For millions of people, happiness is rather elusive. They've tried
to buy happiness. They've tried to force it. They've sought it
through pleasurable activities. But nothing has seemed to work
for them. Researchers now believe that our brains are hard-wired
in ways that, at least to some degree, determine just how happy
we're going to be. In short, it's in the genes. At the Laboratory
for Affective Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin, scientists
have used advanced imaging technology to pinpoint the area of
the brain — specifically, the left prefrontal cortex —
that serves as the center for positive, optimistic, and happy
feelings. When people naturally have higher than normal activity
in this brain region, they are more likely to feel positive moods,
and they'll tend to start each day ready to take on the world.

As
powerful as these genetic predispositions may be, happiness is
still partly within your control, says David Myers, PhD, the John
Dirk Werkman Professor of Psychology at Hope College in Holland,
Mich. "It's rather like our cholesterol level — genetically
influenced, yet also influenced by our habits and attitudes." To
help bring more happiness into your own life, here are some strategies
to try:
1.
Nurture your relationships. Maintaining healthy love relationships
and friendships can be a challenge. But those challenges, and
the emotional development that inevitably come with them, can
promote happiness.
2. Join
the "movement" movement. Studies show that aerobic exercise is an antidote for mild depression
and anxiety. "Happy minds reside in sound bodies," says
Myers.
3.
Act happy. A recent study at Wake Forest University showed
that when people simply acted extroverted, they felt happier than
when they acted introverted. Even introverts, said the researchers,
can act extroverted and feel happier.
4. Nurture
your spiritual side. Faith not only provides valuable support, but it's a way to focus
on something other than yourself. "Study after study finds
that actively religious people are happier, and that they cope
better with crises," says Myers.
According
to Ken Sheldon, PhD, associate professor in the department of
psychological sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia,
all of us are born with a particular "set range" for
happiness, which can be fine-tuned by various life circumstances.
Your goal, he explains, should be to reach and remain in the upper
end of the happiness range that is part of your genetic blueprint.
"All of life is a process of becoming," says Myers,
author of Pursuit
of Happiness and Intuition: Its Powers and Perils,
"From womb to tomb, we're developing. So we can, at any time,
reshape our future." Happy individuals have certain personal
traits that set them apart from people with clouds hovering over
their heads. Sheldon's research has shown that happiness is associated
with characteristics like autonomy, competence, close relationships,
and high self-esteem.
Of
course, some people are true believers that the quickest path
to happiness is to buy it or to mold it by transforming their
personal surroundings. They may have convinced themselves that
if they buy a new Lexus SUV or move to a beach community in California,
lasting happiness will follow. But Sheldon warns that while these
kinds of changes might work for a while, new possessions or fresh
living arrangements will eventually become part of your status
quo and their power to deliver happiness will fade. "The
route to sustained happiness is not to change the static circumstances
of your life, but rather to change the activities that you're
involved in," says Sheldon. "This could mean committing
to a new vocational plan, pursuing a new set of goals, or joining
a new organization."
Although concerns of the times can shake the foundations that
support personal happiness, these unsettling events have prompted
some people to rethink their lives and move in more positive directions.
After natural and national disasters, many people become much
clearer about what is important to them, and what gives them purpose
in life. They also can become more adaptive, and more appreciative
of the little things. Even in difficult times, people can find
happiness.
One
way to steer your life toward happiness is simply to count your
blessings, and perhaps even create and make regular entries in
your own "gratitude journal." Myers points to research
showing that people who pause each day to reflect on the positive
aspects of their lives (for example, their health, friends, family,
education, freedom) are more likely to experience heightened well-being.
Ronnie
Janoff-Bulman, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Massachusetts,
conducted a study comparing the well-being of lottery winners
versus people who had become suddenly paralyzed. Following the
initial euphoria of their newfound wealth, the lottery winners
were no happier than the accident victims. The paralyzed individuals
had to adjust to the shock of their new physical limitations,
but after this early distress had eased, they were much better
able to appreciate the small pleasures and victories of life than
those who were overnight millionaires, and they felt more optimistic
about the future.

~By Richard Trubo, Health.MSN.com