Abraham Lincoln is credited with the phrase, “Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” Recent research suggests he hit the nail on the head.

Sonja Lyubomirsky has published several papers that highlight just how much people can do to impact their own levels of happiness. The theory referred to as sustainable happiness suggests that about 50% of our level of happiness is genetically determined. This may seem like a daunting number, particularly for those who are genetically predisposed toward unhappiness, but the glass is still potentially half full for everyone!

What is particularly encouraging about this work is that of the remaining 50% of happiness, most is directly under our control. Fully 40% of our level of happiness is determined by what Lyubomirsky refers to as ‘intentional activity.’ While it has long been thought that much of happiness relates to the circumstances of our lives; how much money we have, and the like, that is not the case. Having more money is associated with greater happiness, as is being older and also being married but Lyubomirsky and colleagues find these circumstantial factors combine to account for only about 10% of the variance in happiness. This leaves 40% of happiness to our own devices–what Lincoln would call our mind and what Lyubomirsky calls intentional activities.

In 2005, Lyubomirsky, Sheldon and Schkade suggested activities will bring us the most happiness if we pay attention to three characteristics: 1) Activities should fit our personalities. If you don’t enjoy the rush of adrenaline don’t try wind surfing. 2) Choose different activities. We find greater happiness when we do novel things. If you enjoy running but always do it on a treadmill you will soon find running doesn’t make you very happy. Find new places to run. 3) Change up the timing of activities. Getting into ruts of any sort causes us to lose our sense of happiness. Change your routines. Then your activities will continue to bring you a greater sense of happiness.

But if we take the time to do things we want to do, select activities that are well-suited to our personalities, that are novel and we make sure we stay out of ruts in the activities we do we can directly control our happiness. It still doesn’t reverse our genes but, regardless of where we start in our level of happiness, we are sure to feel a whole lot happier.

Further Reading:

Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change. Review of General Psychology, 9, 111-131.

Sheldon, K. M., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2007). Is it possible to become happier? (And if so, how?). Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 1, 1-17.