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54 Ways to Increase Your Happiness Set Point

Excellent roundup of ways to increase your happiness. Written by a friend of mine in San Francisco.

Some of the top ones are probably things you’ve heard of:

  1. Exercise
  2. Keep a Gratitude Journal
  3. Spend More Time Socializing
  4. Go To Church
  5. Do Yoga
  6. Have More Sex
  7. Write a Gratitude Letter
  8. Live Close to Work
  9. Don’t Settle for Alcoholism
  10. Spend on Experiences

Author Description

Louie Helm is a Machine Learning Engineer

11 Responses to “54 Ways to Increase Your Happiness Set Point”

  2. June 16

    Nancy Lebovitz

    That’s an extensive description by one person of how she raised her happiness set point.

  4. June 16

    Amit Amin

    Most people would benefit from taking the outside view on their happiness.

    But I will admit that in the months since I wrote this article, I’ve learned more about scientific epistemology, which in turn has reduced my confidence in my recommendations.

    My three largest concerns:

    1) Many studies measure many variables (e.g. multiple different measures of well-being). That one of those measures shows a statistically significant increase is not so impressive when there’s so many variables being sampled.

    2) Many studies are correlational or have shitty controls. Shitty controls combined with small effect sizes is worrisome.

    3) There’s a file drawer effect. For example, there are studies which show that exercise has no effect on well-being. Those are just harder to find. Both of the research databases I use seem to factor in # of citations heavily in their sorting algorithm. Negative results seem to get much fewer citations.

  5. June 16

    Zdravko Smilevski

    i agree that these ways will increase your happiness, but not your happiness set point, which is hardwired.

  6. June 16

    Laura Gohsenz

    ^ Zdravko, you can actually create neurological changes and rewire your brain by using intention to become more happy. So while I’m curious about the research which contributed to deciding that those are the 54, the general idea of doing gratitude practice and not ruminating have been scientifically proven to create more happiness. General Theory of Love is a great book to describe that. Also, Louie, to maintain cultural sensitivity, it’s not Church, the research shows that it’s any kind of Spiritual Practice and sense of community that increases happiness- and that doesn’t even require believing in a higher power.

    • June 16

      Amit Amin

      Laura, I decided on these 54 using a two step process. First, I brainstormed as many ideas as I could. I came up with around 100. Second, I selected those ideas for which at least one scientific study had been done. My process wasn’t rigorous – I know I missed many ideas.

      Thanks for the book recommendation, I’m going to check it out!

  7. June 16

    Nancy Lebovitz

    How can you tell whether the happiness set point is hard-wired?

    • June 16

      Pablo Stafforini

      Why don’t you post replies to comments under the comment which you are replying to? It’s much easier to follow the comment thread that way.

  8. June 16

    Daniel Burfoot

    Number 9 is a funny headline. It’s like “Don’t settle for alcoholism… get addicted to a REAL drug!”

  9. June 17

    Marius van Voorden

    Pretty useful!
    A sidenote to suggestions “laugh” and “smile”: If you are aware of studies that making a smiling face produces happiness, then it doesn’t actually work for you.
    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103114000286