Most people are in constant pursuit of greater happiness, but it is also important to understand the science of it, Bustle reports. Below are nine interesting scientific facts about happiness.
1. Happiness impacts your immune system.
Researchers found that happier, more positive people were not as likely to develop a cold as their less positive counterparts. Thus, happiness can elevate and protect our immune system.
2. Performing acts of kindness for others is good for you, too.
When you do something good for someone else, you likely feel happy. That is because, as research shows, performing good deeds for others generates a rewarding feeling. This becomes a cycle because once we perform a good deed we are often inspired to keep doing it.
3. Happiness is partially genetic.
While you can control some aspects of your happiness, a portion of it is inherited and dependent on your genetics.
4. Floral scents can elevate your happiness.
Researchers at Rutgers University found that people who are surrounded by flowers and floral scents are more likely to be happy – about three times as much, in fact.
5. People paid by the hour are happier.
A study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that people who receive hourly wages at work are happier than salaried people. The researchers believe this is because hourly wages allow people to better assess the worth of their time.
7. Relationships mean more than money.
Research shows that relationships satisfaction is more impactful on happiness than $100,000.
8. Bright colors can improve your mood.
Colors can indicate and impact your mood, according to a 2010 study published in the BMC Medical Research Methodology. In this study, researchers deduced that bright colors are directly correlated to levels of happiness. It found that yellow is associated with happiness, while gray is associated with anxiety and depression.
9. Happiness reduces pain.
Happiness can act as a pain reliever. A study that focused on women with arthritis and chronic pain found that those who had more positive emotions were not as likely to experience pain as their less positive counterparts.
10. Go outside for a happiness boost.
Research shows that being outside is important for overall happiness and often makes people happier.
11. Women are more likely to feel down during the holidays.
The “holiday blues” are a real thing – and significantly more women experience them than men. A survey from Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research found that 44 percent of women get the blues while only 31 percent of men report experiencing them.
12. Happiness catches on.
Good news – the British Medical Journal says that happiness the contagious. Surrounding yourself with happy people can increase your happiness, and your happiness can impact someone else’s happiness. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.