Running head: How to lead a happy life scientifically 1

How to lead Happy Life ,What Science tells us

Sahil Mohammed Sadman

ID: 101123083

Army Institute of Business Administration

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Abstract

This paper explores evidence-based strategies for cultivating happiness by integrating findings

from positive psychology, subjective well-being research, social sciences, and neuroscience. By

emphasizing practical interventions, social connections, and biological influences, the paper

provides concise guidance for individuals seeking a happier and more fulfilling life.
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How to lead Happy Life ,What Science tells us

Leading a happy life involves a combination of mindset, choices, and actions that

contribute to overall well-being. It's about finding a balance that aligns with your values and

brings you a sense of fulfillment. Key aspects include cultivating positive relationships,

maintaining good physical and mental health, pursuing meaningful goals, practicing gratitude,

and embracing a positive mindset. Ultimately, happiness is a journey, not a destination, and it

often comes from the small, daily choices that contribute to a life well-lived.

Nine ways to be a happier person — according to science

These evidence-based strategies are proven to improve mental and emotional well-being

and can lead to a happier life

It’s an age-old quest: the pursuit of happiness. Philosophers, writers and religious figures

throughout the ages have devoted countless hours to examining what makes a happy life. But in

today’s modern age, science holds some answers. A vast and growing body of research indicates

that certain behaviors lead to greater mental, emotional and social well-being — creating that

elusive feeling of happiness that so many of us are chasing.

The good news? You don’t need extreme wealth or a perfect life to be happy — and you

have a lot of power in shaping your own personal state of happiness. These are nine science-

backed strategies for a happier life.

Nurture your social relationships.

Human beings are social creatures — and there are dozens of studies that show that

people with rich social connections are happier, live longer and even face fewer health problems

than those who don’t. One long-running research project, the Harvard Study of Adult

Development, has tracked the lives of hundreds of men since 1938 and, later, thousands of their
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children to understand their lives and how they have developed. Dr. Robert Waldinger, the

current director of the program, delivered an acclaimed TED Talk in 2015 detailing what they

learned. (Nine ways to be a happier person - according to science - AnalystNews, 13

September ,2023)

“It turns out that people who are more socially connected to family, to friends, to community, are

happier, they’re physically healthier, and they live longer than people who are less well

connected,” . Even medical doctors are increasingly recognizing the powerful healing power of

relationships and are prescribing social connection to their patients.

And it’s not about the mere existence of social relationships, Waldinger says, but the

quality of those relationships that has the biggest impact on mental and physical health. (Nine

ways to be a happier person - according to science - AnalystNews, 13 September ,2023)

So nurture the relationships you have with your family and friends. Spend time with the people

you love, and take care to resolve conflict before it takes a negative toll.

Have faith.

Participating in a religious or spiritual tradition can have a powerful impact on your

emotional and physical health. Multiple studies have found that religious faith significantly

contributes to overall happiness and well-being.

A 2018 study published in the journal Social, Psychological and Personal Science found

that, in an analysis of over 1,500 American obituaries, those who reported a religious affiliation

lived longer than their nonreligious counterparts (Nine ways to be a happier person - according

to science - AnalystNews, 13 September ,2023). Their findings linked religiosity to a four-year

boost in lifespan.
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People who actively participate in religious congregations also tend to experience greater

happiness and higher civic engagement as compared to those who are either unaffiliated or are

inactive within religious groups, per a Pew Research Center analysis of more than two dozen

nations.

Practice spreading kindness.

They say joy is contagious — and one way to catch it yourself is by sharing kindness and

goodwill with others. Researchers James Fowler and Nicholas Christakis studied nearly 5,000

people over a 20-year period and found that people’s happiness depends on the happiness of

those around them (Nine ways to be a happier person - according to science - AnalystNews, 13

September ,2023). But it’s not enough to simply associate with other happy people, they

discovered. Instead, happiness actually results from the spread of happiness.

That’s why offering kindness and goodwill to others is the perfect way to begin

improving our own happiness. In fact, research shows that practicing kindness actually lights up

the pleasure and reward centers in your brain by boosting both serotonin and dopamine, two

neurotransmitters that create feelings of satisfaction and well-being. Another study found that

those who decided to give a gift rather than receive one actually showed a significant drop in

stress indicators, including heart rate, blood pressure and arterial pressure. And a workplace

study concluded that while coworkers who were kind to one another both benefited, those who

received kindness became happier in the long run.

Acts of kindness can be simple as holding the door open for someone, offering words of

encouragement to a friend who is struggling or donating to your favorite charity. But the science

is clear — being kind and generous benefits the giver as much, if not more than, the receiver.
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Express gratitude.

Numerous studies have explored the connection between gratitude and happiness — and

they consistently reveal a correlation between the two. One 2003 study published by researchers

at the University of Miami and the University of California, Davis found that participants who

practiced gratitude daily through journaling reported higher levels of happiness and decreased

symptoms of depression (Nine ways to be a happier person - according to science -

AnalystNews, 13 September ,2023). Additional research indicates that people who are grateful

even experience better physical health outcomes.

So call up a friend to thank them for their help on a project, or simply take some time at

the end of the day to write down the things you’re thankful for in a gratitude journal. The more

you practice gratitude, the more attuned you are to the positive aspects of your life — which

leads to a positive feedback loop in which happiness and gratitude feed into each other.

Log off social media.

In a digital world dominated by social media, it can be tough to log off and step away

from the screen. But doing so can boost your happiness and well-being — and there’s new

research to prove it.

Last year, researchers at the University of Bath found that study participants who took a

one-week social media break saw improved well-being, reduced depression and anxiety

symptoms.

“Many of our participants reported positive effects from being off social media with

improved mood and less anxiety overall,” lead researcher Jeff Lambert said in a news release.

(Nine ways to be a happier person - according to science - AnalystNews, 13 September ,2023)

That suggests that even just a small break can have an impact, he noted. “Of course, social media
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is a part of life … But if you are spending hours each week scrolling and you feel it is negatively

impacting you, it could be worth cutting down on your usage to see if it helps.”

So delete Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and the countless other

social media apps off your phone — even if it’s just for a week. Your mood will thank you.

Spend time on an engaging hobby.

Not sure what to do now that you’ve quit social media and have some extra time on your

hands? Consider finding a hobby that can mentally transport you to another place — or what

Russian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls a “flow state.” (Nine ways to be a happier

person - according to science - AnalystNews, 13 September ,2023) That’s when someone is so

totally engrossed in a task that they don’t notice time passing, they stop thinking about the

practicalities of the task and don’t care about how others will judge the outcome of engaging in

that hobby.

That hobby could be anything from collecting antique dolls to tending to a garden to

painting landscapes. The key is to find something that fulfills you and takes your mind off the

other stressors of life.

Get some exercise.

We’ve heard it before — exercise produces endorphins that make us feel good. But you

don’t need to complete a triathlon or spend hours in the gym each day to benefit from the mood-

boosting effects of getting your sweat on.

In fact, research suggests that even a little exercise every week can make you

significantly happier and benefit your well-being. A 2018 review of 23 previous studies in the

Journal of Happiness Studies determined that even just 10 minutes of physical activity or one
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day of exercise per week can result in improved mood. (Nine ways to be a happier person -

according to science - AnalystNews, 13 September ,2023)

So go for a walk around the neighborhood or play a pickup game of basketball — but try

to make it a habit every week.

Breathe in some nature.

If you can get that exercise in the great outdoors, you’ll compound the happiness effects.

Research shows that spending time in nature leads to increased happiness, reduced stress levels,

improved mental health and greater overall well-being.

A study published in the Nature Scientific Reports indicated that spending time in nature

positively impacted overall happiness rates. A nationally representative survey of nearly 20,000

Americans showed that spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature was linked to higher

happiness and well-being. (Nine ways to be a happier person - according to science -

AnalystNews, 13 September ,2023)

Incorporating nature into daily life doesn’t necessarily require elaborate outings or even a

lot of time. Even small doses of nature, such as a walk in the park during your lunch break,

tending to a garden, or simply gazing at a scenic view, can have significant positive effects on

happiness and well-being.

Get some quality shut-eye.

We’ve all been there: A bad night’s sleep can lead to a miserable day, and no amount of

coffee can make up for it. But many of us are chronically sleep deprived, and it’s taking a toll on

our mental and physical health. Research shows there’s a direct correlation between sleep quality

and overall happiness.

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So start prioritizing your rest. Yes, you need to get enough sleep — most adults need

around seven hours a night — but quality counts, too. According to the Sleep Foundation, quality

sleep means you can fall asleep within 30 minutes of getting in bed, you wake no more than once

per night, you can sleep again within 20 minutes of a disruption to your night, and you feel fully

restored and energized in the morning.

Be Present

There’s nothing like getting caught up in the past or constantly worrying about the future

that more than ruins the present moment. But, then again, many of us have trouble simple being

present. We’re unable to appreciate the here-and-now. Usually, we’re more worried about what

will happen tomorrow or what happened yesterday rather than stopping and being present.

But what does it mean to be present? And why is this one of the keys to happiness and

success? Well, similar to the simple act of gratitude, being present grounds us in the moment. We

stop to appreciate the miracles that exist in every direction we look, the beauty of all the things

around us, and the journey that we call life. It helps us transcend the fears of tomorrow and the

regrets of yesterday. (7 Keys to Happiness and Success in Life, n.d.)

Manage Time Effectively

One habit that will influence both your happiness and your overall success in life, is the

ability to manage time effectively. Effective time managers have a handle on their obligations in

life, and know just how to juggle things in order to get ahead. They focus on their long-term

goals and prioritize the activities that will help move them forward instead of leaving them

behind. (7 Keys to Happiness and Success in Life, n.d.)

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Set SMARTER Goals

Often, what holds us back from achieving success in life, whatever we might define that

as, is our inability to set goals the right way. In a recent study, it was determined that only 8% of

people who set goals on New Year’s Eve actually achieve them. But beyond just those New

Year’s goals, we all know that many people often set goals but don’t achieve them. (7 Keys to

Happiness and Success in Life, n.d.)

Surely, you’ve set a goal in the past and you gave up on it. All of us have. But, it’s the

goal-setting process that got in the way. When we set passive goals, in that we don’t actually set

the goals on paper and don’t define them out in detail, nor create a plan for their attainment, we

tend to either fail or give up on it. But for people who set goals the right way, the SMARTER

way, success is far more attainable.

Tackle the MITs

MITs, also known as the most important tasks of the day, are an integral part of success.

They offer one of the most crucial keys to achieving our goals in life over the long term. It’s not

always easy to go after the MITs, especially when we feel so stressed out or overwhelmed by life

(7 Keys to Happiness and Success in Life, n.d.). But it’s a necessary act if we’re going to get

where we need to go.

Reasons why people are not happy and how to resolve them

Comparison with others

Everyone has different circumstances in life. Everyone starts at his own point in life and

has its own journey towards success.So always getting in the habit of comparing yourself with

others will put you in a state of consistent discontent (Reasons Why Most People Are Not Happy

& How to Resolve Them!, 8 August ,2022)

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Lack of Gratitude

One of the biggest reason for feeling unhappy or sad is that we don’t count our blessings

when we wake up every day. Rather, we focus on the things we lack and believe that our

happiness is solely dependent on achieving the next big thing. (Reasons Why Most People Are

Not Happy & How to Resolve Them!, 8 August ,2022)

You are stuck in your comfort zone

One of the most common reasons for lack of happiness in people’s lives is lack of

growth..At a certain point of time, people get stuck in their comfort zone.

Most of us try to always play very safe in our lives. And we very smartly keep on hiding

this besides the facade of phrasing it “practical. (Reasons Why Most People Are Not Happy &

How to Resolve Them!, 8 August ,2022)

You are always in Past or Future.

It is generally reported that human mind runs around 60000 thoughts per day and more

than 95% of those are the repeated thoughts.People either are thinking of their past, because this

is something, which they have already seen and certain about. Otherwise, people keep on

thinking about their future. They are continuously anxious about what is the next thing going to

happen in their lives. (Reasons Why Most People Are Not Happy & How to Resolve Them!, 8

August ,2022)

Conclusion

“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design

for the present” In my survey I talked about how to lead happy life regarding what science tells

us.I have mentioned how to be happy, how to overcome from sadness with scientific method
How to lead a happy life scientifically 12

References

(n.d.). 7 Keys to Happiness and Success in Life. https://www.wanderlustworker.com/7-keys-to-

happiness-and-success-in-life/.

(13 September ,2023). Nine ways to be a happier person - according to science - AnalystNews.

https://www.analystnews.org/posts/nine-ways-to-be-a-happier-person-according-to-

science.

(8 August ,2022). Reasons Why Most People Are Not Happy & How to Resolve Them!

https://medium.com/multiplier-magazine/5-reasons-why-most-people-are-not-happy-

how-to-resolve-this-b8d73d9e080c.
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