Five easy ways to make yourself happier

By Howard LeWine, M.D.
Posted on June 21, 2023

Q: Is it possible to make yourself a happier person?

A: Yes, the burgeoning field of positive psychology has identified ways to help us find happiness — by learning to appreciate the goodness in everyday life and to find joy through expressing gratitude and helping others.

Here are five ways to add more happiness to your life:

Smile at the first 10 people of the day.

Why? Smiling is contagious, and it may make you happier, too, as people tend to mirror the expressions of those they’re looking at.

What to do: Smile at the first 10 people you see. They’re likely to smile back. Plus, the positive feedback loop might make your morning happier.

Try this for a week. Observe how you feel when smiling and during the rest of your day.

Give thanks.

In research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater joy and happiness.

Most of us have a lot to be thankful for if we just stop and think about it. Shining a spotlight on the goodness in your life allows you to truly relish positive experiences.

What to do: Every day, write down three things for which you feel thankful. Be specific, and relive the sensations you felt as you remember what each gift means to you.

Seek out happy people.

According to research published in the journal BMJ, people surrounded by happy people are more likely to become happy in the future. For example, a person who became happy boosted a friend’s probability of happiness by 25%.

What to do: Revel in the company of happy souls. In fact, it may be worth seeking out happy people through activities you enjoy, a religious community that resonates with you, and volunteer opportunities.

Volunteer.

Helping other people kindles happiness, as many studies have demonstrated. According to a study in Social Science & Medicine, the more people volunteered, the happier they were.

What to do: Volunteer at a senior center, park, school, religious organization or political group you appreciate.

Find the flow.

Have you ever been so immersed in what you were doing that distractions and background chatter just fell away?

Dubbed “flow,” this state of being feels effortless yet active. You lose awareness of time; you cease to think about yourself or feel distracted by extraneous thoughts.

What to do: Think about times in your life when you’ve experienced flow, and seek a new way to invite it into your life.

Match your skills to a new activity that offers rich sensory experiences — perhaps a pottery class, a carpentry project or a different art medium.