The science of happiness is just a phone call away

Claire Porter
September 29, 2013
news.com.au

SCIENTISTS believe they have found the key to happiness, and attaining it may be as simple as picking up the phone.

A study out of the US found that gratitude is one of the greatest contributing factors to overall happiness.

But how do you define happiness? The researchers defined happiness as a feeling of positive emotion, engagement in their environment, work, friends and family and the feeling that life is meaningful.

Another group of researchers from YouTube science channel Soul Pancake decided to expand on the study by testing it for themselves.

They put together a group of people and asked them to choose the one person who had the greatest effect on their lives.

The participants were then asked to write down the reasons why these people were so important and then pick up the phone and call that person to tell them what they wrote.

Pouring your heart out to someone is a difficult task at the best of times, but the study showed that it was pretty essential to well-being.

Those who took the time to write something down but didn’t pick up the phone saw happiness increase between two and four per cent.

But for those who picked up the phone and expressed their gratitude to the person who influenced them the most saw happiness increase between 4 and 19 per cent.

The best part, the participant that registered as the least happy in the group saw the biggest increase in happiness after making that phone call.

Doesn’t that say something about all of us? Perhaps we should all be taking the time to express our gratitude for those around us.

The good news is you can get involved in this experiment.

Here’s what you do: First, watch the video above and get out a pen and paper. Then think of a person who has had the biggest positive impact on your life.

Write it down. And then tell that person how you feel, whether it’s over the phone or in person, it doesn’t matter.

If you want you can send it to Soul Pancake to use, or keep it to yourself, it doesn’t matter.

What matters is that we’re each individually contributing to our own happiness and the happiness of others.

What a great way to start out the week.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/technology/sci-tech/the-science-of-happiness-is-just-a-phone-call-away/story-fn5fsgyc-1226729699434#ixzz2gK4W5qVn