25 scientifically proven ways to be happier

Ask any new parent what they want and – night of unbroken sleep aside – the answer is usually for the squealing baby in their arms to be happy and healthy. Happiness is a state we almost universally desire for ourselves and the people we love – and yet as a species we often indulge in behaviour that is unlikely to get us there.

Not that this is always our fault. Research suggests that 50 per cent of happiness is genetically determined and that some people are just programmed to go through life with a smile on their face. “This is actually great news,” says Arthur C Brooks, the best-selling author of the Science of Happiness. “For many, it explains a lot – and provides a way forward. If you are a gloomy person, it’s very likely that at least one of your parents was as well. That means you need to take extra care to get the most out of the other 50 per cent.”

A further 10 to 20 per cent is about life circumstances (education, marital status and geography) – elements are changeable, but only with effort. The rest, however, we can easily shape with conscious thought and action. 

Relationships play a hugely important part in our happiness levels. Ancient philosophers and modern scientists agree we have a need for strong bonds and to give and get support. “It tracks in all parts of our lives,” says Gretchen Rubin, the best-selling author of books including The Happiness Project. 

“People who are happier at home are the ones with good marriages; people who are happier at work are the ones with a friend in the office. Anything that can deepen or widen your relationships will make you feel better, whether that is having a book group, travelling to see relatives or making a real friend out of your next-door neighbour.”

Then we need to think about our bodies: our sleep, fitness, diet and even the feel of sunlight on our skin. “A lot of happiness is actually just good habits,”says Rubin. “Mostly, people know what would make them happier, they’re just not doing it: they’re not exercising, not going to bed early and not eating healthily. Usually, this is because making ourselves feel better in the future means doing something in the present that is demanding – like going for a run or refraining from having a third glass of wine.”

Rubin also refutes the idea that money can’t buy you happiness, arguing that financial stability is like health: we’re very aware of it in the negative but not so much in the positive. “If you can pay your bills, you don’t realise how not being able to can make you unhappy,” she says. “And with money it depends on what you spend it on – if you come into some inheritance and use it for a memorable trip with people you love, that’s good; if you use it to buy cocaine then that’s not so good.”

Although author and podcaster Dr Rangan Chatterjee cautions that the pursuit of money can interfere with happiness. “One of the biggest problems is that many of us confuse happiness with success,” he says. “We are conditioned from a young age to believe that acquiring a better salary and a better job and all the markers of a supposedly successful life are essential to happiness, but many people wake up one day and realise they are ticking the boxes society has asked them to but still feel unfulfilled.” 

It is then – when we have reached our pain point and accept we no longer enjoy our day-to-day lives – that we start to reassess everything. “Luckily for anyone in that situation, happiness is achievable,” says Chatterjee. “It’s not a destination, it’s just a direction that you take. The key thing to remember is that it’s a skill that you can develop.”

Rubin agrees, adding that step one is self-knowledge. “The most important thing you can do is know your own temperament,” she says towards the end of our interview. “You’re different from me – you might be a person who is happiest when swimming or reading or sitting in the sun, but maybe I’m happiest when listening to music or running or talking to my best friend. People skip over the self-reflection, when knowing themselves is key to everything.”

Bearing that in mind, here are some steps that might or might not apply to you – but which contain sound science and could help set us all on a good path next year. 

1. Take at least 4000 steps a day (or get a dog)

A study that tracked the movement and mood of mobile phone users found that people reported the most happiness if they had been active in the past 15 minutes. “Exercise is the magic elixir of life, it helps us manage our moods, release endorphins and boosts immune function,” says Rubin. 

“Even a small amount – you don’t need to do a marathon, just 4000 steps a day is enough – will have a really big impact.” People with dogs tend to report higher happiness levels than those without: some of this will be from the oxytocin that’s released from sloppy lick or a hairy hug – but a more simplistic reading is that having a dog means an enforced walk every day, no excuses tolerated. 

2. Eliminate choice

“We have too much choice, which is a major obstacle to happiness,” says Chatterjee. “Studies show we make 35,000 choices a day – including 226 on food alone. But all this does is leave us with a sense of anxiety.” He cites the example of Netflix and how, when there are too many options, we procrastinate and say there is nothing to watch. Instead, write down a shortlist of six or seven films you know you want to see on your Notes app and open that before you turn on the TV; similarly, if you go to a restaurant you know well, don’t look at the menu, just order what you did last time. Chatterjee also suggests subscribing to a handful of podcasts, writing a detailed meal planner each Sunday and donating clothes you haven’t worn in the last year. 

3. Go outside twice a day

Ideally on a walk, but pottering in the garden also works, just make sure your first excursion is within an hour or two of waking up. “The circadian rhythm does a lot of work in regulating the body – if you go for a morning walk that sets you up for the rest of the day,” says Rubin. “Even better if you listen to some music or an audiobook that you really enjoy.”

Step outside again in the brightest part of the day as sunlight touching skin leads us to produce more of the happy hormone, serotonin, while melatonin – which is released when it’s dark – makes us foggy and sleepy. Also, try to position your desk or favourite chair by a window so you’re getting continuous light throughout the day. And yes, the effects are less pronounced in winter, but this still works in even the greyest weather.

4. Indulge your sense of smell

“We forget how much of happiness is linked to doing something immersive – and most of us spend so much time behind screens that anything which engages all five senses feels incredibly enticing,” says Rubin, who points to the thrill we get from smelling flowers or freshly cut grass, or walking into a deliciously scented boulangerie on holiday. 

Equally bad smells make us unhappy – so notice the scents that lift your spirits (or the reverse) and curate a better-smelling life, either by planting jasmine or roses in your garden, saving up for your favourite perfume or bath oil, or by finding the time to bake more. 

5. Swap WhatsApp for a quick phone call

The world’s longest running happiness study on happiness was done by Harvard University and showed that one easy way to improve relationships was to stop catching up with close friends about important life events over text – because so much of how we communicate and connect isn’t through actual words but the way we say them. “Speaking to someone is one of the easiest ways to feel close to them; writing messages doesn’t have the same impact,” says Robert Waldinger, the study author. And there’s no need for a lengthy phone call: talking to a friend for a mere eight minutes boosts happy hormones and makes you feel more relaxed.

6. Practise the five-minute rule 

So many of the little chores that drag our mood down would, conversely, only take a few minutes to complete – but because they’re dull, we procrastinate. Chatterjee suggests creating a routine. For him, this means starting the day with 10 minutes of stretching and weight-lifting while his coffee brews – achieving that within half an hour of getting up gives him a sense of control over the day ahead. He is also a fan of a 15-minute flurry of activity whereby you tick off at least three mundane tasks: take in the stack of letters by the front door, make the bed and pay an online bill. Done!

7. Have a one-on-one dinner with a close friend

People in marriages regularly catch up as couples, but often we have our best conversations when we’re alone with our friends or siblings. “Everyone should do what suits them,” says Waldinger. “But introverts in particular really benefit from seeing the people in their lives alone and getting those quality connections.” This is true for very close friends but also acquaintances whose company you enjoy but don’t see for months at a time. “Most of us have friends who energise us, but we just don’t see enough of them,” says Waldinger. “This is an untapped happiness resource that is in your life, waiting to be used.”

8. Turn your phone to black and white

Numerous studies show that the more we use our phones, the less happy we are – but how do you stop when half your life is online and these devices are designed to be addictive? For Rubin, easy switches included deleting apps that consumed all her time and turning her phone to black and white (go to Settings, Accessibility and Colour Filters). As a result, she could communicate with the people she needed to, but the dopamine fix was reduced, so after a few minutes online, she did something else. 

9. Use your screensaver as motivation

Many of us already know what would make us happier – more time outdoors or spent reading novels, for example. But knowing is very different from doing and motivating yourself to read is difficult when you’re already overwhelmed. Usefully, studies show that turning your screensaver to, say, a pile of books or a tennis racket will trick your brain into wanting to do those things – with some participants spending 30 per cent more time on their chosen activity after just one week. 

10. Spend time near water

Since humans started exploring the planet, we’ve followed the water. The immeasurable sense of peace that we feel around water is what marine biologist Wallace Nichols calls our “blue mind” – a chance to escape our ultra-stimulated modern lives and stop overthinking. 

This tracks a study by Blue Gym, which has shown that people who live near the coast report significantly higher levels of happiness than those who don’t. Most of us can’t move to Cornwall, but we can aim to take holidays by the sea or a lake, or daily walks along a river. And usefully for Britons, even listening to the sound of rain outside can release relaxation hormones, as can noise machines set to sea sounds. 

11. Use your vocal chords

A study from Goldsmiths found that people who joined a choir reported higher levels of wellbeing and – after a few months – had lower levels of chronic pain than those who never sing. If your voice isn’t quite up to delighting the wider public, belt out your favourite tune in the shower or the car – it’s good for your health, after all. 

12. Sort out your gut 

We are in the early stages of understanding gut health but evidence is starting to suggest that the microbiome has a bigger effect on mood than we previously realised. “Depression is, in certain cases, more of an inflammatory state in the body than anything else,” says chef and dietician Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed. “And while no one food is going to make you happy, consistently eating as many plants as possible, as well as oily fish and olive oil, chicken, eggs and nuts will help your microbiome no end – and in the long run, may well improve your mood.”

13. Go on holiday every day

As well as the sun, sea and sangria, part of what we love about holidays is the chance to step out of our daily lives and get some perspective on the world around us. But you don’t have to take an EasyJet flight to achieve that – for Chatterjee, all he needs is a 30-minute walk or run without his mobile or headphones. “If you’re outside and not distracted by emails or a podcast then you’re not entangled in the weeds of your life,” he says. “This allows the default mode brain to kick in – which will help you understand your problems on a new level and get some clarity on the issues that have been bothering you.”

14. Chose one word you want to sum up your life

Psychologist Julie Hannan believes that setting life goals – write a novel by 40 and learn French by 50 – can make us feel more pressured and less happy. Instead, she suggests that people who feel lost take a step back and choose a word they want to live by, be it (for example) exploration, kindness, achievement or change. “I gave myself ‘peace of mind’,” she says. “Practically, that meant reducing my hours so I could be more available for my kids, stepping back from relationships that I found difficult and dedicating time to practical concerns that I was getting anxious about.”

15. Spend time somewhere green

Numerous studies have proven what most of us already know: that being in nature makes us feel better. In fact, walking on a quiet tree-lined path or in a forest or large park can result in physical changes to the brain with scans showing less blood flow to the part of the brain associated with rumination. Stuck in the middle of a big city? Research shows that even looking at pictures of nature can improve your mood.

16. Imagine yourself on your deathbed

“Autopilot is one of the reasons why we are unfulfilled,” says Chatterjee. “We’re reacting – emails, social media, the school run – not planning.” It might sound a little morbid, but imagining yourself at the end will help you work out how to live better in the middle. “I asked myself if, when I was dying, I would care about how much money I made, and I realised that all that really mattered was quality time with my family and friends, doing something that contributes to the world and following my passions,” he says. This translated to five meals a week at the table with his wife and children and time to record a weekly episode of his podcast. Why not find out what yours are?

17. Have a nap – but set an alarm first

Done right, a good nap is an instant mood-booster. “It helps memory consolidation, concentration and academic performance,” says Michael Breus, founder of the Sleep Doctor, “and it should also make you feel happier for the rest of the day.” Be warned: these effects are reversed if you sleep too long, as you’ll fall into a deeper cycle that will leave you feeling sluggish when you wake up. The sweet spot is 20 minutes – done at least six hours before you go to bed.

18. Avoid cramming free time with activities

If an empty Saturday stretches ahead of you, it can be tempting to fill it with yoga, errands, an exhibition and DIY. Don’t. While our culture has taught us that being busy is the key to staying healthy and relevant, a study by Onward has highlighted that trying to do too much makes us feel low and burnt-out. 

“On a weekend in 1974, the average person did four activities a day,” says Jenevieve Treadwell, the study author. “Today, we do an average of seven”. The result is that we don’t immerse ourselves in any one thing and end up exhausted. “The biggest takeaway I have from this is not to feel bad if I have a lazy day,” says Treadwell.

19. Reserve your bedroom for sleep and sex

Sleeping for seven to eight hours a night is one of the best ways to get happy, so invest in good pillows, a mattress topper and blackout blinds, and remove televisions or laptops, so the room becomes peaceful and soothing. “People quickly get depressed when they bring work into the bedroom as it’s the most intimate place in the house,” says psychologist Audrey Tang. 

“I see a lot of very anxious students and I know part of the problem is that they work in their rooms and associate their bed with high stress and adrenaline.” A study also highlighted how using a phone in the hour before bed leads to disrupted sleep.“Charge your phone in a different room: it’s such an easy fix but it makes such a big difference,” says Tang.

20. Spend your money in the right way

People report higher levels of happiness when they spend money on experiences rather than things – but which ones really hit the high notes? “Doing something memorable on holiday doesn’t have to cost the world,” says Jules Maury, the head of private travel at Scott Dunn. 

“It’s finding an amazing restaurant in Italy where nobody speaks English and they write the menu down on a paper tablecloth, cooking your own eggs from a hot geyser in Thailand or taking your children to a small farm in France and showing them how to milk cows.” Maury also urges people to recreate at home the everyday luxuries she loves in good hotels: cashmere-covered hot water bottles, having the table laid for breakfast, and plush towels, slippers and dressing gowns.

21. Want for less

As he got older, Arthur C Brooks began to realise that satisfaction came from wanting less, not more. “Many of us struggle with this concept,” he says. “When we’re young, we look to build: money, promotions, worldly possessions. But there comes a certain point when we must realise that trying to get more isn’t better, especially for happiness.” For years, Brooks was stuck in a pattern of constantly pursuing ‘the next thing’. “It became a key part of my self-identity,” he says. “When I took a step back, I found that actively wanting less did wonders for my happiness.” He stopped keeping a bucket list and started keeping a reverse bucket list – and would write down all the worldly vanities that had once attracted him, and cross them out one by one.

22. Rediscover the pleasure in food

“Food becomes joyless when all you’re doing is thinking about what you should and shouldn’t eat,” says food writer Rebecca Seal, who argues that as soon as we separate food into good and bad categories, it traps us in a cycle of restriction where the only winners are the multi-national companies that produce both indulgence and diet meals. 

Instead, Seal suggests seeing food as a holistic thing: sometimes the thing that will bring you joy is a bag of hot chips and mayonnaise, at other times it will be a punnet of strawberries, but ultimately everything is allowed so long as it is consumed in moderation. “Eating is deeply pleasurable and is how we demonstrate care for ourselves and other people; it should never be thought of in terms of rules, as no single food will fulfil all our nutritional and emotional needs.”

23. Do good to feel good

One of the best ways to make ourselves happy is to make other people happy. “This makes such a big difference to happiness that I sometimes say that true altruism doesn’t exist,” says Rubin. A small good deed will suffice: set two people up on a date, pass on the contact of a great plumber even if that means they’ll be less available to you, give someone a meaningful compliment, send flowers to a friend who is sad, or donate to a cause that you believe in.

24. Distinguish between pleasure, enjoyment, satisfaction and meaning

“Enjoyment is something deeper than pleasure – it adds people and memory,” says Brooks. “Satisfaction is the reward for achieving a hard-earned goal. Meaning involves coherence, purpose, and significance.” Crucially, all four states can bring happiness, but at different times in our lives. 

One example is how parents of small children are often sleep deprived and don’t have much time for pleasure. “However, the data tells us the same story time and again: being a parent is deeply meaningful,” says Brooks. “We know that our purpose in life is to protect our kids and raise them to be responsible and independent adults. We would literally die for them. And that’s why empty nesters look back fondly at this period.” Accepting this is key to enjoying it more. 

25. Indulge your inner early bird or night owl

Each one of us contains a master internal body clock that determines when our bodies release chemicals relating to wakefulness, hunger and mood. And while it does shift over the course of our lives – children and older people tend to have more energy first thing while teenagers and young adults are the opposite – it is largely genetic and a scientific study in the US showed that our mood lifts if we’re allowed to rest when we want to. “Thirty per cent of people are night owls,” says Rubin. “And they are not going to be happy or productive at a 7am meeting.” She cites a woman who felt irritable and low for years after going to the gym before work; now she does a 45-minute online dance class at midnight and is much happier.