Part two of 10 scientifically proven ways to make you a happier and healthier person.

Last week I wrote about the latest research that links happiness to career success and five scientifically proven ways you can increase your happiness levels at work. According to psychologist and researcher Barbara Fredrickson, if a person expresses positive emotion this can actually produce a corresponding experience of positive emotion in those with whom the person interacts. In other words, being happy is contagious, uplifting all who interact with you. Other studies indicate that salespeople who experience more positive emotion are also more helpful to their customers. I think we can all attest to what it's like to work with people who are happy versus people who are unhappy. This evidence builds the case for positivity in the workplace.

Based on the latest studies being conducted in positive psychology, which is the scientific study of happiness and human flourishing, here is part 2 of last week's article and the next five ways you can improve your happiness levels

1. Perform Random Acts of Kindness
In a study conducted by psychologist and researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky, she found that participants who committed five acts of kindness in one day, once a week, experienced a significant elevation in their happiness levels. These acts were both small and large including things like feeding a stranger's parking meter, donating blood, helping a friend with homework, or writing a thank you letter. Turns out being generous and considerate does make you happy.

2. Increase Physical Exercise
We have known about the positive effects of regular exercise on our physical health, but did you know it also contributes to our happiness? Research provides evidence that physical activity has positive effects on subjective well-being, mood, stress, and self esteem. Researchers have even found that regular physical activity can actually contribute to the prevention of depression. So the next time you have a bad day at work, don't sit at home and sulk, get out for a run or a walk and see for yourself.

3. Be Grateful For What You Have
Psychologists Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough, in an experimental comparison, found those who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events. When you find yourself complaining about something, stop and think, what can I be grateful for in this situation? This can have a dramatic effect on your happiness levels and help boost your positivity ratios too.

4. Forgive Those Who Have Wronged You
Forgiveness offers us an opportunity to transform our memories of past experiences into more positive emotions, reduce our negative thoughts about others, and relieve the guilt associated with not forgiving ourselves. When we are vengeful or angry this taints our existing relationships with co-workers or loved ones and also taints future relationships with others. According to the founding father of positive psychology, Martin Seligman, several studies show that when individuals engage in authentic forgiveness, it results in reduced anger, lower levels of stress, greater optimism, and better reported health - with sizable effects. Remember, forgiving is not about condoning bad behaviour it's about letting the hurt go so that you can be free to pursue the happiness you deserve.

5. Nurture Social Relationships
Harry Reis and Shelly Gable, two of today's leading love researchers conclude that good relationships with others may be the single most important source of life satisfaction and emotional well-being. Psychologist and researcher Chris Peterson states that our biological bodies are in fact hard wired to draw us to one another, which is a strong argument that social relationships matter. In another study, Ed Diener and Martin Seligman compared happy people to extremely happy people and found that having good relationships with other people was a key condition for extreme happiness. Make it a point to strengthen the relationships you have and spend more time with your loved ones. You'll be happier for it.

Louisa Jewell, MAPP
Co-founder of www.WhyDidYouGo.com
Improving happiness at work, one workplace at a time
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Louisa Jewell
		About the author:
		I am the co-founder of www.whydidyougo.com and a consultant, facilitator and speaker. I work with organizations and leaders to create positive work environments that promote higher levels of performance and well-being. I am a positive psychology specialist and have just recently graduated from the ground-breaking Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program at the University of Pennsylvania. The MAPP program is led by renowned psychologist, Martin Seligman and is the first masters program in the world that offers in-depth study of the science of human flourishing which I use with my organizational clients.
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