From the secret to a blissful life to the best daily habits, explore what 2024 taught us about being joyful.
Happiness is a universal pursuit, yet what truly brings joy often feels elusive and deeply personal.
Fortunately, 2024 has offered many fresh insights into the science of happiness.
From surprising revelations about the happiest time of day to new strategies for combining mindfulness and exercise, recent studies shed light on the habits, mindsets, and circumstances that contribute to a blissful life.
This article includes 10 of the most compelling psychological findings about human happiness from the year.
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Psychological study suggests how we can all have more fun.
Psychological study suggests how we can all have more fun.
People enjoy simple things like popcorn, videos and water even more if they consume them in unusual ways.
Eating popcorn with chopsticks, drinking water by lapping it up like a cat and watching videos using ‘hand goggles’ all make familiar activities more fun, psychologists have found.
Dr Robert Smith, who co-authored the study, said:
“When you eat popcorn with chopsticks, you pay more attention and you are more immersed in the experience.
It’s like eating popcorn for the first time.”
For one study people either ate popcorn with their hands or with chopsticks.
Afterwards, they reported enjoying the experience more when using chopsticks.
They felt more immersed in the experience, the taste was better and they focused more on the food.
Dr Smith said:
“This suggests chopsticks boost enjoyment because they provide an unusual first-time experience, not because they are a better way to eat popcorn.”
In another study people watched videos either normally, or by forming hand goggles around their eyes and bobbing their heads up and down to the video.
Dr Smith said:
“They actually thought the video was better because the hand-goggles got them to pay more attention to what they were watching than they would have otherwise.
They were more immersed in the video.”
Many familiar activities can be spiced up in this way, said Dr Smith:
“It may be easier to make it feel new than you might think.
It is also a lot less wasteful to find new ways to enjoy the things we have rather than buying new things.”
The study was published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (O’Brien & Smith, 2018).
Explore how Duchenne smiles trigger feel-good chemicals, improve health, and enhance social trust in this science-backed guide.
The Duchenne smile is a genuine expression of happiness characterised by the activation of specific facial muscles, including those around the eyes.
What is a Duchenne smile?
A Duchenne smile is the hallmark of true joy and emotional authenticity.
It is named after Guillaume Duchenne, a 19th-century neurologist who studied facial expressions.
Unlike a polite or social smile, which often involves only the mouth, a Duchenne smile engages the zygomatic major muscle (raising the corners of the mouth) and the orbicularis oculi muscle (causing crow’s feet around the eyes).
This combination creates a smile that is universally recognised as genuine and warm.
What makes the Duchenne smile so unique is its involuntary nature.
It is a reflection of true positive emotions, unlike forced or controlled smiles that may lack sincerity.
How to identify a Duchenne smile
Recognising a Duchenne smile involves observing specific facial features.
Look for crow’s feet or crinkling around the outer corners of the eyes.
Notice the raised cheeks that create the appearance of “happy eyes.”
Pay attention to the intensity of the smile, which should seem effortless and natural rather than forced.
In contrast, a non-Duchenne smile may only involve the lips and appear less engaging or warm.
The science behind Duchenne smiles
The Duchenne smile is more than just a facial expression; it is deeply rooted in neuroscience and psychology.
When you smile genuinely, the brain releases neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins.
These chemicals reduce stress, boost mood, and promote a sense of well-being.
This phenomenon supports the facial feedback hypothesis, which suggests that our facial expressions can influence our emotions.
Research has shown that even mimicking a Duchenne smile can trigger positive emotional responses.
Studies also indicate that people who smile genuinely during stressful situations experience lower heart rates and reduced anxiety.
This connection between physical expression and emotional state highlights the power of the Duchenne smile as a tool for self-regulation.
Benefits of a Duchenne smile
Personal well-being
A Duchenne smile is a simple yet powerful way to enhance your emotional health.
It reduces stress by lowering cortisol levels, the hormone associated with stress.
Smiling genuinely can also improve overall mood and lead to long-term happiness.
Regularly engaging in Duchenne smiles may even contribute to better mental resilience over time.
Social advantages
The Duchenne smile has significant social benefits.
It creates an impression of trustworthiness and warmth, making others feel at ease.
When you smile authentically, people are more likely to perceive you as approachable and empathetic.
This can strengthen personal relationships and foster new connections.
Professional impact
In the workplace, a Duchenne smile can be a valuable asset.
It enhances your ability to build rapport with colleagues and clients, promoting collaboration and teamwork.
Leaders who smile genuinely are often seen as more charismatic and inspiring.
This can create a positive work environment and boost team morale.
The cultural and evolutionary significance of smiles
The Duchenne smile transcends cultural boundaries, serving as a universal signal of happiness.
While its expression is consistent across different societies, its interpretation can vary.
In some cultures, overt displays of emotion, including smiling, are seen as inappropriate, while in others, they are encouraged.
Evolutionary psychologists suggest that the Duchenne smile has deep roots in human communication.
It likely evolved as a way to signal safety, trust, and cooperation within social groups.
This universality underscores its importance in fostering human connection and empathy.
Myths and misconceptions about Duchenne smiles
Can they be faked?
A common myth is that Duchenne smiles can be easily faked.
While skilled actors or individuals can mimic the appearance of a Duchenne smile, research shows that such attempts often lack the spontaneity and authenticity of a genuine expression.
Observers may not consciously notice the difference, but subtle cues often reveal the truth.
Gender and smiling
Another misconception is that women naturally produce more Duchenne smiles than men.
While women may smile more frequently due to societal norms, the ability to produce Duchenne smiles is evenly distributed across genders.
The frequency and context of smiling are influenced more by cultural and situational factors than biological differences.
How to cultivate more Duchenne smiles
Practice mindfulness
Becoming aware of your emotions is the first step in cultivating genuine smiles.
Mindfulness practices, such as meditation or journaling, can help you connect with your feelings.
This emotional awareness makes it easier to express true happiness.
Find joy in everyday moments
Seek out activities that genuinely make you happy.
Spending time with loved ones, engaging in hobbies, or simply appreciating nature can evoke spontaneous Duchenne smiles.
Use laughter as a gateway
Laughter often leads to natural Duchenne smiles.
Watch comedies, spend time with funny friends, or join a laughter yoga class to boost your mood and encourage authentic smiling.
Conclusion
The Duchenne smile is more than just an expression; it is a gateway to improved well-being, stronger relationships, and deeper connections.
By understanding its science and significance, you can unlock its potential in your life.
So, the next time you smile, aim for authenticity and let your happiness shine through.
Having any, some or all of these qualities is linked to living a happier life, study finds.
Having any, some or all of these qualities is linked to living a happier life, study finds.
Being enthusiastic and difficult to discourage are two of the personality traits linked to the highest well-being, research finds.
Enthusiastic people tend to have more fun in life and experience fewer negative emotions.
Being difficult to discourage is related to more positive growth, self-acceptance and greater achievement in life.
These were not the only personality factors linked to well-being.
People who are industrious, compassionate and intellectually curious are also happier, but in different ways.
Industrious people, for example, work harder towards long-term goals and are very achievement-oriented.
Compassionate people tend to feel more positive emotions and have better relationships with others.
The intellectually curious are open to new ideas and they enjoy thinking deeply and benefit from greater personal growth.
The conclusions come from a survey of 706 US adults, who were asked about their personality and different aspects of their well-being.
The study demonstrates that there are different paths to happiness.
Positive emotions are good, but so is feeling satisfied with your life, being independent, reaching life goals and experiencing personal growth.
Personality psychologists typically identify high extraverts who are low in neuroticism as the happiest people, as the study’s authors explain:
“The large literature describing the associations between personality traits and well-being suggests that extraversion (the tendency to be bold, talkative, enthusiastic, and sociable) and neuroticism (the tendency to be emotionally unstable and prone to negative emotions) are especially strong predictors of well-being.
But is wellbeing only accessible to the extraverted and non-neurotic?”
No, they argue, being a non-neurotic extravert is not the only way to be happy.
If you look more closely at personality, it turns out there are multiple paths to happiness.
The authors write:
“…the personality–well-being relation varies appreciably across personality aspects and distinct dimensions of well-being.
Not all aspects of extraversion and neuroticism are equally predictive, and aspects of conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness/intellect also have idiosyncratic, meaningful associations with distinct forms of positive functioning.”
In other words, it’s possible to be a happy, neurotic, introvert.
It’s just a kind of happiness reached via a different route.
The study was published in the Journal of Personality (Sun et al., 2018).
Playful people, though, are easily bored, explained Professor René Proyer, the study’s first author:
“Particularly playful people have a hard time dealing with boredom.
They manage to turn almost any everyday situation into an entertaining or personally engaging experience.”
The study included 533 people, half of whom were given three activities designed to boost their playfulness:
Write down three playful situations from the day.
Be playful in an unfamiliar situation.
Reflect on playful behaviour experienced during the day.
Dr Kay Brauer, study co-author, said:
“Our assumption was that the exercises would lead people to consciously focus their attention on playfulness and use it more often.
This could result in positive emotions, which in turn would affect the person’s well-being.
Our study is the first intervention study on adults to show that playfulness can be induced and that this has positive effects for them.”
The results showed that the exercises did lead to increased playfulness and a boost to happiness.
Professor Proyer said:
“I believe that we can use this knowledge in everyday life to improve various aspects.
This does not mean that every company needs table tennis tables or a playground slide.
However, one idea would be to allow employees to consciously integrate playfulness into their everyday work and, as a supervisor, to set an example for this kind of behaviour.”
The study was published in the journal Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being (Proyer et al., 2020).
Happiness is a sign of high intelligence, research finds.
People who are more satisfied with their life and their job score higher on tests of general mental ability.
Satisfaction with life is one of the two major aspects of happiness, along with the feeling of positive emotions in the moment.
The results come from 33 studies on almost 50,000 people.
Along with finding a link between happiness and higher IQ, the study also found that higher IQ was linked to greater job satisfaction.
More intelligent people tend to earn more and have more complex jobs.
Complexity is likely to be more rewarding.
Naturally, then, when highly intelligent people are not challenged in their job, they are not as happy.
The study’s authors conclude:
“…smarter people may be happier both at work and in their everyday lives as a function of their higher attained job complexity and income.
We also found that, when holding complexity and income constant, GMA [general mental ability, or IQ] has a negative relationship with job satisfaction, which may be due to feelings of boredom and frustration at work experienced by high GMA individuals at “average” levels of complexity and income.”
Both happiness and general well-being were boosted in the study of 395 people.
Both happiness and general well-being were boosted in the study of 395 people.
Taking a few moments to stop and look at something in the natural environment is enough to make people happier, research finds.
Literally, ‘stopping and smelling the roses’, or in this case noticing anything in the natural world really does work.
Both happiness and well-being were boosted by noticing things like a bird, a house plant, a dandelion in the sidewalk, or just the sun shining through the window.
In the research, people took a photo of what they had noticed and quickly jotted down how they felt.
Ms Holli-Anne Passmore, the study’s first author, said:
“This wasn’t about spending hours outdoors or going for long walks in the wilderness.
This is about the tree at a bus stop in the middle of a city and the positive effect that one tree can have on people.”
The study split 395 people into three groups.
One group were told to noticed natural objects, while another were asked to observe man-made objects.
Both were also compared with a control group who did neither.
Together they submitted 2,500 photos, along with descriptions of their emotions at that moment.
The group who photographed and wrote a note about the natural environment had the highest well-being, the results showed.
Ms Passmore said:
“The difference in participants’ well-being — their happiness, sense of elevation, and their level of connectedness to other people, not just nature — was significantly higher than participants in the group noticing how human-built objects made them feel and the control group.”
People who noticed nature also felt more connected to it and to other people in general.
They also reported feeling more prosocial: in other words, they felt like helping other people out and placed a greater value on the community.
