What do the happiest people have in common? They have a handle on at least of few of these eight instant happiness boosters, some of which may already be elevating your mood.
6 or 7: The hours per day of socializing that leads to the highest levels of happiness
People who regularly spend about a quarter of their hours each day with family and friends are 12 times as likely to report feeling joyful rather than feeling stressed or anxious. The same Gallup poll found that people are happiest on weekends (no surprise there!), likely due in part to the amount of time spent with loved ones on these days.
10: The number of friends it takes to give your well-being a big boost
A 2012 survey of thousands of British adults found that having regular contact with 10 or more friends had a significant impact on an individual’s happiness level. People who had fewer friends reported lower levels of happiness all-around. In addition to bettering your mood, having a robust social network is linked to all sorts of other positive health factors, including a longer life.
5: The number of positive interactions happy couples have for every negative one
In a look at couples that stay together versus those who divorce, researchers found that the ones who were in happy relationships had a 5:1 ratio of good exchanges to bad; people who ultimately divorced had just 0.8 happy encounters for every one negative interaction. Positive interactions don’t just happen on their own—can you think of a compliment, a shared memory, or something to laugh about with your partner today?
