Emphasize positive social support and connections, as this is a more effective ‘vaccine’ against loneliness than focusing on its absence, by fostering a supportive social environment.
Reach out to help others, as this will not only change their lives but also improve your own well-being through strong positive spillover effects of positive actions and connections.
Improve your local social environment by going out with a smile and a greeting, helping others, and connecting with them for mutual advantage, rather than presuming the worst about them.
Advocate for and create environments that foster connection by opening doors rather than closing them for presumed safety, enabling people to meet, greet, and build trust to form a ‘bigger we’.
Choose activities that involve being with others, especially friends, as the social context significantly impacts happiness more than other environmental factors like being in a beautiful setting.
Engage in acts of benevolence and generosity, such as donating money or taking the time to return lost items, as doing things for others is very important for well-being and builds trust.
Instead of fighting or demanding your rights, work together with those you live with to build common cause and find better ways of doing things, as this is always an option for positive change.
Be mindful of social media use and other information sources that may deluge you with negative news, as this can exacerbate a human negativity bias and needlessly lower happiness levels.
Counteract negativity bias by understanding that people around you are often kinder and better than you think, which can make you happier by fostering a sense of safety and connection.
To understand what makes for a good life, take a reflective moment to think about your life as a whole, considering factors that underlie a good and virtuous existence.
Learn lessons from the science of happiness and actively spread them to others, focusing on collective improvement rather than competitive rankings or boasting.