Summary: <br> After reading Gretchen Rubin’s <a href="https://gretchenrubin.com/books/the-happiness-project/about-the-book/">The Happiness Project</a>, I became more interested with what makes people happier. Everyone wants to be happier, but not many people know where to look, and that’s okay. What I have found in my research is that the road to happiness is not a one-size-fits-all approach. The beautiful creativity, the endless possibilities, and being able to analyze what works and what doesn’t are just a few of the things that makes life amazing.<br> This being said, let’s look at what habits most happier people possess that anyone can use in their own lives:<br> <br> 1. Most happier people challenge themselves in a fun way. <br> If you find yourself incurious about life, it is time to reevaluate. When you challenge yourself and become curious once again, it will immediately spark interest in your life’s passions, and in return will make you happier. When you begin doing this, no it may not always be easy, but easy usually doesn’t equate to doing what’s important. In fact, very few times will it be easy to do what’s important.<br> Ask any leader if their journey was easy, and I can almost guarantee that there were bumps along the way. But when you find these leaders, also ask them about the mistakes they made along the way. Actually, ask anyone who has been successful about the mistakes they’ve made along the way. I’m sure they will have many stories to share with you.<br> Most happy and successful people allow themselves to make mistakes, instead of being hard on themselves. Learn to make attempts and have fun along the way. When you challenge yourself while allowing yourself to try and try again, you will find yourself a much happier person.<br> 2. Most happier people exercise and get outside. <br> Exercise is scientifically proven to increase happiness due to releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain. Because of this, people who are more physically active report greater levels of excitement and enthusiasm than people who are less physically active. Exercise can make you less stressed out, energize you, and boost confidence. Exercise also helps me when I am feeling anxious.<br> Some <a href="https://www.thebabbleout.com/running/how-does-running-improve-health-and-mood/">studies even show</a> that 20 minutes of exercise is all you need. David Conroy, professor of kinesiology said, “You don’t have to be the fittest person who is exercising every day to receive the feel-good benefits of exercise. It’s a matter of taking it one day at a time, of trying to get your activity in, and then there’s this feel-good reward afterwards.”<br> 3. Most happier people spend time focusing on other people.<br> When we do things for others, we feel better about our own lives and are able to see the difference we are making in the lives of others. I think a huge reason in this is that we are able to take the focus off of our own problems, and help others through our lives instead. Conversation and companionship in relationships contribute to more happiness. When we know that people truly care about us, we become happier. <a href="http://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/science-of-happiness/communicating/">Research</a> has found that the characteristics of people who are happy and show the fewest signs of depression are those who have “strong ties to friends and family and commitment to spending time with them.”<br> We can also spend more time with people in a more organized way that is found in volunteering our time and service. In a <a href="http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/13/119">recent review</a> of 40 studies done over the last 20 years, <a href="http://www.everydayhealth.com/depression/how-volunteering-can-lessen-depression-and-extend-your-life.aspx">researchers found</a> that one activity was far more importan...
