From a Udemy class by Andrew Luttrell, Ph.D.

1. Happiness
Psychology: 5
Proven Tips
From a Udemy class by Andrew Luttrell, Ph.D.

2. Contributors to Happiness
From the book “The How of Happiness” by Sonja Lyubomirsky:
50% Set Point (Genetics and Birth Variables)
10% Life Circumstances (Marital Status, Income)
40% Intentional Activities (Voluntary/Controllable Choices)

3. Benefits of Happiness
- Confidence
- Optimism
- Sociability
- Being Helpful
- Coping With Challenges
- Creativity
- Physical Health

4. Happiness and Work/Career Success
- more likely to secure job interviews
- evaluated more positively by supervisors once they obtain the job
- superior performance and productivity
- handle managerial jobs better
- more likely to graduate college
- more likely to get better jobs
- more likely to be satisfied with those jobs

5. Happiness and Social Success
- more close friends
- greater social support
- less jealousy
- less loneliness
- better social interactions
- feeling happy makes you more sociable and have better interactions with others
- less likely to get colds, healthier immune system

6. Happiness and Health
- Feeling better physically
- Experiencing less pain
- Less likely to smoke, eat poorly, and abuse drugs/alcohol

7. Tip #1 - Say Thank You
- Be thankful for 3-5 things, do this once a week briefly, casually, reflectively
- No need to overdo this

8. Tip #2 - Be Kind To Others
- Being kind to others is a win-win, you also get fulfillment from helping
- Develops a sense of community

9. Science of Kindness -
randomactsofkindness.org
- Teachable and Contagious
- Oxytocin, Serotonin, Endorphins
- More energetic
- Fewer aches and pains
- Decreases stress, anxiety, depression, blood pressure

10. Tip #3 - Have a “Social Snack”
- Form social connections during times when you otherwise might not
- Get to know other people in the world even if it won’t turn into a long-term relationship

11. Tip #4 - Smile
- When your body makes the face of happiness, it causes you to be happier
- Biting a pen activates the muscles for smiling

12. Tip #5 - Simplify Your Decisions
- Too many options (Example: cereals) makes us less happy and satisfied
- Maximizers: when making decisions, will look at all available options and critically evaluate
each
- Satisficers: finds some threshold and choose first thing that meets that criterion
- The less options, the more happy people are with the choice
- The more options, the more likely to regret having made the decision
- It might be worth simplifying your life

13. Recap
Tip #1 - Say Thank You
Tip #2 - Be Kind To Others
Tip #3 - Have a “Social Snack”
Tip #4 - Smile
Tip #5 - Simplify Your Decisions