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Looking back at one of the toughest economic years in American history makes saying goodbye to 2009 fairly easy. So what does 2010 have in store? Interestingly the answer is the same as any other year, "No one knows for sure but it is in your hands." You see as tough as 2009 may have been for most of us there are still individuals who feel 2009 was just fine. Sure they might have lost their job or struggled to pay a few bills, but they figure new opportunities are just around the corner. Who are these people? It turns out these are the same people who always seem to by filled with joy and optimism. Scientist Sonja Lyubomirsky has spent two decades figuring out what she can about these happy-go-lucky folks. According to Lyuborisky, happiness is about 50% genetic, 40% self determination, and 10% situational. Happy individuals tend to be more thankful, have more realistic expectations, ruminate less on the past, react more positively to the situation at hand, tend to be more helpful, charitable, self-confident, have better self-control, and show greater self-regulatory and coping skills. These are the types of people you should hang out with if your happiness meter is running low because it turns out their happiness is contagious. Finally, there is something out there worth catching...

Now that you know some basics about the traits of happy people let's make some plans to cultivate and/or improve our own perception of happiness. Perception is one of the keys to increasing our happiness. When working with individuals who are struggling to find happiness or who want to live a happier and healthier life I often ask them to get a notebook and write down the date and time of each event that makes them feel thankful or happy. The number and flow of citations varies from person to person. The goal is to increase your mindfulness or consciousness of being thankful and happy. Sometimes we just need to get back in touch with what we are thankful for or what makes us happy to get back on that yellow brick road.

Some people appear to be born without the ability to be thankful or happy. If you have a family history of unhappy or unappreciative ancestors you might find yourself following in their footsteps. Seeking assistance from a good Primary Care Physician who can conduct a complete physical and mental health work-up would be a good first step to turning things around. Imbalances in hormones, neurotransmitters, or other key vitamins or minerals can cause feelings of dissatisfaction or depression. A Medical Provider can conduct a variety of tests and provide needed assistance to get you back on the path to improved mood and emotional well-being.

So here comes 2010 and you want to be happier. As I mentioned before, a good starting place is to begin to keep a log, journal or some type of record of your daily experiences which make you happy. Keep this going for a week or more and you will begin to see patterns. List these patterns and note which activities/events brought about the greatest feelings of happiness. Make sure to note any events which produced happiness initially but later brought feelings of guilt or resentment. For example, you may go out with friends and have a great time until you start drinking and find yourself in a compromising situation. Do you consider this activity/event a happiness producing one?

Another step you can take is to do some of the activities Professor Lyubomirsky suggests such as: practicing random acts of kindness; saying self-affirming statements throughout the day; spending time with people who are happy; thinking about optimistic outcomes; visualizing your success; and keeping a gratitude journal. Happiness is something that may come more naturally for some but even happy individuals take an active role in keeping the feeling alive.

Take care and be healthy,

Kimberley