Facts About  Happiness 

Happiness is a human function. Below are 30 fascinating facts about happiness, according to science.
Doing a good deed triggers a high in the brain.

Have you ever noticed how elevated your mood becomes after you do something nice for someone else? Studies have shown that when we do something like hold the door for a stranger, donate to a charity, or bring a meal to a friend, our brain triggers feelings of reward. Like with any other high, these feelings then encourage the brain to put more good into the world.

If you want to be happy, spend time with other happy people.

A study published in the British Medical Journal asserts that happiness is contagious! People who spend time around other happy people find that they themselves experience more positive emotions.

Sleep contributes greatly to our happiness.

Interestingly, the amount of sleep we receive can have a huge effect on our overall happiness. A study which observed a large group of college students found that those who were sleep-deprived had a harder time registering and remembering positive ideas, but an easier time remembering negative ones. Specifically, the sleep-deprived students later remembered 81% of the negative words they had been told during the study, but only 31% of the positive words

The world’s happiest people feel a sense of community.

Research that was done around the globe found that the world’s happiest children lived in Mexico, Spain, and Brazil — places in which close family relationships tend to be prioritized. Mexico also ranked first among countries with the “most satisfied people,” and second for “most optimistic people.” Along the same lines, 74% of people who attend a church service at least once per month reported being “very happy,” while only 26% of those who never attend church could say the same.

Your politics could be to blame for your unhappiness.

The Pew Research Center conducted the same survey in both 2006 and 2008 and found that those who are politically Conservative tend to be happier than those who describe themselves as politically liberal. Interestingly, Democrat Barack Obama was president during the time of both polls. The research center ultimately hypothesized that the biggest factors separating the two groups in terms of happiness were income, religion, and ideology.

Happiness keeps the doctor away.

According to the old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” As it turns out, happiness is pretty darn good for our health, too. According to a research study published in Psychosomatic Medicine, people who routinely exhude positive emotion are less likely to come down with the common cold. Exactly what goes on in the body to cause such a phenomenon isn’t yet clear, but it sounds like a mighty good reason to wake up each day with a smile.

Listening to music can boost your mood.

Want to feel happier? Turn the radio on! According to a 2013 research study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, listening to “happy” (i.e. positive, upbeat) music can effectively boost our moods. A similar study done the same year and published in Science further explained why this is. When we hear a song we especially like, or when we hear a new song and decide we like it, the brain’s reward system kicks into gear.

A happy baseball player lives longer.

If you think that’s an oddly specific claim, then consider this: In one especially fascinating study, researchers examined hundreds of baseball players’ rookie baseball cards to measure the width of the players’ smiles. Interestingly, the researchers found a correlation between a player’s smile and his longevity as a professional athlete. Those with the biggest grins went on to live an average of seven years longer than the players who either didn’t smile, or who smiled only a little.

Fortunately, you don’t have to play baseball to enjoy a longer life.

Luckily, it’s not just happy baseball players who live longer. In one famous study, researchers compared the lifetime lengths of Catholic nuns to autobiographical essays they had written upon entering their convents decades earlier. The researchers found that those who had included happy memories and an overall feeling of contentment lived 7-10 years longer than those who did not document such positivity. In a study done in 2011, researchers interviewed 4,000 adults in England about their overall happiness. It was concluded that those who reported feeling happier were 35% less likely to die over the course of the next five years.

Being happy can lead to better heart health.

For a study done in 2008, researchers studied the heartbeat interval of 76 patients thought to have coronary artery disease. Interestingly, those participants who described themselves as being “happy” or “extremely happy” exhibited a healthier heart rate pattern on the day they were tested. Another decade-long study include talking with 2,000 people about their day-to-day feelings at work. Ten years la