Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 13 views

    A Happy Person

    Uploaded by

    Κυριάκος Παπαδόπουλος
    The document discusses factors that contribute to happiness based on the long-running Harvard Study of Adult Development. It finds that about half of happiness is genetic but 40% comes from choices. The study showed that being older leads people to focus on what's important and let go of past failures. Staying connected to close relationships and minimizing interactions with negative people also increases happiness.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    A Happy Person

    Uploaded by

    Κυριάκος Παπαδόπουλος
    13 views2 pages
    The document discusses factors that contribute to happiness based on the long-running Harvard Study of Adult Development. It finds that about half of happiness is genetic but 40% comes from choices. The study showed that being older leads people to focus on what's important and let go of past failures. Staying connected to close relationships and minimizing interactions with negative people also increases happiness.

    Original Title

    a happy person

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The document discusses factors that contribute to happiness based on the long-running Harvard Study of Adult Development. It finds that about half of happiness is genetic but 40% comes from choices. The study showed that being older leads people to focus on what's important and let go of past failures. Staying connected to close relationships and minimizing interactions with negative people also increases happiness.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    13 views2 pages

    A Happy Person

    Uploaded by

    Κυριάκος Παπαδόπουλος
    The document discusses factors that contribute to happiness based on the long-running Harvard Study of Adult Development. It finds that about half of happiness is genetic but 40% comes from choices. The study showed that being older leads people to focus on what's important and let go of past failures. Staying connected to close relationships and minimizing interactions with negative people also increases happiness.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 2

    I have always considered myself a happy person, even though I may not always look

    it thanks to inheriting my father’s furrowed brow. Are there times when I’m not
    happy? Of course. Do I wish I could be happier more often? Who wouldn’t? While it
    seems everyone is looking for the answer to the age-old question, “What’s the secret
    to happiness?” the better question may be, “Is it even possible to be happier?”

    About half of our level of happiness is based on genes. Some people are just
    predisposed to be happier and more upbeat than others. But that does not mean you
    cannot increase your level of happiness if it does not come naturally. In fact, research
    has suggested that 40% of people’s happiness comes from the choices they make.

    Come on, get happy

    So what are the right choices for happiness? You may find inspiration from the
    participants in the Harvard Study of Adult Development — one of the longest-
    running studies on happiness.

    The project has followed 724 men since they were teenagers in 1938. (Approximately
    60 men, now in their 90s, are still left.) The group consisted of men from various
    economic and social backgrounds, from Boston’s poorest neighborhoods to Harvard
    undergrads. (President John F. Kennedy was even part of the original group.) Over the
    years, the researchers have collected all kinds of health information, and every two
    years they ask members questions about their lives and their mental and emotional
    wellness. They even interview family members.

    They found that specific traits and behaviors were linked with increased levels of
    happiness across the entire group.

    Know when to let go

    As the people got older, they tended to focus more on what’s important to them, and
    didn’t sweat the small stuff to the degree they did when they were younger, according
    to the project’s director, Dr. Robert Waldinger. Other research supports this mindset,
    and has found that older adults are better about letting go of past failures. “They tend
    to realize how life is short and they are more likely to pay more attention on what
    makes them happy now,” says Dr. Waldinger.

    You could do the same. What activities make you happy and what’s stopping you
    from doing them? Think back to your childhood. What did you enjoy when you were
    younger? Singing? Playing games? Doing certain hobbies? “When you are older you
    have more opportunity to return to the activities you associate with happiness,” says
    Dr. Waldinger. So begin that coin collection, join a choir, or play poker or bridge.

    Stay connected

    The Harvard Study has found a strong association between happiness and close
    relationships like spouses, family, friends, and social circles. “Personal connection
    creates mental and emotional stimulation, which are automatic mood boosters, while
    isolation is a mood buster,” says Dr. Waldinger. This is also an opportunity to focus
    on positive relationships and let go of negative people in your life, or at least
    minimize your interactions with them.

    If you need to broaden your social life, try volunteering for a favorite cause. Odds are
    you will meet more like-minded people. Volunteering also is another way to boost
    happiness by providing a sense of purpose. In fact, a study published online May19,
    2016, by BMJ Open  found that this benefit was strongest among people age 45 to 80
    and older. Look for volunteering opportunities in your area that match your interests.

    You might also like