Happiness is a genetically influenced trait. Yet it’s also influenced by lifestyle and, to some extent, under our personal control.

No matter how happy you are, chances are you have an idea or two about what could increase your happiness. However, if you believe more money, a bigger house, a flatscreen TV, or some other possession would bring you greater joy, you’d be wrong.

Even so, to a certain degree, you have some measure of control over your happiness—and it won’t cost you a thing.

“Studies reveal several traits that mark happy people’s lives,” says David Myers, Ph.D., author of The American Paradox: Spiritual Hunger in an Age of Plenty. “First, they like themselves. They exhibit self-esteem by agreeing with such statements as ‘I’m a lot of fun to be with’ and ‘I have good ideas.’ Second, they’re positive thinkers; they believe in the power of hope-filled optimism. Third, they’re outgoing and maintain a lot of social connections.”

Studies also reveal that about 50 percent of people’s varying happiness levels is genetic, and circumstances determine another 8 percent or so. That leaves about 40 percent that can be influenced by certain activities or certain lifestyle choices that, over time, have the potential to make you a happier person.

Meyers’ suggestions offer insight into what can make you happier.

• Be physically active.
  “Repeated surveys show people are more self-confident, unstressed, and in better spirits if they’re physically fit,” says Myers. “Aerobic exercise is as powerful as antidepressant drugs in relieving mild depression and anxiety.”
• Get enough sleep.
  “Ample, regular sleep is a source of health and a more robust spirit,” says Myers. If you suffer from a chronic sleep debt, you’re more likely to have gloomy moods and diminished vitality.
• Give priority to relationships. There are few better antidotes for unhappiness than an intimate friendship.

  “Humans have what today’s social psychologists call a deep ‘need to belong’—to connect in close, supportive relationships,” Myers explains. “Even in a time of economic stress, loving relationships can sustain the spirit, especially when supported by a healthy lifestyle and a hope-filled and purpose-giving spirituality.”

• Seek work and leisure that engage your skills. Happy people often are in a zone called “flow”—absorbed in work or a task that challenges them without overwhelming them.

  “Even if you make less money, doing something you find interesting and challenging will make you happier than a higher paying job that’s dull or unsatisfying,” says Myers.

• Take care of your soul. One Gallup poll found highly spiritual people were twice as likely as those lowest in spiritual commitment to declare themselves “very happy.” Other studies suggest that faith buffers a crisis.

The bottom line, according to Myers, is that happiness varies over time. But, like body weight, it tends to drift back toward a happiness “set point.”

“This isn’t to say that happiness levels are fixed,” he explains. “Rather, it’s like your cholesterol level, which is genetically influenced but can be altered by diet and exercise. We all live on a genetic leash that leaves us some freedom to control our physical and emotional well-being.”

Barbara Floria spoke with David Myers, Ph.D., author of The American Paradox: Spiritual Hunger in an Age of Plenty, Yale University Press, 2001, $22.50, and a professor of psychology at Hope College in Holland, MI .

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