 Hey, Psych2Goers, welcome back to our channel. Thank you so much for all the support that you've given us. Let's get into the video. Have you ever wondered what it is that makes others so happy? What habits have they cultivated over the years that continuously make them happy all around? Theories from the father of positive psychology, Martin Seligman, suggest that 60% of happiness is determined by our environment and genetics, while that 40% is all on us. It's important to know we can't be happy all the time, otherwise there'd be no such thing as happiness. It'd just be normal and constant, and we wouldn't be able to tell what happiness was. According to a study published in PLO's one, the most frequent human emotion is joy, followed by love and anxiety. People experience positive emotions 2.5 times more often than negative emotions, but also experience positive and negative emotions simultaneously, relatively frequently. If joy can be frequent in others, maybe we can develop some habits that make happiness a frequent emotion in us as well. You should never give up on happiness. So to help you on your journey to joy, here are 10 helpful habits of happy people. 1. Accept the positives in life We often look past what is good in our lives and focus on the negative. We ruminate on the worst scenarios when instead we should always imagine what good can come from a situation. A good habit is to accept and acknowledge what you value and what makes you lucky. There are more things you're grateful for than you think. 2. Don't fake a smile Have you ever forced a smile and then felt emotionally drained from acting out an emotion you don't really feel? Some of us have jobs that require us to act in a certain way or smile all day. But when you can, it's better to smile only when you feel something positive. A study published in the Academy of Management Journal revealed faking a smile when you feel a negative emotion can likely worsen your mood. 3. Hold on to your passions If you have free time, do what makes you happy. What do you enjoy? If you've had a long day and you just want to sit back and enjoy watching your favorite film or playing your favorite video game, this can relieve some of the pressure and leave you happy. If you want happiness to last the next day or week, leave some room for your passions as well. If you have a skill you can improve and love doing, you'll only see growth and better results through time and practice. And you'll enjoy it now and in the long run. 4. Be around people you genuinely enjoy and love Spend time with people who make you happy and remind you of what's worth living for. Go ahead and consider if there's someone in your life who makes you feel unhappy all the time. It's best to keep the healthy relationships you genuinely enjoy. Studies have shown that people are indeed happiest when around other happy people. So gravitate towards that joyful person in your life. Ask them to hang out, invite them over, chat with them online. It may just improve your joy as well. 5. Give back Volunteer work has been found to improve mental health as well as physical health. So it's always a good idea to give back to others, not only for their happiness but for yours as well. People who give experience the helpers high according to researchers. This is a euphoric state that can be activated when one acts in a charitable way. This euphoria is due to the reward center in our brains being triggered by the charitable act. It's very similar to a drug induced high. 6. Enjoy simplicity Think about the little moments in your life that make you smile. Simple pleasures, nothing too big. Can you think of them? Go ahead, I'm waiting. Yeah, you got one? Why do you think you have this tiny experience stored in your memory vault? Because it's the simple moments we often enjoy without realizing. We're often happiness when we don't realize we're feeling happy. So take pleasure in the simple moments in life. Pouring a fresh cup of coffee. Sitting out on your porch. Reading a good book. No, this isn't a coffee commercial, but it's in these little pleasures that we take for granted. 7. Consciously try to be happy and it will improve your emotional well-being. You don't say. Yeah, I know this sounds obvious and many of us have tried, but according to research, this may just work for you. Two studies published in the Journal of Positive Psychology found those who actively tried to feel happier during their study reported positive moods at the highest level out of the subjects. 8. Find purpose in your life What is the meaning of life? What does it all mean? The purpose of life isn't what you should be entirely focused on. Instead, you should explore what your purpose in life is. Happy people are driven by their purpose. This is something they decide, and it's something that makes them happy. The possibilities are endless. What do you enjoy? How can you incorporate that into your purpose of life? 9. Practice resilience You may be thinking the opposite of depression is happiness, but not according to psychologist Peter Kramer. Kramer suggests resilience is the opposite of depression, not happiness. The truth is, even the happiest of people have faced hardships and worries and struggles still exist for them. Everyone is bound to fall into the hole of sadness every now and then, but the happiest people foster resilience and climb out of that hole despite how deep it may seem. Be prepared for struggles, but be prepared to fight back, no matter what. 10. Value real conversations Cut the chit chat. Let us talk about something real. What feelings do we want to express? What are we holding back? What makes us excited? Passionate? Happy? Talk about these things. One of the top five regrets of those dying is that they wished they'd had the courage to express their feelings throughout their life. A study published in Psychological Science further shows this habit as a must. Researchers found that individuals who take part in substantive conversation as opposed to small talk and unimportant topics had more feelings of satisfaction. So, when you're feeling gloomy about the weather, it's not because it's raining. It's because you're talking about the weather. When in doubt, the meaning of life is always a great conversation starter. So, which habits will you practice? How will you implement them into your daily life? Share with us and the many Psych2Goers in the comments down below. It may seem difficult now, but as quoted by one of the greatest films of all time, happiness is just a teardrop away. No, good old trek too. Now that makes me happy. If you found this video helpful, don't forget to click the like button and share this video with someone who might need a little happiness. Subscribe to Psych2Go and hit the notification bell icon for more content like this. And as always, thanks so much for watching.