03/11/2022
Want a cheatsheet on the science of happiness? Check out this infographic we created for our 'Pursuit of Happiness' module at Yale-NUS.
During the semester, the module covered 33 literature summaries (meta-analyses) to identify factors associated with happiness. Here's a summary documenting both (i) the direction and (ii) magnitude of effects for each factor.
The key takeaways:
1. Many many things have a small effect on happiness (represented as a single :) or :( in the chart). Fewer things make a larger dent (represented as :) :) or :( :( ).
2. Often, we think that a major life event will have a long-lasting impact on our happiness (e.g., marriage, bereavement). However, research suggests that the impact of this event typically fades over time.
In short, don't chase a major milestone to improve your happiness. Conversely, if you're going through a tough time, the science tells us that time will often heal the broken heart.
3. Although we're affected by the cards that life deals us, it's often our subjective perception of the situation that matters more (e.g., how financially satisfied we are, whether we feel life is meaningful, how lonely we feel).
4. Encouragingly, there are many modifiable factors associated with happiness (as highlighted in the green text). You can actively choose to engage in happiness-boosting activities and mindsets.
5. Finally, this list is not at all exhaustive! I haven't covered every meta-analysis, and some happiness-boosting activities haven't made their way into meta-analyses. (For example, the practice of gratitude seems to exert long-lasting effects on happiness.)
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Looking for more resources?
• Here's a detailed spreadsheet summarizing the 33 meta-analyses:
https://lnkd.in/gWJVkgyU
• If you're looking for practical activities to improve your happiness, visit this website from UC Berkeley: https://lnkd.in/gyaXGkt3
