10 things that will make you happier
1. Being in nature
A study took people to either a natural setting or an urban setting. The people who were in the natural setting had lower cortisol levels and higher dopamine levels. Dopamine is happiness.2. Gratitude
People who wrote down three things they were grateful for everyday for four weeks reported higher levels of happiness, optimism, and self-esteem.3. Exercise
People who exercised for six weeks had increased dopamine and serotonin (which also makes you happy) and decreased cortisol (stress).4. Sleep
Sleep deprivation decreases dopamine, increases cortisol, decreases insulin sensitivity (which makes you crave sugar), and increases ghrelin (the hunger hormone). So sleep well!5. Laughing
Laughing triggers endorphins which make you happy but also improve your immune system.6. Meditation
In one study, two groups of people were given eight weeks of training in mindfulness meditation. One group was told not to meditate at all during that time period. The other group meditated for 30 minutes a day during those eight weeks. The group that meditated 30 minutes a day had significant improvements in their cortisol levels, sleep quality, memory function, etc. The other group showed no change.7. Intimacy with others
In one study on older adults, half the participants were put into what was called “a supportive relationship intervention” while the other half did nothing special at all. Those who were in the supportive relationship intervention showed improvement in every measure of health including lower cholesterol levels, improved sleep quality and reduced depression compared to those who did nothing special at all.8. Writing down 3 things that went well every day for 21 days straight (from Shawn Achor's book "The Happiness Advantage") – this is from Shawn's book "The Happiness Advantage" but I've done it many times before even though I didn't know it
This is a “randomized controlled trial” which is the highest form of scientific evidence there is so we know this works9. Reading fiction instead of non-fiction when you read for pleasure – another randomizd controlled trial found that reading fiction increases your ability to empathize with others while non-fiction doesn't do this as much (I think because n
So if you want to be happier when reading for pleasure then read fiction instead of non-fiction
110. Write down three good things about a person each day for 21 days straight – another randomized controlled trial found doing this increased people’s happiness by 25% after only three weeks
So write down good things about others each day for 21 days straight if you want to be happier!
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