07 Dec 5 tips to increase your happiness
by Dr. John Grohol from the Huffington Post
Happiness is one of those concepts we all seem to love to learn more about, but we are unwilling to take any big steps to increase it in our own lives. Some experts claim happiness can be found in a particular herb or a special diet, but there's little research to back up those claims.
What scientific research into happiness has shown us is that it can be increased in many different ways — but you won't find the answer from a pill. Before you begin, you have to keep in mind that you control only about half of your happiness level. The other half is set by genetics, the situation and the environment.
1. Take a break from the material world.
While Madonna might worry that she's living in a material world, that's a choice open to all of us. Psychological research suggests that money won't buy you happiness. Once you obtain enough money to pay your bills, afford some shelter and transportation, you're pretty much set. The only two exceptions is if you give money away, or if it significantly improves your social rank. People who give money away appear to sustain greater levels of happiness over time than those who don't.
2. Your relationships go a long way to helping you be happy.
This isn't going to help you much if you're single, but if you're married, your relationship is a key component to your happiness level. Research has shown that strong social connections with others are important to our own happiness — the more of these you have, the happier you will be. And while marriage is significantly correlated with increased happiness, it has to be a strong, healthy marriage in order for that to be true…
…keep reading the remaining 3 tips, and the full and original article HERE
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