The How of Happiness

The How of Happiness describes a scientific approach to being happier by giving you a short quiz to determine your “happiness set point,” followed by various tools and tactics to help you take control of the large chunk of happiness that’s fully within your grasp.

Our genetic makeup creates a baseline for happiness. Additionally, our DNA determines whether we’re more likely to be more optimistic or pessimistic, for example, and whether we’re more likely to be extroverted or introverted.

Our parents pass these traits down to us. And we can’t change it through any kind of intervention. Although our genes play a huge role in our natural dopamine levels, our thoughts are what really make us feel happy or sad.

For example, if you think you’re prone to bad luck or let life’s usual challenges bring you down—a fight with your best friend, failure to get into your dream college, and so on—you might become depressed even though there’s nothing wrong with your genes.

Thoughts and hormones affect our outlook on life. If you’re always thinking negatively, your body gets the message to release cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. This leads to an overall state of anxiety, and your happiness is suppressed.

The good news is that once you understand how your brain works, you can learn how to overcome those negative experiences and create new thoughts that will make you happier instead!

Happiness is a subjective experience that can be influenced by external factors, such as the events of your life. Researchers believe that happiness is an internal process, which means it starts with you. Studies have shown that when we’re grateful, we tend to be happier because it reminds us of how much we have to be thankful for! But there’s a fine line between feeling grateful and overwhelmed. It’s easy for us humans to get caught up in thinking about all the things we don’t have instead of appreciating all the things we do have (and there are many). That’s why researchers suggest practicing gratitude regularly, but with a limit. Researchers found that the focus group who journaled once per week felt the happiest among all participants. Why? Because the others were made to do it too often or not at all. Therefore, doing too much of one thing can strip the joy away from it. Stick to whatever feels good for you, but don’t overdo it. Practice it regularly and be consistent, otherwise, you’ll always start from zero. You need to find a balance in your life where you still practice what you love, but not in a way that makes you bored of it. Also, make sure to practice gratitude one way or…