Happiness Facts

Happiness can be defined in many ways. And really, everyone's personal Definition of Happiness is different. Generically speaking, however, as seen here at BeHappy101.com, happiness is a "state of mind", which can be learned, improved, and expanded during one's life. So, in addition to all the free and great resources on this site, here are some happiness facts to consider when seeking greater happiness in life:

• Total happiness can be achieved regardless of the circumstances or difficulties of your life (if you are dealing with adversity in your life, click here).
• Happy people live an average of 9 years longer than unhappy people (click here to learn more about the connection between health, longevity and happiness).
• Happy people earn an average of $25,000 more per year than unhappy people
• Although we have seen great advances in our world over the past 50 years, our “happiness” as people and a society has not increased
• The fastest growing segment of the anti-depressant market is pre-school children (a terrible fact)
• Surveys indicate that the top 10 happiest countries in the world are: (1) Denmark, (2) Switzerland, (3) Austria, (4) Iceland, (5) The Bahamas, (6) Finland, (7) Sweden, (8) Bhutan, (9) Brunei, and (10) Canada.
• The U.S. ranks #16 on the list of the happiest countries in the world – despite being one of the wealthiest
• Smiling releases endorphins and makes us feel better. Even “faking” a smile can lead to feeling happier.
• Several studies have shown that a pet can reduce blood pressure and stress, promoting health and happiness.
• Happiness experiments published in peer review journals have demonstrated that individuals can be “trained” to be twenty-five percent happier through various training programs in from two to ten weeks.
• People who rate high on happiness psychological tests develop about 50% more antibodies than average in response to flu vaccines.
• According to research, Americans earning 10 million dollars annually are only slightly happier than average Americans.
• The rate of depression and suicide does not increase during the holidays as most people once thought.
• “Seasonal Depression” is a recognized psychological condition around the holiday season - believed to be brought on by several possible factors, including the fewer daylight hours in the wintertime.

  Click here to go to the BeHappy101.com homepage for more information on happiness.