25 facts about the happiness that we have learned in recent years

Scientific progress never stands still! Scientists are looking for answers to eternal questions, the main one being: how to become happier? And they find most important and interesting fact. < Website has studied fresh research about happiness and gathered the most interesting thing in this collection.





1. Write down three things you are grateful for that h2> A recent study by psychologists from the University of California was assigned to three groups of volunteers lead weekly magazines on a particular subject. One group wrote about the important events that occurred during the week, and the second - on the small troubles faced, and the third - about what they are thankful
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Ten weeks later, those who expressed gratitude felt more optimism and satisfaction with life than people in the other two groups. They also recorded fewer physical symptoms of discomfort from cold to headaches.

2. Go hiking or Poglazov at the stars on a clear night h2> The Rapture - a powerful emotion. And a number of recent studies indicate an association between this feeling - like that, when you looked at the starry sky or a beautiful valley - and a decrease in stress levels and increase the level of satisfaction. People who have recently had such an experience, and most are curious of the world and behave more generously in relation to other.

3. Move to Switzerland h2> Well, the move to Switzerland, of course, does not automatically make you happy, but the people who live there are among the happiest in the world, according to 2015 rankings World Happiness Report, drawn up by an international team of economists, neuroscientists and statisticians. By the way, one of his key findings - that feeling of happiness in the brain is based on four main factors, including the ability to stay positive, to recover from the negative emotions, the ability to spend time with loved ones, and a conscious attitude to life. And all of these skills can be learned and strengthened.

On this wonderful country on Website there is an interesting collection of 25 amazing facts that you're unlikely to have heard of the Swiss

4. Drink coffee (but a little) h2> Caffeine not only enhances attentiveness, it can also improve mood. Several studies have even shown a link between caffeine consumption and reduced risk of depression and suicide. At the same time in one of these studies, we are talking about the effect of coffee, while in others - and even the impact of a similar tea
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5. Meditate h2> Numerous studies show that meditation helps alleviate feelings of depression and anxiety. People engaged in meditation for a long time (for example, this Buddhist monks), studies show that developing areas of the brain associated with increased care and emotional control. Although it is possible that people with brain device simply better at meditation, other studies show that people who have completed a program of meditation, show changes in the brain associated with an increased awareness of their actions and memory improvement.

6. Read the story of some adventure h2> A small study in 2012 showed that even when people just read about some impressive experience, they feel more satisfaction, less stress, and more than willing to donate their time to help others, than those people who just showed something pleasant.

7. Come out to the street h2> One study found that students who were sent into the woods for two nights, fell cortisol levels - for it is often judged on the level of stress - compared to those who spent those two nights in the city. Another study showed that people who went into the forest, and reduced heart rate and cortisol levels. The researchers say that the forest therapy can reduce stress.

In another study, the first group of people walked half an hour in nature, and the other - in the city. At first after a walk was recorded less negative thoughts and negative at the second level is not changed.

8. Do what, what do you do when happy - even if now you hate h2> Positive emotions can not only neutralize the negative, but also encourage people to take the initiative. They help those who feel trapped in the midst of negative mass, to do something positive, written by psychologists from the University of California.

9. Participate in cultural activities h2> Going to a museum or concert - is another way to lighten the mood. The study, covering more than 50,000 Norwegians found that those who participate in some cultural events - go to the theater, take in some club - show less anxiety and depression, and expressed more satisfaction with their lives as a whole

10. Listen to sad music h2> The happiness - a subjective thing. The fact that one happy, the other can cause a completely different reaction. Yet listening to sad music, it seems that many people around the world raises the level of happiness. One study found that this allows you to adjust the negative mood and calms people.

11. Place the specific goals that you exactly the strength to reach the h2> If you are one of those people who like to regularly make lists, listen carefully: formulating goals, better expressed very concretely and set goals achievable. In a study last year volunteers were divided into two groups. First gave a series of specific objectives such as "to increase the amount of waste handed over for recycling," and before the second set more diffuse goals like "save the environment". While the job itself, which gave the people in both groups were the same people in the second group were less satisfied with themselves than in the first. People in the second group also recorded a lower level of happiness from achieving its goal.

How to set goals and achieve them without being distracted by secondary Website I said the other day.

12. Write down your feelings h2> Have you heard this advice: "If you are angry at someone, write him a letter, but do not send"? It seems a waste of time, but science shows that the record of the emotions perfectly clarifies thought and helps to solve problems, reduce stress, and so on. Psychologists Group recently studied the brain tomography volunteers who regularly recorded their emotional experience for 20 minutes a day, and compared them with tomograms people who recorded some neutral event with the same regularity. The first group was recorded brain activity in regions responsible for the mitigation of strong emotions, that is, post comforting their experiences. The second group had no such effect.

13. Spend money on others rather than on themselves h2> When the day is not going well, it is tempting to go and eat some of your favorite food or finally buy that pair of shoes that you drill through the eyes of the past three months. But studies show that you will feel happier if you spend the money on someone else, rather than themselves.

In one study, participants were given an envelope with money. Half were asked to spend it on themselves, and the other half - to donate to a charity or gift a friend to man. Pending receipt of the envelope, and after breaking up with the money needed to describe your level of happiness. And of course, it was found that those who spent money on others were happier.

14. Perform h2> volunteer One of the main ways to take care of yourself - take care of others. A recent review of 40 studies on this topic psychologists say that active volunteering reduces the risk of depression increases satisfaction with life in general, and even reduces the risk of death due to psychological or mental disorders.

15. Make time for friends h2> The time spent with friends, according to a recent study, even increases the level of happiness than the time spent with family. For this purpose Mappiness application that regularly asks the user how he is happy for the 11-point scale. The analysis of more than 3 million messages from 50 thousand participants, researchers found that the level of happiness on average, increased by 8% while communicating with friends, at 1, 4% - in communicating with parents and only 0, 7%, when people spend time with children.

16. More smile h2> With a smile brings happiness, we know. But it is important that smile must be sincere. If you smile only feigned, it may even exacerbate your misery, one study showed. It studied a group of bus drivers for two weeks. It turned out that workers who feigned a smile, the end of the day the mood was worse than when the change began. And those who smile sincerely, on the contrary, the mood is getting better. Be aware of this when smiling!

17. Do not hold the h2> evil is one thing - be upset because of the injustice that happened to you, and quite another - to let emotions rule over you this long. It can consume you. Such emotions are gradually turning into resentment and desire for revenge, leaving less space to something else - like happiness. Moreover, studies have linked long-term ability to forgive with a healthy heart, reduced psychological stress, better physical condition and prolongation of life. That is why it is always better to forget about the offense and move on.

18. Regularly have sex h2> You may recall one study, which stated that the increase in the frequency of sexual acts with a once a month to once a week adds happiness as much as the extra $ 50,000 in the bank. But be careful: more sex - not necessarily more happiness. A recent study found that couples who have increased the frequency of sex at the request of the experimenters do not enjoy it and did not get much pleasure. Therefore, sex adds happiness only when people engage them in some kind of sensible reason, the researchers say. So it does not matter, once a week or once a month - most importantly, why are you doing this
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19. Be an optimist and a realist at the same time h2> People who are optimistic about life, but rational, resulting in happier and more successful. "Realistic optimism" - is the ideal alloy for success. Unlike idealists, people are ready for difficult situations and clearly look at reality, but at the same time solve problems creatively and with a positive attitude.

20. Tinker in the ground h2> When you breathe in the smell of earth and mud, it can lift your spirits. One study showed that the bacterium, common in soils - Mycobacterium vaccae, - has an effect comparable to antidepressants. After her Injecting mice, it caused a surge of serotonin, namely the low level of serotonin causes depression.

We test it on people with cancer. These bacteria after treatment reported improved quality of life. In general, it is worth considering that the more messing around in the mud.

21. Dine on the beach h2> Lunch at your desk can greatly undermine the mood, according to the scientists of the University of Sussex, who assessed the level of happiness of employees after they had dinner in different places. Best of all they feel in the afternoon on the beach, and worst of all - at your desk. On the beach, of course, does not necessarily go: people dine in the park, a positive attitude to their work than those who go to the restaurant or dine at home
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22. Exercise h2> Exercise increases the production of substances in the brain that improve mood, reduce stress hormones, alleviate depression and anxiety, according to Happify project. What is important, these positive changes can be achieved in just a few minutes. Researchers at the University of Vermont found that only 20 minutes of exercise can improve mood for a period up to 12 hours. Well, in general, physically active people are happier and more satisfied with their lives.

23. Master the new skill h2> Hard work to strengthen some skills or abilities - for example, learning to drive, or solving mathematical problems - can increase the stress in the short term but in the long term to bring happiness and more contentment with life, as demonstrated by one study in 2009 .

"People often give up their goals because it's stressful, but we found that in the end what you learn to do something well, there comes a positive effect. And it is not even necessary to fully achieve the goal, to improve their level of happiness and improve the perception of the world ", - said one of the study's authors Ryan Howell
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24. Be patient. Happiness increases with age h2> The old people know something they do not know the young: a number of studies have shown that among the elderly happy anymore. Why, for scientists is that the puzzle. But probably this is due to several factors. One study found that the reason may be that older people are more experienced and better able to cope with negative emotions such as anger or anxiety. More recent research suggests another reason: older people are more trusting relate to others, and it gives a number of useful psychological benefits, leading to a higher level of happiness
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But what Whatever was the case, you can rely on even if right now you are not very happy, it is very likely to become happier then
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via ideanomics.ru/?p=4615

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