To bring joy, meaning, and a sense of connectedness into your own life, actively help other people.
Understand that doing nice things for other people, even if costly, provides a significant boost to your well-being and is a key principle of human motivation for happiness.
Spend money or resources on other people rather than on yourself, as scientific evidence indicates this leads to greater happiness.
Question the common intuition that “treating yourself” is the best way to boost your mood, as there might be more powerful opportunities for happiness.
Be aware that your mind might be wrong or ’lying’ to you about what will truly make you happy, and understanding the science of the mind can help redirect you.
To cultivate extreme altruism and its associated well-being, start with smaller acts of generosity like donating blood, volunteering, or fostering, as these actions can build up to more significant giving.
Engage in acts of kindness to experience the rewarding feelings of joy and happiness that come from helping others, which can reinforce and encourage further altruistic behavior.
Start with small acts of generosity and gradually progress to more significant, selfless acts, as these can lead to a huge and long-lasting boost in well-being.
To have a happier day, give something to benefit another person, whether it’s a small amount of money, your time (e.g., letting someone cut in line, helping a neighbor), or a small service (e.g., rating a podcast).
To improve your mood, spend even small amounts of money ($2-$5) to benefit other people.
When you have extra money, consciously choose to spend it on others or donate to charity, rather than solely on yourself, as you will benefit more from this choice.
Engage in kind actions not only to boost your own mood and happiness but also to make the recipient happier and contribute to a more empathic world.
Recognize that there are many ways to improve the lives of others, beyond extreme acts like organ donation, and identify your own methods to contribute.
When driving and an animal runs in front of your car, do not swerve to avoid hitting it, as this can lead to losing control of your car and a more dangerous accident.