Giving Back Day 11: Be Happy

In a study of more than 4,700 people who were followed over 20 years, researchers reveal that happiness really is contagious: people who are are happy (or become happy) significantly boost the chances that their friends will become happy; and the power of happiness can span up to two more degrees of separation, improving the mood of that person’s husband, wife, brother, sister, friend, and even friend’s friends.

Further, these contagious effects have a lasting impact. One individual’s happiness can affect another’s for as much as a year. That happiness is more sustained than that which comes from a momentary financial gain. As James Fowler, coauthor of the study, explains, “If your friend’s friend becomes happy, that has a bigger impact on your being happy than putting an extra $5,000 in your pocket.”

While the holiday season is a time for gift giving, parties, and spending time with family, it is also a time of sleep deprivation, over-indulgence, and general stress. So, however you choose to spend your holiday season, we ask that you don’t forget to be happy. Not just for yourself, but for your family, your friends, your friends of friends, your friends of family…you get the picture. And while being happy isn’t as simple as snapping your fingers, being mindful that how you feel affects others in a very real way is a great place to start.