainpossible.com\/tag\/jon-kabat-zinn\/\">Jon Kabat-Zinn<\/a>, \u201cthe awareness that emerges through<strong> paying attention on purpose<\/strong>, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The ability to concentrate well requires <strong>repeated practice.<\/strong> One way to do that is to practice mindfulness meditation: sitting down with our eyes closed and observing our physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions from a distance without judgment. Label them as an \u201citch\u201d, a \u201cthought\u201d or anger, for example, as they come and go in our consciousness.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/how-to-increase-happiness\/mindfulness.jpg\" alt=\"mindfulness\" width=\"800\" height=\"630\"><\/figure>\n<p>When we can do this <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/psychcentral.com\/blog\/new-to-mindfulness-how-to-get-started\/\">20 minutes a day,<\/a> often enough, we will start to <strong>realize that we are not our thoughts or emotions<\/strong>, and we will be less affected by them. That\u2019s when we\u2019re able to stay focused on what we do at any moment and become more present with our lives.<\/p>\n<p><strong>More: <\/strong>Apart from engaging in daily mindfulness meditation, here are <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thehealthy.com\/mental-health\/mindfulness-tips\/\">10 steps<\/a> suggested by Reader\u2019s Digest on <strong>how you can start living mindfully as well.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>2. Have sufficient quality sleep<\/h2>\n<p>Most of us are aware of the importance of sleep on our health. After all, it\u2019s a fundamental \u201cphysiological\u201d need under Maslow\u2019s hierarchy.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, many of us are still stubbornly putting off going to bed early in the name of productivity. Some of us may actually consider \u201cadequate sleep\u201d as a luxury, thanks to our tight work schedules and project deadlines.<\/p>\n<p>However, psychologist Norbert Schwarz from the University of Michigan had found that getting just an extra hour of sleep every night will make you happier than earning a $60,000 raise for the year!<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/how-to-increase-happiness\/quality-sleep.jpg\" alt=\"quality-sleep\" width=\"800\" height=\"700\"><\/figure>\n<p>Considering how the lack of sleep can negatively affect our mood the following day, it perhaps makes more sense to get enough of it every day, become happier, <strong>and consequently increase our productivity at work.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>But that doesn\u2019t mean you need <em>more<\/em> sleep. An <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1316165\/Six-hours-sleep-night-shopping-sprees-month-holidays-year-secrets-happiness.html\">analysis<\/a> of the lifestyles of some 4,000 adults found that the happiest of the lot get an average of <strong>6 hours 15 min of uninterrupted, quality sleep<\/strong> each night.<\/p>\n<p>According to another <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/news.cornell.edu\/stories\/2013\/04\/good-nights-sleep-linked-happiness\">study<\/a> by Cornell University, happy people tend to sleep better as well. It\u2019s a loop: resolve to get more quality sleep, become happier, sleep even better!<\/p>\n<p><strong>More:<\/strong> To kick-start, this awesome habit, check out this great list of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/justinhealth.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/33-Secrets-for-a-good-night-sleep.pdf\">33 Secrets to a Good Night\u2019s Sleep<\/a> by Dr. Mercola.<\/p>\n<h2>3. Buy some <em>experience<\/em><\/h2>\n<p>In my last <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/pursuit-of-happiness\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">post<\/a>, I wrote that money is better spent on acquiring life experiences rather than for material possessions. Well, another <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/news.cornell.edu\/stories\/2010\/03\/study-shows-experiences-are-better-possessions\">study<\/a> from Cornell University reaffirmed this, by proposing that <strong>acquired experiences are less tangible <\/strong>(compared to physical pursuits) and hence, <strong>harder to subject to social comparison. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The result is that our happiness level doesn\u2019t adapt to such personal experiences as quickly as we habituate to purchased goods.<\/p>\n<p>Aside from strengthening social relationships, the experience also becomes <strong>more and more memorable as time passes<\/strong>. Our minds naturally reinterpret our experiences retrospectively and holistically in a positive manner.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/how-to-increase-happiness\/travel-experience.jpg\" alt=\"travel-experience\" width=\"800\" height=\"604\"><\/figure>\n<p>For instance, each time we revisit our cherished memories of the last vacation trip we took with family or friends, the hassles and frustrations experienced during the trip are conveniently forgotten.<\/p>\n<p>So, go ahead and plan your next trip on some tropical island now. There is already research showing that <em>anticipation<\/em> itself will give you a boost in your happiness, as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2013\/06\/23\/opinion\/sunday\/happier-spending.html?pagewanted=all\">mentioned<\/a> by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, authors of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Happy-Money-Science-Smarter-Spending\/dp\/1451665067\"><em>Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>They even found one study which pointed out that not only does <strong>delayed pleasure increases your excitement<\/strong>, it can even make it more pleasurable when you\u2019re finally experiencing it.<\/p>\n<h2>4. Cut down on traveling time<\/h2>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/pursuit-of-happiness\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Previously<\/a>, I have also mentioned that certain events in life could permanently lower our happiness baseline. Chronic long commutes are one such event.<\/p>\n<p>Harvard psychology professor Daniel Gilbert puts it succinctly: \u201cYou can\u2019t adapt to commuting, because it\u2019s entirely unpredictable. Driving in traffic is a different kind of hell every day.\u201d No wonder daily commute has been <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/dataspace.princeton.edu\/bitstream\/88435\/dsp016108vb296\/7\/PDF%20of%20Kahneman%20Krueger%20paper.pdf\">ranked last<\/a> among all daily activities.<\/p>\n<p>A telephone survey conducted on about 170,000 employed adults showed that <strong>a third of those who took over 90 minutes to travel to work are more likely to have high cholesterol and chronic physical symptoms<\/strong> such as back and neck pains.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/how-to-increase-happiness\/travel-time.jpg\" alt=\"travel-time\" width=\"800\" height=\"556\"><\/figure>\n<p>40% of the same group were also found to experience worry for most of the day, as compared to just 28% of those who commute to work in less than 10 minutes a day.<\/p>\n<p>Before accepting a new job offer, take into account how much time you need to take to get to work each day. If, however, you\u2019re already stuck in one which requires you to drive for an hour or more each day, you might want to <strong>consider other available means of commute<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In Portland, Oregon, it was found that <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bikeportland.org\/2013\/01\/30\/bike-commuters-are-happiest-and-other-psu-research-tidbits-82448\"><strong>bicycle commuters are the happiest lot<\/strong><\/a>, followed by people who walk to work. Lone drivers are the least happy of all.<\/p>\n<h2>5. Smile!<\/h2>\n<p>According to one of the earliest <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bobsutton.typepad.com\/my_weblog\/2006\/12\/smiling_makes_y.html\">research<\/a> on the effects of smiling on our mood conducted by psychologist Robert Zajonc, who had participants say out the vowel \u201ce\u201d to make them smile, and the German vowel \u201c\u00fc\u201d to make them pout. Those who \u201csmiled\u201d reportedly felt good while those who \u201cpout\u201d felt worse!<\/p>\n<p>Numerous similar studies claim that <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/overcomingyouranxiety.net\/558\/is-it-true-that-smiling-can-reduce-stress\/\"><strong>smiling relieves stress and anxiety<\/strong><\/a>. Like one from Michigan State University, found those city bus drivers who \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurekalert.org\/pub_releases\/2011-02\/msu-sfa022211.php\">smile for the sake of smiling<\/a>\u201d throughout the day had their mood worsened and withdrew from work. The effects were found to be especially true for women.<\/p>\n<p><strong>When we smile<\/strong>, there are some biological processes that somehow trick our brain into thinking we\u2019re happy. For this reason,<strong> our moods are lifted reflexively<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, this is just a brief intervention that is only effective momentarily and not something that can make you happier as a person in the long run.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, if doing something as simple as smiling could help us feel a wee bit better about our lives and get other people to smile as well, I don\u2019t see why we shouldn\u2019t do it more!<\/p>\n<p><strong>More:<\/strong> Curious about the <strong>science behind smiling<\/strong> and how it makes us happier as well as other interesting tidbits? Check out this refreshing <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/buffer.com\/resources\/the-science-of-smiling-a-guide-to-humans-most-powerful-gesture\/\">post<\/a> by Leo Wildrich of Buffer.<\/p>\n<h2>6. Get a pet<\/h2>\n<p>Most pet owners would agree that their pets have brought them joy and good memories. Amazingly, researcher <strong>Allen McConnell<\/strong> has even found that social support provided by pets is <strong>comparable to that from a fellow family member<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>McConnell also showed that among other benefits, pet owners tend to have <strong>greater self-esteem<\/strong>, are <strong>less depressed and less lonely<\/strong> \u2014 they even exercise more!<\/p>\n<p>However, don\u2019t go rushing to buy one from the pet store if you know you\u2019re using it as a substitute for your less-than-perfect social life. Further observations made by McConnell indicated that the effects of pets on our health and happiness are <strong>stronger when we already have a good social life<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>After all, having a pet will not change things much unless we <strong>build a positive relationship with it<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/how-to-increase-happiness\/get-a-pet.jpg\" alt=\"get-a-pet\" width=\"800\" height=\"437\"><\/figure>\n<p>If we are already on good terms with people we care about, it probably proves that we have the necessary traits to have good relationships with pets as well. It\u2019s a <strong>two-way street<\/strong>: The amount of happiness that they can bring into our lives depends very much on <strong>our commitment level<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>7. Know and spend time with happy people<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Happiness is contagious<\/strong>. The <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/337\/bmj.a2338\">Framingham Heart Study<\/a> that followed 4,700 people over 20 years revealed that a person\u2019s happiness level can <strong>influence up to three degrees of separation<\/strong>, which means our happiness is partially affected by our social network (not the Facebook kind) of <strong>up to the level of our friends\u2019 friends\u2019 friends<\/strong>!<\/p>\n<p>Specifically, we are 15.3% more likely to be happier when we know another happy person directly (1st degree), followed by 9.8% and 5.6% for 2nd and 3rd degrees, respectively.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, it was also found that<strong> physical distance matters<\/strong>, particularly when a friend of ours who resides within a mile from us becomes happy, the probability that we are happy increases by 25%. Interestingly though, <strong>such effects are not reflected between co-workers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/how-to-increase-happiness\/happy-people.jpg\" alt=\"happy-people\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"><\/figure>\n<p>Happy people are often the center of social networks that comprise of similarly delighted people. The reasons why positive emotions trickle down from the happiest people to others are not determined in the study.<\/p>\n<p>However, it\u2019s suggested that this group of people could have a tendency to be more generous, friendlier, and nicer as a whole, <strong>cascading positive feelings<\/strong> down the levels and <strong>inducing those affected to act in the same positive manner to others<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>8. Have at least 10 good friends<\/h2>\n<p>In order to be happy, we will first need to have at least ten good friends <strong>before reaching the minimum \u201chappy\u201d level<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>After surveying over 1,700 people on their satisfaction with their lives and their friendships, a study from Nottingham University found that <strong>those with five friends or fewer were <\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-1079997\/The-secret-happiness-Having-10-good-friends.html\"><strong>more likely to be unhappy<\/strong><\/a> than to be happy. Those with 5 to 10 friends were equally likely to be either.<\/p>\n<p>The good news is that the happiness of the participants did not depend on whether the friends they had were childhood friends or those that came into their lives much later. This means to say that we\u2019re <strong>never too late to make new friends become happier<\/strong>!<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/how-to-increase-happiness\/good-friends.jpg\" alt=\"good-friends\" width=\"800\" height=\"562\"><\/figure>\n<p>Making new friends isn\u2019t all to it, though. If taking care of our pets requires <strong>commitment and continuous effort<\/strong>, friendship would logically requires much, much more.<\/p>\n<p>As Dr. Tunney puts it, \u201cWhatever the reason, actively working on friendships in the same way as to maintain a marriage is a prerequisite to happiness.<strong>\u201c<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Having too many friends poses the danger of having \u201csurface friendships\u201d since it will be quite <strong>challenging for one to maintain close relationships with all of them<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>If you are somehow able to find the time and means to manage them, you\u2019ll probably be like the happiest participants in the study who had dozens of friends!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In my earlier post, the pursuit of happiness (&#038; how to be truly happy) was about living life by the moments rather than spending most of our time thinking about what we should achieve next. We can take charge of our happiness by engaging in activities like physical exercise and performing acts of kindness to&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3405],"tags":[978,2820],"topic":[4522,4523],"class_list":["entry-content","is-maxi"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.8 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>8 Scientifically Proven Ways to Increase Your Happiness - Hongkiat<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In my earlier post, the pursuit of happiness (&amp; how to be truly happy) was about living life by the moments rather than spending most of our time\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/how-to-increase-happiness\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"8 Proven Ways to Increase Your Happiness\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In my earlier post, the pursuit of happiness (&amp; 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