Surround Yourself with Happy People to be Happy

Who makes you happy? Chances are it is someone that you spend a significant amount of time with. A study done by Dr. Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School and Dr. James Fowler of the University of California in San Diego conducted a study on how an individual’s social network affects their happiness levels. They found that individuals who associate themselves with cheerful people have a happier demeanor and consequently a better sense of well-being. The effects of one person’s happiness influences another person’s mood which boosts another person’s mood. It is a chain reaction! The closer you are to these people emotionally, the longer the effect of their attitude will be on your disposition. The closer you live to a person, the stronger the effect is, because you are with them more, therefore the effect is nearly constant. It is also stronger between individuals of the same sex.

So surround yourself with people that make you happy. Life’s too short to spend it with miserable people. If there is someone that always brings your down, find ways to avoid them. Busy yourself with other things when they want to hang out. Go out tonight and have a “girls night” (or guys night) with your closest friends! Planning at least weekly gatherings with your friends is a good way to increase your happiness and theirs! Increasing your happiness can relieve stress and increase your sense of motivation and optimism so you can conquer the rest of your week successfully! Then, since you’ve conquered the things you needed to do, you will feel accomplished and even happier! It’s a chain reaction; you just have to push over that first domino!