What Makes You Happy
The Best of Ozzy www.ozy.com / #OZY
Sure, 2020 has thrown some wild ones our way, and 2021 has also seen its share of challenges. But we’re about to give you some critical happiness hacks to help you hit those curveballs out of the park. Learn new ways to teach happiness and some words you’ve never heard to describe the new joy you’ll be feeling after reading today’s BEST OF OZY.
Building Better Bonds
A Harvard study that’s been in progress for more than 80 years found recently that people who are happiest focus on their social connections. And it doesn’t need to be a crowd: A few really strong partnerships are enough. While it can be difficult to prioritize face time over screen time these days, researchers recommended reaching out to people you maybe haven’t spoken to in a while in order to strengthen those fraying bonds. Another benefit: Happiness likely has health benefits. A new study found that research subjects who received psychiatric intervention that boosted their well-being also reported improved physical health.
You Matter
One study of happiness found that there are two kinds — one more focused on instant pleasure and gratification, like a chocolate-chip cookie or a sunny day, and the other on a sense of one’s life having meaning. Find ways to remind yourself why you matter, experts advise, whether that’s to your loved ones, in your workplace or to your community at large, in order to stay happy. Or another option: Wait. Another 2020 study found that optimism tends to increase steadily with age, plateauing around your mid-50s.
Morning Reflections
Let me guess: The first thing you do in the morning is grab your phone and check your email. Don’t be ashamed: Most people do. But it’s probably not the best jumping-off point for a successful day. Instead, according to one study, you can measurably increase the feeling of success by reflecting in the morning on what you need to achieve and writing a few things down, then making a similar list at the end of the day of things you actually achieved
Take in the Greenery
Spending time in green space has been shown to lower anxiety. But even if you can’t get to a park, you can still reap the benefits just by looking at photos. In one study, subjects took a stressful test and then looked at photos of greenery — and their heart rates dropped as they calmed down, which didn’t happen while looking at cityscapes. The findings surprised researchers, who were expecting the calming benefits of nature to require more than just a photograph. Maybe that’s why so many teenagers this year are rejecting a socially distanced freshman year in favor of outdoor programs that keep them off Zoom and home on the range
Be Fair and Honest
It makes sense that your happiness drops when you feel like others around you are getting more than you are — after all, you feel like you’re losing. But research shows that this feeling isn’t based on getting the lion’s share; it’s about equality. Happiness among participants in an experiment also dropped when they got way more than others. Perhaps that explains why countries like Iceland, with high levels of social equality, also rank highly on measures of national happiness
Get Paid
Past studies on money and happiness have found that it does actually make you happier, up to about $75,000 per year. After that, it doesn’t make much difference. But research using survey data spanning five decades in the U.S. found that the relationship between money and happiness is starting to change, and that it’s become more important to happiness as the wealth divide has grown wider.
