With so many small characteristics of who we are defined by science, it isn’t surprising that scientists have scratched the surface on a genetic explanation to happiness—for women that is. The gene monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) has been associated with a predisposition to psychopathic disorders, alcoholism, aggressiveness and antisocial behavior, but a recent study shows that it may mean the opposite for females. The Huffington Post reported that “researchers from the University of South Florida, Columbia University and the National Institutes of Health found that a type of the MAOA gene was connected to higher levels of self-reported happiness in women.”
The Huffington Post recently reported on a study published in the journal Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry. The experiment compared self-reported feelings of happiness to the DNA of 193 woman and 152 men and found that “women with at least one copy of the low-expression version of the MAOA gene reported significantly higher levels of happiness than women without the gene as well as men both with and without the gene.”
Crazy right? While many of us will not have the opportunity to have a geneticist decode our chromosomal make-up and fill in the gaps as needed, there are simple ways to make yourself happy and to find joy in life right this minute—no needles required.
Start Reading a Good Blog or Book
Reading helps take your mind of the stresses from work and life. There are lots of great books and blogs out there about happiness that can give you a mental break and a mental refresh. Outrageous, Contagious Joy, a book by Ed Young, talks about finding true happiness. For more day-to-day life advice, try a blog like Tiny Buddha.
Smile and Laugh
Most people have heard stories about cancer patients curing themselves through happiness and laughter. It may seem really simplistic, but finding something to smile or laugh about can get you out of your head, or momentarily, out of a negative situation. Smiles and laughter are contagious to yourself and the others around you.
You Are What You Think
Monitor your thoughts. Stay present in the moment and whenever you find yourself drifting off a bit into thoughts that evoke negative feelings, question it then let it go.
Look At What You’ve Done, Not What Haven’t
When it comes down to it none of us will ever be able to do all of things we want to do in life–and it’s not a bad thing. There’s no point griping over the fact that life is short so focus on the places you have been, the relationships you’ve had and the experiences that have brought you the most gratitude in your human experience. If your dead-set on traveling to a certain location or having kids someday do what you can with your life now to steer yourself in that direction and enjoy the ride until you get there.
Do You
Try to do something for yourself everyday. Enjoy a favorite food, watch a favorite movie or take a walk in a favorable environment.
Do Something For Others
Not all of us have time to volunteer regularly. Doing something out of kindness for others doesn’t have to be something big and extraordinary. It can be as simple as telling someone you love them, apologizing to a person, holding the door for a stranger or buying the coffee for the person behind you in line at the coffee shop. Its amazing to see how the smallest, most random acts of kindness can make you feel.
Surround Yourself With Happiness
Associating yourself with happy people who inspire you to be a better person yet accept who you are does wonders for the soul. People really are the product of their surroundings. Ed Young believes in the power of positivity and happiness, in which he writes in countless books.
Have Goals
Goals from big to small add purpose to daily life and make normal things a little more exciting. From trying a new restaurant, taking a class or traveling somewhere to facing a fear, having goals and something to look forward to adds depth to life.
Do What You Love
Billy Joel said, “If you’re not doing what you love, you’re wasting your time.” Life is too short and too precious to be stuck in a job, a place or a relationship that doesn’t add happiness to your life.
