--- title: Happiness: 10 Steps to a Happier Life, Backed By Research description: Don't just cheer people up—celebrate their good news canonical: https://time.com/3980705/happier-life-research/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-04T04:01:28.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-31T08:39:03.380Z article:section: Ideas og:title: 10 Steps to a Happier Life, Backed By Research og:description: Don't just cheer people up—celebrate their good news og:url: https://time.com/3980705/happier-life-research/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8497a91c0da525a6/69885d63e20a87082ca8c8b1/friends-hugging-celebrating.jpg?branch=production&width=509&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 509 og:image:height: 286 og:image:alt: friends-hugging-celebrating og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 10 Steps to a Happier Life, Backed By Research twitter:description: Don't just cheer people up—celebrate their good news twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8497a91c0da525a6/69885d63e20a87082ca8c8b1/friends-hugging-celebrating.jpg?branch=production&width=509&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 10 Steps to a Happier Life, Backed By Research > Sponsored content. 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Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Aug 4, 2015 4:01 AM UTC  Group of friends holding sparklers in air, at party Group of friends holding sparklers in air, at party Getty Images by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Aug 4, 2015 4:01 AM UTC I went through a number of great books on happiness and pulled together ten research-based tips that can help build a happier life: ## 1) Cut the small talk. Discuss what matters. Via [Pursuing the Good Life: 100 Reflections on Positive Psychology](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0199916357/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0199916357&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- (For more on how to be someone people love to talk to, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2015/02/love-to-talk/).) ## 2) Have at least 5 friends you can discuss your problems with. Via [Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465024114/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0465024114&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- (For more on how to make friends and strengthen friendships, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/11/how-to-make-friends-easily/).) ## 3) Don’t just cheer people up. Celebrate their good news. Via [The Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy, but Doesn’t, What Shouldn’t Make You Happy, but Does](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594204373/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1594204373&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- (For more on how to avoid the four most common relationship problems, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/12/relationship-problems/).) ## 4) Write down your hopes and dreams. Via [The Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy, but Doesn’t, What Shouldn’t Make You Happy, but Does](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594204373/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1594204373&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- (For more on how writing can help you overcome anxiety, tragedy or heartache, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/11/how-to-deal-with-anxiety/).) ## 5) Live a month like it’s your last. Via [The Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy, but Doesn’t, What Shouldn’t Make You Happy, but Does](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594204373/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1594204373&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- (For more on what you can learn about happiness from ancient wisdom, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/01/ancient-philosophers/).) ## 6) Know what makes everyone happy and everyone sad. Via [Engineering Happiness: A New Approach for Building a Joyful Life](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520268210/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0520268210&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- (For more on what the happiest people in the world do every day, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/happiest-people/).) ## 7) Join a group. Via [Engineering Happiness: A New Approach for Building a Joyful Life](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520268210/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0520268210&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- (For more on how to never be frustrated again, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2015/04/frustrated/).) ## 8) For a happier life, set goals. Via [Engineering Happiness: A New Approach for Building a Joyful Life](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520268210/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0520268210&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- (For more on what the most productive people do every day, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/most-productive-people/).) ## 9) Optimism can save your life. Via [Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439190763/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1439190763&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- (For more on how to be optimistic, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/07/how-to-be-optimistic/).) ## 10) Anticipating happiness will double your happiness. Via [Stumbling on Happiness](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400077427/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400077427&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20): --- > “” --- (For more on how to savor the good things and be happier, click [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/02/happiest-people-in-the-world/).) **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/05/happier-life/)**_._** **Join over 200,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD)**.** Related posts: [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/) [How To Get People To Like You: 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior Expert](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/10/how-to-get-people-to-like-you/) [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3980705/happier-life-research/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3980705/happier-life-research/"},"headline":"10 Steps to a Happier Life, Backed By Research","datePublished":"2015-08-04T04:01:28.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:39:03.380Z","description":"Don't just cheer people up—celebrate their good news","url":"https://time.com/3980705/happier-life-research/","keywords":["Psychology","Happiness"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8497a91c0da525a6/69885d63e20a87082ca8c8b1/friends-hugging-celebrating.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eric Barker","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eric-barker/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8497a91c0da525a6/69885d63e20a87082ca8c8b1/friends-hugging-celebrating.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"friends-hugging-celebrating","caption":"friends-hugging-celebrating","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/psychology/","name":"Psychology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3980705/happier-life-research/","name":"10 Steps to a Happier Life, Backed By Research"}}]}] ```