How and Why Positive Activities Can Make You Happier

Megan M. Fritz and Sonja Lyubomirsky | Behavioral Scientist

(The first of a two-part series.)

Most people want to be happy. It is a desire that transcends age, culture, geographical location, political belief, religion, and life experience. And it is not an irrational desire. Hundreds of studieshave shown that happiness doesn’t just feel good—it is good.

Relative to their less happy counterparts, happy people have stronger relationships, higher incomes, and superior physical and mental health. Over the past several decades, a large and growing body of research has been probing the science of happiness, or well-being, as scientists work to uncover the determinants and outcomes of happiness—and, importantly, how to increase it.

Several key findings have emerged . . .

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(Image: Roman Samborskyi | Shutterstock)
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