Happiness is no coincidence, study finds

dpa German Press Agency
Published: Wednesday October 11, 2006

Hamburg- Happiness is no coincidence as small things in life make the big difference between happy and unhappy people, according to a study conducted by the Explorandum Research Institute on behalf of VISA Europe. Most people, 64 per cent, who described their lives as happy also said they liked to spend most of their time with their partner, friends and family.

Half of the "happy" people said sunshine and a kiss from a loved one made all the difference.

Unhappy people spent most of their time with computer games, 69 per cent surfed the internet, and 45 per cent watched television, according to the survey.

German psychologist Eva Wlodarek, who spends most of her time researching happiness factors, confirmed the conclusion reached by the study.

In addition she has several tips for people yearning for happiness:

-- Think positive and say stop whenever you think negative

-- Don't expect others to make you happy. Become active yourself and be generous. If you want to be invited, take the first step and invite others.

-- Be thankful for what you've got. It is more than you believe.

The shortest route to emotions is via the sense of smell. A good perfume or an after-shave works wonders.

Sports and other physical activity promote the production of biochemical compounds in the body such as endomorphines which give us a feeling of well-being.

Jealousy and envy are emotions which are real happiness killers. Tell yourself that there will always be people who will be more beautiful, happier and more intelligent than you are.

If you are feeling down ask yourself: Who is worse off than me? This soon puts things into proportion.

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency