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We all want to achieve and increase happiness; we want to feel good about ourselves, be satisfied with our lives, and feel fulfilled. The problem is that happiness is not always easy to find, and sometimes we look for it in the wrong places or places that won’t last.
Happiness can mean different things to everyone, but the idea is that this allows us to live better, with more joy and less stress and anxiety, which can also help add a few years to the time we have to live and a better attitude towards everything that comes our way.
And no, you can’t buy happiness (a new car can give you momentary happiness, but it won’t last if you only focus on that), but it can be worked on. According to Arthur Brooks, one of Harvard’s leading experts who has dedicated himself to studying the subject of happiness, some points backed by science are useful and bring us closer to having much happier lives.
Brooks even has a podcast called How to Increase Your Happiness and has written columns in The Atlantic and The Crimson about what we can do to achieve happiness.
How to Increase Happiness: Harvard’s Top Expert’s 5 Secrets
The first thing to know is that Brooks told The Crimson: “Happier people are healthier.” Happier people are more successful in worldly terms. “And feel happier people are more attractive to others.”
This means that if we are happy, we have more opportunities to succeed and have better relationships, and we can even work on getting better relationships.
1. Don’t Forget Altruism
Brooks is not the only one who says this; Bill Gates has also talked about the benefits of being kind and generous to others.
2. Don’t Let Work be Your Whole Life
Within his recommendations, Brooks touches on the subject of work and what he says is that it is important to socialize with your coworkers outside the context of the office because studies have shown that it can help you be more productive and that you feel more connected (plus it can keep you from feeling miserable ).
Also, this can prevent you from feeling isolated or like everything revolves around the subject of work. And you don’t have to hang out with all your peers; it’s enough to have a few friends you enjoy spending time with.
3. Work on Your Relationships
Several studies, including one from Harvard University (which was not done by Brooks), say that having good friends is essential for us to be happier.
Brooks wrote in his column in The Atlantic that investing in experiences that help us improve relationships with family, friends, and partners is much more satisfying and leads to Bringing happiness to a greater degree than when we invest in material things, in addition to the fact that it is said that social contact also helps extend the quality of life.
4. Work Your Mind and Your Body
Physical exercise releases endorphins and helps you feel much better and more relaxed (there’s even the phenomenon of the runner’s high), but Brooks says it’s not just your body that you have to focus on but your mind as well.
Exercising your brain protects memory, can increase intelligence, reduce cognitive decline, and also protect against certain ageing problems, so Brooks says in his column that it’s important to include activities like reading, going for a walk, or doing some simple mind games, preferably every day.
5. Explore Nature
According to News Medical, “Many studies have shown that experiencing nature improves working memory, restores focused attention, alleviates fear and stress, and produces beneficial reductions in heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels.”
Brooks also wrote that walking in the woods or among places full of plants without the noise of the city helps us to have a more positive mood and state of mind, which, along with the rest of the benefits, contributes to a happier life.
