12 Happiness Tips

The January 2023 release of “The Good Life,” a book based on the longest ever study of what makes life fulfilling and meaningful, has sparked a new wave of conversations on the importance of relationships and attitude in overall happiness.   

Mary Yoke, Healthy IU instructor and kinesiology faculty member at IU Indianapolis, wrote her own book on the topic, “101 Nice-to-Know Facts About Happiness,” in 2015.  

Mary said her own life challenges drew her to the fields of stress management and positive psychology. “I was seeking ways to stay optimistic and live a productive and meaningful life,” she said.

Read more about Mary in her 5Qs interview

The catalyst and title for her happiness book came from one of her publishers, Jim Peterson at Healthy Learning, after he heard her present at a conference on how to be happy. “I was delighted to realize that there are already so many books and so much available research on hand. Putting together an accessible, practical, and easy-to-read book for the general public was a privilege.”

Mary points to three major researcher-identified contributors to happiness: genetic set point, life circumstances, and intentional activity. While the quality our social systems and the composition of our brains play significant roles in our experience of the world, we can all learn practices to help us feel happier — and perhaps expand our capacity for improving conditions and circumstances for everyone.

Mary also cited the book "How We Choose to Be Happy: The 9 Choices of Extremely Happy People — Their Secrets, Their Stories," by Rick Foster and Greg Hicks, who sought the "happiest people" in numerous small towns in the U.S. and Europe to learn their secrets. The majority shared nine traits, including: taking accountability for problems and seeing stressful situations as growth opportunities; exploring and incorporating things that spark individual happiness; practicing gratitude; and honesty with self and others.