How to be happy: 9 expert-backed tips for boosting your mood
March 20 is International Day of Happiness, a reminder that the pursuit of happiness is a critical component of overall health. Not only does happiness feel good to experience, but it sets you up to live a life with greater resilience and perspective. As Sabrina Romanoff, a Harvard-trained clinical psychologist, puts it, "It's important to seek out joy and contentment because pain is inevitable in life, and you need to build in resiliency and moments of joy to dilute that discomfort and actively create a balance of the light and darkness in life."
Similarly, Dr. Zishan Khan, MD, a triple board-certified psychiatrist with Mindpath Health, says, "Finding joy helps to regulate one's emotions, making it easier to manage stress, anxiety, and even depressive symptoms." Research has also shown that happiness may even extend your lifespan. "Happy individuals tend to eat healthier, balanced meals and exercise more frequently," says Dr. Leela Magavi, MD, a Johns Hopkins Hospital-trained psychiatrist and regional medical director at MindPath Health. "Happiness is often associated with lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels and can even increase longevity. I have evaluated patients and have observed significant improvements in vitals and lab results secondary to improved mental status and increased positive experiences."
Even with these known benefits to happiness, feeling the positive emotion is often easier said than done. The problem is that life's daily stressors can make happiness sometimes feel out of reach. "We often get the path to happiness wrong — we assume we need to change our circumstances to feel more joy: get a new job, buy something new, or get more money," says Laurie Santos, PhD, a psychology professor at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab Podcast. "But research shows that our happiness is much more under our control than we think. We can feel better by changing our behaviors, our mindsets and our actions."
With the right guidance, you can use this year's International Day of Happiness to mark a fresh start toward bringing joy into your life. "You can work on taking charge of your own happiness by taking small steps every day towards happiness," Romanoff says. "At first, this may feel uncomfortable or unnatural, but with time, it will feel more comfortable and will become part of your daily routine and automatic habit." It's about working to limit those self-sabotaging behaviors, like judging yourself, fixating on the worst outcome or simply not taking the time to appreciate your life and care for yourself.
The ultimate goal is to be able to wake up in the morning and fall asleep at night with the ability to say you're happy with yourself, the company you keep and the home you make. That, truly, is a successful life.
"Research shows that regularly expressing gratitude can rewire your mind to focus on the positive," says Santos. "Try writing down three things you're grateful for each day — big or small. This simple habit can significantly improve mood and life satisfaction over time." Study after study has shown that regular gratitude practices can improve a person's well-being and life satisfaction. Try getting one of the many cute gratitude journals out there, like this one — it may entice you to keep up the habit.
Humans are communal creatures. We gain a sense of purpose and understanding from spending time with one another. 'Humans are wired for connection, and studies consistently find that strong relationships are the biggest predictor of happiness," says Santos.
Sonya Lyubomirsky, PhD, distinguished professor of psychology at the University of California-Riverside and author of The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want, echoes her sentiment: "The key to happiness really is connection."
So, make an effort to spend time with the people who bring you joy (and skip the negative people who leave you feeling drained). To meet new people and build fresh connections, try a new activity, like joining a book club or trying out a new sport (which is also a great way to engage in movement, another happiness booster — see below).
It's a positive cycle: Developing healthy coping skills can increase your happiness, which, in turn, can improve your resilience and ability to create those healthy coping mechanisms, says Khan. He recommends engaging in emotional regulation techniques, mindfulness and self-care to manage your stress, rather than opting for less-healthy skills like drinking alcohol or isolating yourself from family and friends. Small self-care practices like relaxing in a calming bath or trying a guided meditation are healthy ways to manage stress when you're struggling to cope.
Yes, the adage is true: Doing something good for others really does make you feel better. Santos and Lyubomirsky agree that engaging in acts of kindness for others can improve your happiness. "Whether it's a small act — like paying for someone's coffee — or something bigger, like ongoing volunteering, research shows that kindness increases joy, life satisfaction and even reduces stress," says Santos.
The experts and research all say the same thing: Engaging in some form of exercise can make a significant impact on your happiness. For instance, a small 2021 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that study participants who completed just four weeks of exercise significantly increased their feelings of life satisfaction and happiness. And additional research indicates that as little as one day of exercise per week could increase levels of happiness, although more studies are still needed to better understand and provide greater context to these findings.
But here's the thing: Adding exercise to your life certainly won't hurt, and the payoff could be significant for your mind and your body. And the best part of this news is you don't have to become a marathon runner or a gym rat to enjoy the mood-lifting benefits of movement. You can take a daily walk, enjoy a neighborhood bike ride or head to your local gym for a dance class. You can also get your exercise in at home with nothing more than a set of dumbbells and a yoga mat. If you need a little extra instruction, consider subscribing to one of our favorite online workout classes.
Social media, a barrage of work emails and a newsfeed full of stressful current events can all add feelings of negativity in your life. Consider one small 2018 study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. Researchers found that the college-age participants who limited their social media use to just 30 minutes each day experienced lower rates of loneliness and depression over the course of just three weeks. Of course, larger studies on the effects of social media on mental health are more nuanced, with some researchers calling it a "double edged sword," where positive and negative outcomes exist, depending on how the interactions are being used and viewed.
That said, if you find yourself "doom scrolling" or you notice yourself feeling more dejected or upset after watching the news, it may be time to step away from your smartphone or computer. Khan recommends making more space for happiness in your life by setting boundaries in areas where negativity starts to seep in. Magavi suggests setting an alarm on your phone to "check out" of your phone or computer for the day and to "check in" to activities or experiences that invite more positive feelings.
Yes, happiness will find you in different ways, but you can also actively seek out moments of joy and laughter. Romanoff recommends simple methods such as watching your favorite television show, trying new recipes from a good cookbook, telling funny stories with your friends or "generally taking the time to appreciate the small moments in life that reflect the love, care and thoughtfulness that is all around you." You might take an extra second to appreciate it if someone holds the door open for you or smile at the barista as they hand you a coffee. It's about savoring these moments as they occur as you simultaneously work to create more of them.
This is an often-overlooked happiness-booster, but it's incredibly important. Give yourself credit where credit is due. You work hard just to exist in a challenging and stressful world. You do so many things that deserve acknowledgment — including trying to bring greater happiness into your life. "I encourage individuals to own their accomplishments rather than solely inferring that luck or others helped them," says Magavi.
Consider hanging a dry erase board on your wall and using it as your "Wins" tally — a place to write down the things you did well — big and small — each day. Did you receive a compliment on your work? Give yourself a pat on the back. Did you finish a full load of laundry? That's a win in our book. Did you actually put on pants in the morning? There are days when that's worthy of a callout. Be generous and acknowledge the hard work you're putting in, even when your motivation is flagging.
Working with a certified mental health professional can be incredibly beneficial, whether you're living with a diagnosed disorder like depression or want help to learn coping mechanisms and how to deal with life's daily stressors. As Khan puts it, "Getting set up with a therapist or seeing a psychiatrist can help provide valuable tools for improving your overall mental well-being."
If you're interested in trying therapy but the thought of getting started seems overwhelming, consider one of our top choices for online therapy. Online therapy is as effective as in-person therapy for most mental health concerns and may be more accessible, particularly if you're in search of a specific type of therapist or you're struggling with challenges that make it harder to seek help outside the home, like social anxiety.
Dr. Zishan Khan, MD, a triple board-certified psychiatrist with Mindpath Health
Sonya Lyubomirsky, PhD, distinguished professor of psychology at the University of California-Riverside
Dr. Leela Magavi, MD, a Hopkins-trained psychiatrist and regional medical director at MindPath Health
Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD, a Harvard-trained clinical psychologist
Our health content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional on questions about your health.
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