5 Things That Will Make You Happier

5 Things That Will Make You Happier
By Clara Moskowitz, LiveScience Senior Writer
posted: 22 February 2010 07:54 am ET

SAN DIEGO – The pursuit of happiness is sometimes easier said than done.

Some scientists have argued that happiness is largely determined by genetics, health and other factors mostly outside of our control. But recent research suggests people actually can take charge of their own happiness and boost it through certain practices.

"The billion-dollar question is, is it possible to become happier?" said psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky of the University of California, Riverside. "Despite the finding that happiness is partially genetically determined, and despite the finding that life situations have a smaller influence on our happiness than we think they do, we argue that still a large portion of happiness is in our power to change."

Lyubomirsky spoke here Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She and colleagues last year reviewed 51 studies that tested attempts to increase happiness through different types of positive thinking, and found that these practices can significantly enhance well-being. The results were published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Members of a laughing club take part in an early morning laughter session in Agartala in 2003. People with a sunny outlook on life are less likely to develop heart disease than those who are less happy or outright glum, according to a study published on Thursday.(AFP/File)

Here are five things that research has shown can improve happiness:

1. Be grateful – Some study participants were asked to write letters of gratitude to people who had helped them in some way. The study found that these people reported a lasting increase in happiness – over weeks and even months – after implementing the habit. What's even more surprising: Sending the letter is not necessary. Even when people wrote letters but never delivered them to the addressee, they still reported feeling better afterwards.

2. Be optimistic – Another practice that seems to help is optimistic thinking. Study participants were asked to visualize an ideal future – for example, living with a loving and supportive partner, or finding a job that was fulfilling – and describe the image in a journal entry. After doing this for a few weeks, these people too reported increased feelings of well-being.

3. Count your blessings – People who practice writing down three good things that have happened to them every week show significant boosts in happiness, studies have found. It seems the act of focusing on the positive helps people remember reasons to be glad.

4. Use your strengths – Another study asked people to identify their greatest strengths, and then to try to use these strengths in new ways. For example, someone who says they have a good sense of humor could try telling jokes to lighten up business meetings or cheer up sad friends. This habit, too, seems to heighten happiness.

5. Commit acts of kindness – It turns out helping others also helps ourselves. People who donate time or money to charity, or who altruistically assist people in need, report improvements in their own happiness.

Lyubomirsky has also created a free iPhone application, called Live Happy, to help people boost their well-being.


讓你增加快樂的五件事

聖地牙哥訊──快樂的追尋，有時是說起來較簡單，做起來較難。

有些科學家認為，快樂大部分是取決於基因、健康，以及其他超乎我們自己能掌控的因素。但是最近的研究顯示，人們事實上可以掌管自己的快樂，透過某些練習來提升快樂。

「價值連城的問題是，變快樂，是可能達到的事嗎﹖」位於河邊市的加州大學的Sonja Lyubomirsky說道。「雖然有些說法說，快樂有一部份是天生基因遺傳的，還說，生活情境對於人是否快樂所造成的影響，比我們想像中還要小，但是我們認為仍然有很大的比例是取決於我們做出改變的力量。」

週六Lyubomirsky在美國科學進步協會的年度會議上做了以上的發言。她和同事去年檢視了五十一個研究，這些研究測驗了人們透過不同類的正向思考來增進快樂的嘗試。他們發現這些實際練習可以顯著增進健康。檢視的結果就刊在臨床心理學期刊上。


以下是這項研究顯示的五種可以增進快樂的事︰

１、充滿感激—曾有研究的參與者被要求對過他們忙的人，寫表示感激的謝卡。研究發現，這些人在實行這些習慣之後，他們的快樂有持續增加的表現──持續了數週甚至數個月。尤其令人驚奇的是：寄出信並不是必要的。即使人們寫了信但是從沒寄給收件人，他們寫了信之後心情仍然是愈來愈好。
 
２、看法樂觀－另一項似乎有益的練習，是樂觀的思考。研究參與者被要求想像出一幅理想的未來景象──例如，與一位充滿關愛且相互支持的夥伴相處，或者找到一個能實現個人抱負的工作──並且在日誌中描述所看到的景象。持續如此練習數週之後，這些人一樣也表現出持續增加的健康樂活感覺。

３、知福惜福－研究發現，練習每週寫下自己遇到的三件好事的人，他們的快樂明顯增加了。聚焦於正面的事物，這樣似乎能幫助人們想到讓自己快樂的原因。

４、發揮所長－另外有一個研究是讓人確認自己最大的長處，然後以新的方式運用這些長處。例如，覺得自己幽默感佳的人，可以試著在商業會議中講笑話，使氣氛輕鬆，或激勵悲傷的朋友。這樣的習慣似乎也能增加快樂。

５、仁慈之舉－幫助了別人，最後也就是幫助了自己。貢獻時間或金錢給慈善事業的人，或是利他式的幫助困窘者的人，自己的快樂也有所增進。

Lyubomirsky還創造了一項叫做Live Happy（活得快樂）的iPhone應用程式，用來幫助人們增進健康。
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