You CAN Develop a Happiness Habit [Here’s How...]
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted May 8, 2024
Life can be a total dumpster fire sometimes.
We’ve all been there. Losing friends, arguing with family, and don’t even get me started on the whole money situation.
Life’s challenging moments are enough to make anyone want to curl up into a ball and binge-watch Netflix for eternity.
But wait, there’s a plot twist!
Apparently, happiness is something you can actually learn. Who knew?
It turns out there’s a “science” to happiness.
In fact, according to new research published in the journal Higher Education, the key to keeping the happiness train chugging along is to make it a habit.
More specifically, it’s to adopt a few of what they refer to as “evidence-based” techniques.
The researchers found that there were at least four of these happiness-supporting habits that were effective:
- gratitude,
- exercise,
- meditation,
- and journaling.
So, the secret to happiness is basically a combination of being thankful, sweating it out, sitting quietly, and scribbling in a diary.
It sounds strange, but research proves it works.
But there’s a catch.
You can’t just do these things for a day, a week, or even a year and expect to be happy forever. This is where the habit part comes in. The study found that you’ve got to keep at it, day in and day out if you want to maintain happiness.
When the researchers followed up with the study participants who tried practicing happiness, they discovered that the initial happiness boost didn’t last for those who didn’t stick with the program.
Only the dedicated folks who kept practicing their “happiness habits” remained more content.
The bottom line is happiness takes work. You must put in the effort and keep at it even when you’d rather be doing literally anything else.
But the payoff is well worth it—a lifetime of happiness.
P.S. Check out these five easy mood boosters to get you into the “Swing of Spring.”
Source:
Hobbs, C., Jelbert, S., Santos, L.R. et al. Long-term analysis of a psychoeducational course on university students’ mental well-being. High Educ (2024). [doi. org /10 .1007/s10734-024-01202-4]
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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