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happiness

This shows a cup of coffee on a table with sunlight drifting in through the window.

·August 16, 2025·4 min read

Caffeine in the Morning Gives the Biggest Boost to Mood

A large real-world study of 236 young adults found that caffeine significantly boosts positive emotions, particularly in the morning. Participants who had coffee or another caffeinated drink reported feeling happier and more enthusiastic compared to mornings without caffeine.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 20, 2025·4 min read

Hope Outshines Happiness as Key to Life’s Meaning

Hope isn’t just about wishful thinking—it’s a unique emotional experience that may be more essential to well-being than happiness or gratitude. A new study shows that hope stands out among positive emotions as the most consistent predictor of a meaningful life.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 11, 2025·5 min read

Fast-Track to Happiness: One Week of Micro-Acts Makes a Difference

A new study has shown that just seven days of small, daily acts of kindness and gratitude can significantly improve emotional wellbeing. In the web-based Big Joy Project, nearly 17,600 participants from around the world performed micro-acts like sharing joyful moments and listing things they’re grateful for.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 2, 2025·5 min read

Happiness Is as Unique as You Are

A large international study shows that happiness does not stem solely from either external circumstances or internal attitudes, but varies widely between individuals. Some people’s happiness is shaped mostly by life domains like income and relationships, while others draw happiness from internal qualities, or a mix of both.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 27, 2025·5 min read

Midlife Reflections Lead to Greater Happiness and Fulfillment

Late midlife can be a powerful period of personal growth, marked by increasing self-transcendence through life storytelling. Researchers observed that people who actively reflect on and reinterpret their life experiences experience greater self-acceptance, well-being, and optimism.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 13, 2025·4 min read

Shared Meals Strongly Linked to Greater Happiness, Study Finds

New research in the World Happiness Report reveals that people who regularly share meals with others tend to be happier and more emotionally satisfied, regardless of age, culture, or background.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 3, 2024·4 min read

Overthinking Happiness Can Lower Life Satisfaction

Obsessing over personal happiness can actually decrease life satisfaction, according to new research. In three studies involving over 1,800 participants, individuals who judged their own happiness reported lower well-being, increased negativity, and more disappointment in positive events.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 2, 2024·4 min read

Environmental Toxins Shorten Happy Lifespans

Researchers made a groundbreaking discovery linking environmental contaminants to a reduced span of emotional wellbeing. By utilizing a novel risk assessment tool, the study calculates the loss of happy life expectancy (LHpLE) due to exposure to environmental carcinogens like radon, arsenic, and fine particulate matter, and psychological distress.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 11, 2024·5 min read

Happiness Takes Practice

Happiness can indeed be learned through courses like their 'Science of Happiness', which educates students on evidence-informed habits for well-being. However, a follow-up study indicates that the initial boost in well-being requires sustained effort and continued practice of these habits, such as gratitude and meditation, to maintain long-term benefits.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·February 6, 2024·4 min read

Can’t Buy Me Happiness: Joy Beyond Wealth

Many Indigenous and local communities report high levels of life satisfaction despite low monetary incomes, challenging the widely held belief that economic growth is essential for happiness. Surveying 2,966 individuals across 19 globally diverse sites, researchers found life satisfaction scores in these communities comparable to those in affluent countries, with some even surpassing the happiness indices of wealthy Scandinavian nations.

This shows a woman in a field with balloons.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 19, 2023·4 min read

Journey of Joy: Tracing Emotional Highs and Lows Over a Lifetime

Subjective well-being varies significantly across different stages of life, reveals a comprehensive study examining 460,902 participants. Life satisfaction dips during teenage years, peaks in the 70s, and drops off again by age 96.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 14, 2023·4 min read

Chasing Hobbies Over Achievement Boosts Happiness

Individuals emphasizing freedom and hobbies experienced a boost in well-being, whereas those prioritizing achievement felt less happy. The research showed that valuing ‘hedonism’ and ‘self-direction’ led to increased happiness across India, Turkey, and the UK.