How To Achieve Happiness According To Science
Being happy, according to science, is possible. And there is more and more evidence to support this hypothesis. Despite being studied relatively recently, several studies have been published that suggest that humans are able to achieve happiness even in difficult circumstances.
Even in the most complicated situations in life we can find moments in which to celebrate our existence and feel closer to the idea of happiness.
What exactly is happiness?
Happiness is an abstract concept that several researchers have been studying for decades. Each has given its own definition and we can find dozens of them.
Some of these focus on experiencing positive moods, while others focus more on the equivalence between happiness and the absence of fear or obstacles.
A rather interesting point of view is the one proposed by the engineer Mo Gawdat. This former Google employee experienced a particularly difficult situation: his son died during appendicitis surgery due to medical negligence.
Driven by suffering, Gawdat came up with a mathematical formula with which to explain happiness. According to his hypothesis, happiness would equal the events of our life minus the expectations we have towards them.
This means that we suffer when we reject what happens, because we think that things should go another way. For example, people who have refused to act according to the restrictive measures prescribed by governments in recent months have suffered much more than those who accepted reality.
And the same thing happens in any other difficult situation in life: not accepting that the partner has left us, not accepting a farewell, an illness or the death of a loved one transform the pain of what happened into excessive suffering. This prevents us from achieving happiness, according to science.
What are the consequences of happiness according to science
According to Barbara Fredickson’s Theory of Enlargement and Construction (1998, 2001) feeling positive emotions helps to adopt more flexible attitudes and to have a wider repertoire of behaviors. We can show off a greater ability to adapt to the context in which we find ourselves and be more successful in different fields. Some effects that derive from having experienced positive emotional states are the following:
- Our thoughts are more creative.
- We are more tolerant of ourselves and of others.
- Our reactions are more flexible.
- We fight negative emotions better.
- We are more selfless.
- We tolerate physical pain better.
- We are more resilient in the face of adversity.
Positive emotions have a cushioning function against stress (Fredrickson, Mancuso, Branigan and Tugade, 2000), as demonstrated by numerous scientific studies performed on cardiovascular reactivity (Fredrickson and Levenson, 1998).
Science has also found that positive and negative emotions are not mutually exclusive, but are relatively independent (Avia and Vàzquez, 1998). We can, therefore, experience negative emotions in apparently positive situations and, conversely, experience positive emotions in particularly difficult moments, such as situations of anxiety or in the face of trauma.
How to achieve happy according to science?
While we may face difficult situations in our lifetime, human beings can do a lot to stave off suffering. In this space we will describe some possible ways to be happy indicated by science:
Being grateful is among the secrets of happiness
Being grateful every day for all that beautiful happens to us is a particularly recommended practice that acquires importance with the worsening of the situation we are experiencing.
Research has shown a direct relationship between gratitude and prosocial behaviors, positive emotions, life satisfaction, optimism, hope, vitality and subjective perception of happiness (McCullough, Emmons and Tsang, 2002).
Gratitude is also associated with a lower risk of developing cognitive disorders such as depression and anxiety or of consuming drugs (Bono and McCullough, 2006).
In times of considerable crisis and hardship, including gratitude in our lives can result in a noticeable improvement in our mood.
Strengthen a sense of humor
The sense of humor is attributed with significant psychological benefits such as feelings and states of euphoria, well-being and satisfaction, a decrease in stress and the prevention of depression.
In addition, it has important physical effects, such as increasing the pain threshold and strengthening the immune and cardiovascular systems. Furthermore, on a social level, it improves communication with others and promotes social harmony.
For this reason it is important to have humor during moments of leisure. Reviewing our favorite series, watching that movie we laugh our heart out with again, listening to funny podcasts or reading a chapter in a book that makes us smile can be of great help.
Listen to music ⠀
The Journal of the American Medical Association published the results of a music therapy study conducted in Austin in 1996. Music stimulation would increase the release of endorphins and reduce the need for medication.
Endorphins act mainly on the central nervous system, motivating us and giving us energy, which helps us to feel more cheerful and optimistic.
We could therefore create a playlist with our most lively favorite songs, so that we can listen to them while doing physical activity or cleaning, for example. A daily dose of cheerful music will surely make us feel better.
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness means being present in the here and now. When we focus our attention on every activity we do, it is much easier to put aside the negative thoughts, the ones that often bomb our brains.
To practice mindfulness we don’t need to be Zen masters. We just have to focus on what we are doing as much as possible. Let’s take an example.
If we are cooking a meal, the idea is to focus on the action we are carrying out: observe, concentrate on its consistency by testing it with your fingertips, on the smell it emanates, on the sound that comes from tactile contact or on how you transforms during cooking.
Mindfulness practice can be applied to any daily activity and is an interesting tool for reducing anxiety, according to several studies.
Intensify pleasant activities to achieve happiness
Without the neuronal mechanisms of the motivation and reward system, our species would have died from inactivity and would not have reproduced. If something gives us pleasure, we will most likely want to try the experience again.
We can therefore carry out many pleasant activities that can help us achieve happiness : take a hot bath if we are cold or a refreshing shower if it is hot, learn something new, sing, write, paint or dance, to name a few.
Activities that are pleasant for us activate a neuronal circuit capable of producing the sensation of pleasure and significantly lowering our stress levels. Consequently, in difficult times it is important to dedicate a few moments of the day to carry out some of these activities.
Plan our activities to achieve happiness
As Eduardo Punset said in his text In search of happiness , the expectations towards a long-awaited situation far exceed the happiness that derives from the event itself. That is, happiness is hidden in the waiting room of happiness itself.
This is due to what scientists call a reward system. This system, which activates the springs of pleasure and happiness, is set in motion especially during the search and not so much during the act itself, contrary to what one might expect. Dopamine is activated with the simple expectation of pleasure, even if this will not materialize.
So, imagining eating our favorite ice cream, getting the job of our dreams, planning a dream vacation or having a conversation with someone we like will often give us more satisfaction than the act itself.
What do we need to keep in mind to achieve happiness?
Shaping positive moods in difficult situations is not an easy task. Yet, by carrying out the actions described, we can approach an intense feeling of well-being.
We must remember that the most negative emotions have a function and their own reason for existing. They would not exist if they were not useful in the course of evolution. It is important to learn to listen to what they want to convey to us, in order to be able to understand them, translate them and, finally, put them aside.
Yet sometimes these negative emotional states don’t go away easily. Despite our efforts in carrying out all the actions described in this article and many others known to us, such as playing sports, reading or chatting with a good friend, the malaise persists.
If despite our attempts we feel that negative emotions overwhelm us and we do not know how to manage our discomfort, it is important to consult a specialist. A clinical or health psychologist, specialized in this area, will help us remedy this inevitable suffering.
