Get Happy Quickly by Writing One of These

Want to feel a whole lot happier? Right now? Then grab a pen and a thank-you card, and share some gratitude with someone.

When a group of students wrote a series of one-page thank-you letters every 2 weeks for 6 weeks, measurements showed that their baseline happiness levels increased by 20 percent.

What Is Happiness?
Science says that happiness is 50 percent genetic, 10 percent circumstances, and 40 percent intentional activity (i.e., what you do). With so much happiness attributed to your own actions, it makes sense to do things that make you feel good. For the study, that meant the students expressed gratitude in writing, and their happiness increased with each letter. Every month, try writing a couple of thank-you notes to people who did something nice for you. (This article helps explain how happy feelings directly affect your health.)

The Gratitude Connection
Seeing the world through the rose-colored lenses of appreciation and thankfulness can help boost feelings of life satisfaction and overall well-being. And that is great for your health. Here are a few more ways to boost feel-good feelings:

• Get up! Exercise helps release endorphins. Get a mood boost by doing the YOU: On a Diet Beginner Workout.
• Get talking! Spending time with happy friends will do warm, fuzzy favors for your mood. Find out how contagious happiness is.
• Make a plan. Happy feelings don't always just happen by themselves. Practice these five simple steps to getting happy.