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This article comes from the official account of Wechat: SF Chinese (ID:kexuejiaodian), author: SF

If you ask others what they want most in life, I'm sure most people will say they want to be happy. However, happiness is a feeling that is difficult to express in words. If we want to get happiness, it is difficult to define it. However, although everyone has a different definition of happiness, some people say that "happiness is always similar". This article will introduce some scientific research on happiness. let's see how scientists interpret happiness and whether science can help us achieve happiness.

(by Phil Newell) Radha Modgil / tr. by Phil Newell)

Compile | Liu Jiayu

It is obvious that facial expressions affect happiness. Smiling is an external expression of happiness, but what does science say? In 2019, researchers at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville reviewed 138 global studies involving more than 11000 volunteers over a 50-year period and came up with a clear answer.

The results show that our facial expressions do affect our mood and mood: frowning makes us feel sadder or angrier, while smiling makes us happier. The researchers also point out that this does not mean that we can be happy by smiling, but it proves that the mind and body are closely linked.

Money can buy happiness. Besides, everyone knows the clich é "money can't buy happiness", but research shows that it depends on where you spend your money.

Many studies have found that buying experiences rather than physical objects can make us feel happier. Psychologists at San Francisco State University in the United States conducted a study in which volunteers were asked to reflect on how their recent purchases made them feel.

The results show that experience makes volunteers happier than material wealth, and this positive effect has nothing to do with the amount of money spent or the income of consumers. The researchers also found that these experiences continue to improve happiness in the long run. This may be because we can look back on the past experience and recall the happiness at that time.

The right to choose independently and the freedom to choose also have a huge impact on happiness. When we feel that we can decide our future, we not only feel happier, but also perform better at work and behave more positively. A study of Chinese teenagers has found that maintaining a strong belief in free will and the ability to make independent choices leads to happiness. The researchers even suggest strengthening the belief in free will through psychotherapy to help people pursue happiness.

Being close to nature and being close to nature also increases happiness. A recent study conducted by the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology found that the more urban green spaces residents are exposed to, the more satisfied and happy they feel.

The researchers calculated the number of available green spaces by analyzing satellite data from 60 countries or regions, and then cross-referenced them with the happiness index of each country or region. The results show that there is a positive correlation between urban green space and well-being no matter what the economic situation of a country. There may be many reasons for this: our natural appreciation of the beauty of nature, or nature promotes social interaction, or nature has positive effects on health, such as lowering blood pressure and relieving stress.

Although we know which activities and habits can increase happiness, from a scientific point of view, we should also pay attention to ways and means to pursue happiness. A study conducted by Rutgers University Business School in the United States found that when we regard achieving happiness as a task, or when we need to "give" to be happy, we feel that one day is not enough. This can damage and affect happiness.

So while science has shown that happiness is possible as long as we follow a few simple steps, keep in mind that happiness should not be seen as a task, but as a pleasure.

References:

Https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/new-science-of-happiness/

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