Scientifically-Proven Ways to Boost Your Happiness

There are scientifically-proven ways to boost your happiness – which are backed by more than 60 studies. Here’s how anyone can become a happier person:

• Spend time with the “right people.” The people who make you happiest are most likely to be friends, family and significant others, but most of us spend most of our time with coworkers. The best way to take advantage of that “forced togetherness” is to have a “best friend” at work – or a boss you like. You can also boost your happiness by avoiding small talk – which has been proven to make people unhappy. The fix: Find a few coworkers who aren’t interested in celebrity gossip, and strike up a real conversation.
  
  
• Another happiness booster: Make more social connections. Numerous studies show that you can increase happiness by hanging out with friends. You also get the same boost from volunteering. That’s because helping others makes you feel generous, and happier about your own life.
  
  
• Another happiness booster: Make plans for the future - and daydream. Or, as researchers put it, enjoy the experience without spending the time. Numerous studies show that the part of the brain responsible for pleasure can be activated just by thinking about something pleasurable, and planning ahead fills your life with anticipation. In fact, the anticipation of something enjoyable – like a vacation – is often more enjoyable than the actual experience.
  
  
• Finally, know this: Aging changes the way people experience happiness. Studies show that young people tend to equate happiness with excitement, so they get a boost spending time with interesting new friends, but as people get older, they associate happiness with feeling peaceful. So, older people get more joy from spending time with close friends and family.