I have been tracking my happiness for years now. I use a simple happiness scale from 1-10 and every day I rate how happy I am. At first, it was hard to get an accurate measure because I would swing wildly from day to day and didn’t have a clear sense of what made me happy and what is the meaning of life satisfaction.
I even believed that if I make more money, my happiness will be significantly higher than maintaining positive feelings. But after years of data, I’ve been able to see some happiness pie chart patterns emerge.
What Determines Happiness? 5 Factors
There are a number of factors that can influence your happiness and influence positive and negative emotions including your genes, environment, relationships, and health.
Happiness Gene: You may be born with a predisposition for happiness or unhappiness. Studies show that about 50% of your happiness is determined by genetic factors So if your parents were generally happy people, it’s likely that you will be too regardless of life circumstances or situations.
If you have happiness gene you will experience more positive emotions than negative. Despite your genetic makeup, there are ways you can learn to be happier, even in difficult times.
Environmental Factors: The environment you live in can also affect your happiness. If you live in a place with full of negative feelings, then it will have significant effect on you and your psychological well being.
If you live in a safe neighborhood with access to good schools, parks, and other amenities, you’re more likely to be happy than if you live in an unsafe area with limited resources.
Your Relationships: The quality of your relationships also plays a role in your happiness. People who have close, supportive relationships tend to be happier than those who don’t. Mutual understanding, communication, and respect are key ingredients in a happy relationship.
Your Health: Finally, your health can also influence your happiness. If you’re in good health, you’re more likely to be happy than if you’re dealing with chronic illness or pain.
While you can’t control all of the factors that influence your happiness, there are things you can do to make yourself happier. Spend time with loved ones, take care of your health, and find ways to make your environment more enjoyable. With a little effort, you can improve your happiness and enjoy a better quality of life.
Other Factors That Influence Your Enjoyment of Life
Exercising: Running, jogging, biking, swimming—whatever form of cardio you prefer, getting your heart rate up has been linked with improved mood and decreased stress. Improving physical health, immune system can promote happiness and well being.
Trying New Things: Stepping outside your comfort zone can lead to new experiences and memories, which can boost happiness. Doing new things with other people who do not induce a stress response can be very beneficial.
Meditating: Meditation has been shown to promote calmness and contentment. Calm mind can increase positive emotions and personal growth.
Helping Others: Helping others has positive affect. Research shows that people who help others are happier than those who don’t. Whether it’s volunteering, donating to charity, or simply doing a favor for a friend, helping others can make you feel good and improve your mood.
Spending Time in Nature: Studies show that time spent in nature can lead to increased happiness, decreased stress, and improved mental health.
So there are a number of things that can influence your happiness. Happiness depends not only on what is going on with your own temperament or life events. If you want to be happier, try to focus on the things you can control, like your relationships, health, and environment.
Despite the fact that there is a certain genetic disposition to be happy, there are many things in life that we can change to be happy. Just don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the little things in life!
