What is happiness? It’s a question as old as human existence itself, and one you’d expect to ask a Buddhist monk at the mouth of some cave in the Himalayas. For some, happiness is as simple as watching a beautiful sunset, while for others, it’s become a distant memory.
What if we told you there’s a way to hack happiness, to put ourselves in favourable circumstances or states of mind to achieve it? Would you believe us? In this blog post, we will explore the science-backed ways that can help you improve your happiness and overall well-being.
Defining Happiness
Dr. Karl Deisseroth, who is both a bioengineer and a clinical psychiatrist says, “We don’t know what other people feel, in fact, most of the time we don’t even really know how we feel”.
This doesn’t mean we can’t have a strong meaningful discussion about happiness, but it’s something to be mindful of.
Britannica defines happiness as “an emotion often occurring with a specific facial expression: the smile”.
But not all smiles are created equal. There’s one that stands out as the purest form of positive expression – the Duchenne Smile.
What Is The Duchenne Smile?
The Duchenne Smile is special because it engages two specific facial muscles: the orbicularis oculi, which raises the cheeks, and the zygomaticus major, which pulls the lip corners. Unlike a false smile, which only pulls the lip corners, the Duchenne Smile is one that “reaches the eyes”.
The Science of Happiness
Understanding happiness is a complex task. In Dr. Andrew Huberman’s podcast episode “Science-Based Tools For Increasing Happiness”, he lays down some groundwork for us.
“We have neurotransmitters, which are chemicals between neurons (nerve cells) that allow neurons to communicate things like glutamate and gaba. We also have neuromodulators, chemicals released by neurons that impact the electrical firing and chemical release of other neurons like dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine and epinephrine.
These play a role in shaping our emotional states. While no single molecule is responsible for happiness, they make up many different cocktails that affect our mood”.
To learn more about dopamine in general and how it relates to everyday life, check out the book, “The Molecule of More” by Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD and Michael E. Long. If you’re curious about dopamine and addiction then you can take a deep dive into “Dopamine Nation” by Dr. Anna Lembke, MD.
The Harvard Happiness Project
One of the most famous studies on happiness, which started in 1938, is the Harvard Happiness Project. This long-term study revealed a few key points.
- The total amount of income that an individual makes or has does not relate to their level of happiness.
- This is not the same as saying having very little money or few resources will make you happier.
- If you earn more money for working more and that money is used for improving your social connections, buffering stress or making adequate health care available to you and your family, then work itself is by no means counter to happiness.
- Things that are anti-correlated with happiness:
- Chronic smokers of nicotine
- Chronic alcohol users
- Trauma
- Death of a close one
- Victim of a violent crime
Things that are anti-correlated with happiness not only affect the person using alcohol or nicotine but in particular their romantic partners. Especially if they are not chronic smokers or chronic users of alcohol.
Tools for Happiness
To boost happiness, consider these tools:
- Sunlight: Getting sunlight in your eyes in the first hour of waking can improve not only happiness but also sleep and motivation.
- Sleep: Maintain a sleep schedule, avoid bright artificial light between 10 pm and 4 am, and ensure your indoor environment is appropriately lit during the day and dim at night.
- Nutrition: Quality nutrition is essential for overall well-being.
- Social Interactions: Foster meaningful social connections.
- Purposeful Work: Engage in work that brings you purpose, whether paid or unpaid.
- Exercise: Regular physical activity has been linked to increased happiness.
- Relationships: Building meaningful relationships with people or pets can contribute to happiness.
How To Create Your Own Happiness
The term for this type of happiness is called synthetic happiness. Proposed by Dan Gilbert and other psychologists, it describes ways to control your happiness.
This involves being in the right environmental conditions and making an effort to be happy.
Dr. Gillian Mandich, who studies the science of happiness, identifies some of these conditions. By controlling your environment with visual and audio cues, you’re able to induce happiness. What is also required in these environments is individual effort. This effort can include focusing on gratitude and happiness inventories as well as adjusting your living and working environments.
A Wandering Mind Is An Unhappy Mind
A powerful study written by Matthew Killingsworth and Dr. Daniel Gilbert titled, “A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy Mind”, points out that regardless of the activity, a wandering mind tends to be less happy.
Stay present and mindful in your daily tasks, even if they are not particularly enjoyable. You can find happiness through focused engagement.
Wrapping Up the Happiness Equation
In the quest to understand happiness, we find that it’s a complex interplay of emotions, brain chemistry, and life circumstances. While there’s no magic formula for happiness, we can use science-backed strategies and tools to improve our well-being. So, whether it’s taking in sunlight in the morning and at sunset, or making simple adjustments to your daily routine, you have the power to cultivate happiness in your life.
