Scientists have been trying to decipher the keys to be happy
Traveling often, surrounding yourself with positive people, listening to music or exercising are some of the conclusions that can be drawn from the scientific studies that have been carried out so far. If you want to be happy, apply the list below in your life.
The science is very clear: There are activities, behaviors, attitudes and gestures that can make us happier What are we waiting for to start putting these keys into practice in our daily lives?
1. Travel often
Traveling always gives us new experiences and moments to remember, but According to scientists, traveling also makes us happier A study by Dr. Jeroen Nalwun, a professor at the University of Breda (Netherlands), “People who travel frequently are happier”. According to the study, planning vacations causes a higher degree of happiness due to the effect of anticipating the good times that await us.
On the contrary, it is important to highlight that the study subjects did not show significant differences once they had returned from their vacation. This seems to indicate that one of the keys to being happy is planning the trip, not the trip itself.
2. Send thank you messages
Gratitude is a powerful emotion that gives us psychological benefits Being grateful by sending an email, text or letter to someone who has helped you in some way is positive. Plus, being grateful is quick and easy and one study has found that practicing gratitude can increase happiness by 25%.
On the other hand, another study showed that just three letters in a three-week period was enough to reliably increase the happiness and life satisfaction of research subjects.
3. Live in the present
We have already commented in our article “What is Mindfulness? The 7 answers to your questions” the importance of living in the present. According to a study by sciencemag, people who spend the day ruminating waste 47% of their time. Constantly living in the future creates expectations that can make the person who is not in the present moment more unhappy.
Besides, fantasizing or worrying about things that have not even happened yet is unnecessary suffering But living in the present does not mean that you should not have goals, but rather that you have to be realistic and go step by step to achieve them. In fact, a study from the University of Wisconsin discovered that working towards a goal suppresses negative emotions , in addition to activating positive feelings.
4. Spend more time with friends and family
Spending time with family and friends is one of the keys to being happy that we should always keep in mind In fact, not spending enough time with friends and family is one of the main regrets that most people express before they die. Therefore, spending time with those who appreciate and whom we appreciate positively affects our mood.
An investigation included in the book The Longevity Projectconcludes that relationships with others are essential to living a long and happy life.
5. Listen to music
Number four on the list of keys to being happy is: listening to music. In our article “3 curious effects of music on your behavior” we already discussed some consequences that listening to music has on our mind and our behavior. Furthermore, the world of science has investigated how music will influence our mood. A study by Saarikallio and Erkkila in 2008 concludes that Listening to good music positively affects our mood and state of mind
Another study by Lonsdale and North (2010) states that listening to music provides us with multiple psychological benefits, including: managing and controlling negative emotional states.
6. Live happiness and stop looking for it
One of the keys to being happy, which is important to keep in mind, is: stop looking for happiness There are several experts who warn that the obsessive search for happiness produces the opposite effect, that is, unhappiness.
According to a study by Yale University, constantly seeking happiness can generate anxiety and anguish. This obsession with being happy at all costs seems to produce little tolerance for frustration if the results are not achieved immediately. Happiness is moments, and moments of “not happiness” should not be seen as failures.
7. Practice exercise
Practicing exercise is one of the keys to being happy that we have already discussed in previous articles. Continuous physical exercise will make you feel better, increase your energy levels and reduce your stress levels. Besides, Physical exercise will help you release brain chemicals such as endorphins, which will make you perceive reality in a positive way You can read more about this topic in our article “The 10 psychological benefits of practicing physical exercise.”
On the other hand, it is not necessary to run a marathon to benefit from physical activity. For example, practicing yoga will also provide you with psychological benefits and will help you improve your mood.
8. Surround yourself with positive people
According to an investigation by BMJ Group, one’s happiness, depends largely on the happiness of the people with whom one has constant contact. In other words, happiness can be contagious Being with people who breathe a positive and enthusiastic attitude through all four sides has a positive effect on your well-being.
The time it takes to get to work should not be more than 20 minutes. According to a study by Yeo Valley, The happiest subjects in his research were those who took no more than 20 minutes to get to their workplace This study states that spending more than 20 minutes to go to work has a negative effect on both the physical and psychological well-being of people.
10. Go outside
Many studies show that Going outside, especially on sunny days, is positive for our body and mind The sun is a fantastic natural antidepressant, it stimulates endocrine functions and increases the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter related to mood.
A study from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences concluded that spending time outdoors increases joy and good mood. A study revealed that spending 20 minutes outside in good weather not only promotes a good mood, but can also improve memory.
11. Start projects you believe in
Having projects and purposes motivates us and makes our life meaningful They do not have to be exceptionally ambitious projects or seek personal gain. There are projects of all kinds (humanitarian, sports, social, family…) on which we can focus our energies and make progress.
It is important, for this, to set short-term and realistic goals, to be able to move forward and not get frustrated if things do not go as we would like. The important thing is to be constant and that the project in question is beautiful and fun in itself.
