How To Be Happier, According To Science [Infographic]

How To Be Happier, According To Science Infographic How To Be Happier, According To Science InfographicPosted October 12, 2016, by Vivien Luu We could all do with a bit mora happiness in our lives. According to science, happiness comes down to four feel-good neurochemicals Dopamine Floods the brain when you feel love, lust and addiction Endorphins The bodys natural opiate and painkiller Serotonin Creates feelings of hopefulness and serendipity Oxytocin The cuddle hormone produced by hugs and kisses But I probably dont have to tell you that being happy isnt always easy. How come? Because lifes like a rollercoaster there are lots of ups and downs. Research studies consistently find a U-bend pattern in life where happiness plummets in middle age then steadily rises again through our senior years. The good news is, you can choose to be happier. Heres the research on how to get a happiness boost 1. Get more social, notlage more social media How important are relationships to happiness? A ccording to a seminal US study, warm relationships throughout life have the greatest positive impact on life satisfaction. The study documented the lives of a group of men for 72 years, and lead researcher, Dr George Valliant, says it proved two things Happiness is love The only things that really matter in life are your relationships to other people The problem is, mobile phones and computers are killing our social lives. A study from the University of Michigan and the University of Leuven has concluded that social media makes us less happy, not more. They tracked people who used facebook inc over a period of two weeks and found the more people used Facebook The more their life satisfaction levels dropped The unhappier they felt The same thing can be said for smartphones, with a UK study finding that high use of mobile phones Increased levels of anxiety Decreased life satisfaction So get off your phones, sign out of Facebook and spend some quality time with the people you love 2. G et sweaty to get smiling Getting your sweat on will give you a hit of feel-good neurochemicals, giving your brain and body a natural high Studies consistently find that exercise boosts mood, and those who exercise on a regular basis are happier and more satisfied with their lives than their sedentary counterparts. Regular exercise also Acts as a drug-free way to fight depression Makes you feel better about your body (even if there arent any physical changes) Doing more exercise than you typically do can give you a burst of pleasant-activated feelings. - Amanda Hyde, Penn State University For the best workouts, science suggests Just 7 minutes is enough Try high-intensity interval training to get the same health kicks as an endurance session. Exercise on work days Exercise before work or during lunch to improve mood throughout the week and boost productivity. Exercise outdoors Outdoor workouts make you happier and produce better outcomes than indoor gym sessions. 3. Enjoy the great o utdoors A study conducted by the London School of Economics and Political Science concluded people were substantially happier outdoors, surrounded by nature than they were in urban environments. People recorded the highest level of happiness...in coastal locations, followed by mountains and moors, forests and farms. - Dr George MacKerron, lead researcher Other scientific studies have also found interacting with nature Boosts optimism Combats depression Improves immunity 4. Say thank you, and be grateful It might sound trivial, but the simple act of saying thank you can go a long way. We scientists have found that doing a kindness produces the single more reliable momentary increase in wellbeing of any exercise we have tested, says Professor Martin Seligman, author of Flourish A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Wellbeing. Reserch studies consistently find a strong link between gratitude and happiness. And to maximise happiness, science recomm ends we say thank you with a Letter Wellbeing increases significantly when you write a letter of gratitude each day for three weeks Gift Spending money on others, rather than ourselves (known as prosocial spending) promotes happiness Hug Ten second hugs can reduce stress, ease depression and even fight fatigue. Best of all, these benefits can be felt by the huger as well as the hugee ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPopular Career Searcheseffective oral and written communication skillsattention to detail skillsdefine communication skills11 top tips for effective time managementhow to demonstrate high literacy and numeracy skills CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire Online Vivien LuuViv is a writer who enjoys researching and writing about creativity, how the human mind works, and neuro processes. She values creativity above all else and admires people who pursue their career dreams, no matter the sacrifice. In her spare time, she binges on HBO shows and epic fantasy novels.Related ArticlesBrowse moreWeekend job news Women and youth hit hardestMore than one quarter of young workers either cannot find work or cant work enough hours, according to newly released Bureau of Statistics figures.Mining jobs to increase by 70 per cent by 2020As if mining wasnt booming enough already, a new report by the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) shows a whopping 90 000 extra jobs could be created in the sector by 2020.Career progressionPay/Salary10 High-Paying Jobs You Wont Need A Degree ForDidnt go to uni? Dont have a degree? Dont let that hold you back. Vivien takes a close r look at 10 career paths that will have you swimming in dough, not drowning in HECS debt.