A sense of purpose and a sense of belonging are just two of the traits that can lead to a happy life. This infographic from Family Living Today outlines some of the factors and habits that can lead to a happier life.
Habits of the World’s Happiest People
Happiness is more than an emotion: it’s is a pursuit and a state of mind
“Our survival is based on hope—hope for something good: happiness. Because of that, I always conclude that the purpose of life is happiness.” -His Holiness The Dalai Lama
- The State of Happiness
- 48% of our happiness is inherited
- 40% of our happiness is controlled by isolated events
- 40% of our capacity for happiness is within our power to change
- 34% increased chance of becoming happy if next door neighbor becomes happy
Factors Affecting Happiness
- Economic
- Income
- Employment
- Social
- Education
- Family life
- Health
- Mental
- Physical
Psychologists say a good life needs a mix of
- A sense of purpose
- Playfulness
- Happiness
- Occasional sadness
- Psychological flexibility
- Autonomy
- Mastery
- Belonging
Happiness can be hard to measure, but some places still produce more happiness per capita than others
Measuring Happiness:
The World’s Happiest People
- The 2017 World Happiness report, commissioned by the UN, rates the 10 happiest countries based on 6 factors
- GDP per capita
- Healthy years of life expectancy
- Social support (having someone to count on)
- Trust (lack of corruption in government and business)
- Freedom to make life decisions
- Generosity
- And the Grinners Are…
- Norway
- Denmark
- Iceland
- Switzerland
- Finland
- Netherlands
- Canada
- New Zealand
- Australia & Sweden
- Why Norwegians Are the Happiest
- Wealth
- 4th wealthiest country in the world based on GDP per capita
- Dark, cold climate
- Survival in this climate requires greater mutual support, bringing communities together
- Community spirit
- Long-standing family relationships based on strong sense of identity
- Economic security & benefits
- Free education through the university level
- Family allowance benefits for children
- Wealth
America’s Happiness
- The report puts the U.S. at #19 out of 155 countries
- Several factors are decreasing Americans’ happiness:
- Decreasing social support
- Less frequent helping behavior
- Rising mortality rates caused by health-related issues
- Lower sense of personal freedom
- Lacking transparency in national surveillance efforts
- Frequent frisking and body pat downs
- Lower donations
- Stark income inequality
- Deteriorating educational system
- Greater perception of corruption in government and business
- Lower measures of social trust among ethnic communities
- Lack of transparency in political campaign financing
- It’s not all bad for Americans
- Say they are happy
- 2017: 33%
- 2016: 31%
- Rarely worry about their health
- 2017: 53%
- 2016: 48%
- Hold spiritual beliefs as a positive guiding force
- 2017: 71%
- 2016: 66%
- 86% have positive relationships with their family members
- 72% are optimistic about their future
“Spread love everywhere you go; first of all in your house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor. Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.” – Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Happiness is a habit worthy of personal change, effort and cultivation
Creating Happy Habits:
Characteristics of Happy People
- Curious: seeking out new, complicated, uncertain and even upsetting experiences
- Idealistic: rather than dwelling on the world’s many problems
- Goal-focused: able to sacrifice short-term pleasure for long-term progress
- Honest about what energizes them
- Big picture-focused: less analytical and detail-oriented
- Calm: less stressed out about performance in grades or work salary
Steps to Make Happiness a Habit
- Live in the moment
- A study has shown that being distracted is a cause of unhappiness
- Reminiscing, thinking ahead or daydreaming makes people more miserable
- Practice gratitude
- Positive psychology research shows gratitude is associated with greater happiness and helps people
- Relish good experiences
- Feel more positive emotions
- Build strong relationships
- Practice compassion
- Experiment published in Science by Harvard Business School:
- Half given money to spend on themselves, half given money to spend on others
- Found that participants who spent money on others were significantly happier
- Spend time outdoors enjoying sunlight
- Vitamin D is produced when UV rays hit the skin
- Serotonin is secreted when eyes come in contact with sunlight
- This literally makes us happier
- Embrace negative feelings
- Suppressing thoughts can diminish our sense of contentment
- Better to acknowledge the complexity of life
- Accept that anger and sadness are vital emotions to mental health
- Place higher value on time over money
- Prioritizing time is associated with greater happiness
- The free time could be spent on hobbies, exercising, or with family
- Smile more and often
- Forcing muscles to smile will trick the brain into feeling happy
- Experiment published in Science by Harvard Business School:
- Positive psychology research shows gratitude is associated with greater happiness and helps people
World’s Happiest Man — According to Science
- Matthieu Ricard
- Born in France in 1946
- Lives in the Himalayan region as a Buddhist monk
- Is also an author, translator, photographer, and speaker
- Regularly meditates on compassion
- Claims the key to happiness is thinking happy thoughts just 15 minutes a day
- 12-year brain study led by neuroscientist Richard Davidson:
- 256 sensors were hooked up to Ricard’s head
- Meditating on compassion produced gamma waves never before reported in neuroscience
- Excessive activity in prefrontal cortex gave him
- An abnormally large capacity for happiness and
- A reduced propensity towards negativity
- 12-year brain study led by neuroscientist Richard Davidson:
“It seems hardly proper to write of life without once mentioning happiness; so we shall let the reader answer this question for himself: who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed?” – Hunter S. Thompson
Happiness is a journey, not a destination. —Alfred D. Souza
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