We all want to be happy, but is it really a skill we can learn? Clare Thorp looks at what positive psychology can teach us
ILLUSTRATIONS ZARA PICKEN
What does happiness look like to you? Maybe it’s a hug from your kids; a scoop of salted caramel ice cream; dipping your sandy toes into the sea. Perhaps it’s knowing you’re making a difference at work every day or seeing your best friends for lunch at the weekend.
Happiness is an elusive thing, different for each of us – and for centuries people have agonised over what it means. Growing research on what makes us happy has seen a whole industry spring up around it. There are books, podcasts, TED Talks and even university courses dedicated to helping us live a happier life. If you want to be happy — and who doesn’t — there’s never been a better time to try. As someone who has a tendency to view the glass as half empty, the idea that we can train ourselves to be happier seems too good to be true. After all, if it’s as simple as taking an online course, why aren’t we all walking around with huge smiles on our faces?
WHAT IS HAPPINESS?
Perhaps it might help to understand what it really is. ‘We understand happiness on two levels,’ says Dr Nicola Gibson, lecturer in positive psychology at Anglia Ruskin University. ‘First, how we feel right now, which varies from moment to moment. But we also understand happiness on a broader level – this relates to how we feel about our life overall, whether it’s good and meaningful and worthwhile.’
Happiness is a combination of these two things – the small daily moments of joy plus our overall satisfaction. And while it’s relatively simple to raise your pleasure levels in the moment – by ordering a takeaway or putting on a film you love – the bigger picture is more complicated. ‘We have less control over that than our moment-to-moment happiness, but we still have some,’ Dr Gibson says.
Experts are split on the exact figures, but it’s generally thought that about 50% of our ability to be happy is determined by genetics. ‘When it comes to happiness, we have what researchers call a “set range”,’ says Dr Gibson. ‘This determines your upper and lower limits.’
A further 10% of happiness is due to environmental circumstances, such as where you were born and your socioeconomic class, as well as your physical health – these are things you might not be able to change easily. But it leaves a 40% chunk that’s within our control. ‘There’s a lot we can
