The simple thing that makes people happy

The simple thing that makes people happyThe simple thing that makes people happyResearch has found about 9 zillion things you can doto increase happiness.Of course, youre probably not doing any of them. To be fair,most people dont really do much to deliberately make their lives happier.Via100 Simple Secrets of the Best Half of LifeResearchers found that the majority of the subjects they studied were not able to identify anything they had done recently to try to increase their happiness or life satisfaction.So you want to abflug? You want something insanely easy to do that research has demonstrated over and over again works?Something that the happiest people in the world all do?Here you goNext time something good happens, stop whatever you are doing, give it a second andappreciatethat moment.Old cliches like stopping to smell the roses and its the little things in life? Theyre true.The happiness researchers call it Savoring. Heres how it works.What is savoring?Were busy. Weremultitask ing. And we think this makes things better because we get more done.But the schwierigkeit is that means youre paying less attention to any one thing - and therefore you enjoy all of those things less.Do you watch TV while you eat? That means youllenjoy your food less.Savoring is all about attention. Focus on the bad, youll feel bad. Focus on the good and guess what happens?ViaHappiness Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological WealthThe key component to effective savoring is focused attention. By taking the time and spending the effort to appreciate the positive, people are able to experience more well-being.Stopping to smell the roses? Its true. People who take time to appreciate beauty around them reallyarehappier.Via100 Simple Secrets of the Best Half of LifeThose who said they regularly took notice of something beautiful were 12 percent more likely to say they were satisfied with their lives.Research shows thatthe happiest peopletake the time to appreciate the little things in l ife.I know what youre thinkingcorrelation isnt causation.Maybe theyre just wired that way.Nope. Wrong answer. Research shows it can work for anybody.Focusing on the positive and appreciating those things more leads to happiness increases in less than a week.ViaRapt Attention and the Focused LifeOne group was told to focus on all the upbeat things they could find- sunshine, flowers, smiling pedestrians. Another was to look for negative stuff- graffiti, litter, frowning faces. The third group was instructed to walk just for the exercise. At the end of the week, when the walkers well-being was tested again,those who had deliberately targeted positive cueswere happier than before the experiment. The negatively focused subjects were less happy, and the just plain exercisers scored in between. The point, says Bryant, is thatyou see what you look for. And you can train yourself to attend to the joy out there waiting to be had, instead of passively waiting for it to come to you.Impressive , huh?Okay, so whats the best way to start savoring?Savoring 101Stop.Just for a second.Stop checking texts when your friends are right in front of you. Stop watching TV while you eat. Dont surf the web while youre on the phone.Just doonething at a time that you like, and dont hurrythrough it.Slow down and appreciate it.Just doing that - that alone - caused significant decreases in depression and increases in happiness.ViaThe How of Happiness A New Approach to Getting the Life You WantIn one set of studies, depressed participants were invited totake a few minutes once a day to relish something that they usually hurry through(e.g., eating a meal, taking a shower, finishing the workday, or walking to the subway). When it was over, they were instructed to write down in what ways they had experienced the eventdifferently as well as how that felt compared with the times when they rushed through it. In another study, healthy students and community members were instructed to savor two ple asurable experiences per day, by reflecting on each for two or three minutes and trying to make the pleasure last as long and as intensely as possible. In all these studiesthose participants prompted to practice savoring regularly showed significant increases in happiness and reductions in depression.In many waystimeis key when it comes to savoring.Knowing something has limited days or hourshelps you savor.When things will soon come to an endwe dont take them for granted. Were grateful, we savor them and were happier.Seek out those bittersweet moments because research shows they will help you appreciate things more.ViaThe How of Happiness A New Approach to Getting the Life You WantWhen we are fully mindful of the transience of things- an impending return home from an overseas adventure, a graduation, our child boarding the school bus for the first day of kindergarten, a close colleague changing jobs, a move to a new city- we are more likely to appreciate and savor the remaining time that we do have. Although bittersweet experiences also make us sad, it is this sadness that prompts us, instead of taking it for granted, to come to appreciate the positive aspects of our vacation, colleague, or hometown its now or never.This can really help you get more out of life.And heres the best part you dont have to do it alone.How Savoring can improve your relationshipsSharing good nachrichtensendung with your partneris a happiness double whammy.It helps you savorandimproves your relationship.ViaThe How of Happiness A New Approach to Getting the Life You WantSharing successes and accomplishments with others has been shown to be associated with elevated pleasant emotions and well-being. So, when you or your spouse or cousin or best friend wins an honor, congratulate him or her (and yourself ), and celebrate. Try to enjoy the occasion to the fullest. Passing on and rejoicing in good news leads you to relish and soak up the present moment, as well as to foster connections with others.But good news doesnt come along every day. Is there something you can do more regularly as a couple to savor?Create rituals the two of you can engage in.Do a toast before drinking and look into each others eyes. Or any little thing that slows the moment down for appreciation.I spoke to Harvard professorFrancesca Gino, author ofSidetracked,and she said rituals are a great way to promote savoring around a mealYou can think about rituals that you yourself might engage in prior to consumption experiences. What they do, they make us a little bit more mindful about the consumption experience that we are about to have. Because of that, we end up savoring the food or whatever we are drinking moreBut what about when things arent so great? Can we boost our happiness when there are no good things to savor right now?Yes, you can.Savoring is also a time machineSavoring doesnt just need to happen in the moment.Reminiscing about the past and anticipating the future are also powerful, prove n ways to savor - and boost your mood.ViaThe How of Happiness A New Approach to Getting the Life You WantPeople prone to joyful anticipation, skilled at obtaining pleasure from looking forward and imagining future happy events, are especially likely to be optimistic and to experience intense emotions. In contrast, those proficient at reminiscing about the past- looking back on happy times, rekindling joy from happy memories- are best able to buffer stress.Reminiscing about past good times with others is like sharing good news. Itimproves your relationshipand makes both of you happier.ViaThe How of Happiness A New Approach to Getting the Life You WantResearchers have found that mutual reminiscence- sharing memories with other people- is accompanied by abundant positive emotions, such as joy, accomplishment, amusement, contentment, and pride.Gretchen Rubin, author ofThe Happiness Project, has a four point system that I loveAnticipate with pleasure,Savor the moment as I experience it, Express my happiness to myself or others, andReflect on a happy memory.How much simpler can being happier get?Sum upThe cliches tell us to stop and smell the roses. The science agrees.And when you survey 1200 people over 70 years old, who have had full lives, what advice do they offer?I askedKarl Pillemer, author of30 Lessons for Living Tried and True Advice from the Wisest Americans.Hereswhat they saidyou should savor small, daily experiences and make the most of every day.We all want to be happy and sometimes it seems so hard to get there. But the answer is simpler than we think and right in front of us.(Hey, stop skimming. Slow down.Appreciatethe words.)Seriously stop and smell the roses today. Enjoy the little things in life.Science shows us it really does make a difference.Join 45K+ readers.Get a free weekly update via emailhere.Related postsWhat 10 things should you do every day to improve your life?How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple Emails4 Lifehacks From Anc ient Philosophers That Will Make You HappierThis article originally appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.