Eating Dinner With the Family and Other Habits of Happy People
Happiness has been considered as an elusive and fleeting thing. There are people who spend a great deal of time, resources, and effort to achieve happiness, but to some, it has been an exercise in futility. Surely there must be a formula to attain the key to a long and fulfilling life.
This interest in happiness comes as the World Happiness Report indicated that America's happiness rank continually declined from third in 2007 to 19th in 2016. The trend has nothing to do with economics considering that the overall per capita income rate in the U.S. continued to rise over the decades.
So how do we restore happiness for the Americans? Sociologist Dr. Randall Bell has discovered that happy people generally share the same habits. He summarized his findings into seven things ordinary people can do every day to get them closer to becoming happy.
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Mealtime With Family
According to Dr. Bell, people feel better about themselves when they spend quality time with loved ones. These family dinners foster relationships that leave the members feeling happier. On the other hand, neglecting those important relationships cause stress and anxiety.
Exercise
Dr. Bell learned that the happiest people make time for daily exercise, even if its just in the form of a simple 20-minute walk. There is a scientific basis for this. During exercise, the brain secretes endorphins into the bloodstream which makes the person feel good.
Dance
Just like exercise, endorphins flow to the body while dancing. It also fosters interpersonal relationships if done with a partner.
Control the Stress Level
One of the most stressful things in the U.S. is driving, which could potentially lead to road rage. Some people convert this anger to happiness by staying calm in times of pressure. Sometimes it pays to just let go and accept unpleasant things like traffic, then divert the energy to more positive things.
Avoiding Gossip
According to Dr. Bell, those who decide to say something pleasant attract like-minded people into their lives. This, in turn, leads to happiness.
Being Tidy and Organized
Dr. Bell cited a study indicating that clutter causes stress while an organized workplace allows a person to focus on the job more effectively. The same study also stated that being organized at work makes the person three times more likely to be happy.
Saying "Hi" to Neighbors
"If we walk by a person who is frowning, if makes us feel tense," Dr. Bell said. "When we walk by someone who is smiling, we want to smile back. When we wave at neighbors, we usually cheer that person up and they wave back -- that's a double win," the sociologist added.
