--- title: Being Yourself Can Make You Happier, According to Research description: Think about your strengths—and use them canonical: https://time.com/4067090/how-to-be-happy/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-10-12T04:01:53.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:49:28.485Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Being Yourself Can Make You Happier, According to Research og:description: Think about your strengths—and use them og:url: https://time.com/4067090/how-to-be-happy/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc372fd13097fe2c8/698867840a4a228c119c679b/couple-bicycle-riding.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5600 og:image:height: 3150 og:image:alt: couple-bicycle-riding og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Being Yourself Can Make You Happier, According to Research twitter:description: Think about your strengths—and use them twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc372fd13097fe2c8/698867840a4a228c119c679b/couple-bicycle-riding.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Being Yourself Can Make You Happier, According to Research > Sponsored content. 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A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=bacb1d80-b04d-48d8-8b4b-374af5325940&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) ## Video: The Island That Holds the Secret to Long Life [Watch (HLS stream): The Island That Holds the Secret to Long Life](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/orlnwhNb.m3u8) (7:08)  _Published 2014-05-23. Here's how the people of Ikaria, Greece reach old age_ by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Oct 12, 2015 4:01 AM UTC  Young couple cycling with legs out Young couple cycling with legs out Getty Images by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Oct 12, 2015 4:01 AM UTC I’d revise it to “be your _best_ self.” People who deliberately exercised their signature strengths — those qualities they were uniquely best at, the talents that set them apart from others — on a daily basis became significantly happier for _months_. Via [The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307591549/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307591549): --- > “” --- **_HEY YOU_**: Before you flit on to the next shiny thing on the internet, pause for a just a second: _What are you uniquely good at? Could you do it more often? When? Make a quick plan to do it daily at a specific time or triggered by a consistent event. After you accomplish it, reward yourself. You’re already on your way to a life-changing good habit._ :) **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/04/does-be-yourself-really-make-you-happier/)**_._** **Join over 215,000 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/) ## Transcript [ MUSIC ]. Ikaria is a very unique island. The people are not what you would find in other places, they have a different lifestyle, a different way of looking at life. We might seem like we're not getting things done, or we might be moving slowly, but we just move at our own pace and things do get done in the end. Being Ikaria is an identity unto itself. [ MUSIC ] [ FOREIGN ]. [ FOREIGN ] People wanna live long, it's natural. Life is a gift, and people want to enjoy it. [ MUSIC ] Unfortunately, you know, Athens is not a carrier. Athens is a big city, people are crowded, crowding alone is a major stress. It's difficult to live there, connected life. There is a lot of obesity, there is a lot of anxiety. We've started already to be seeing the results of stress. In Ikaria they're not crowded, they have the water right next to them. Just the environment where they live, it's better. [ FOREIGN ] [ INAUDIBLE ]. [ FOREIGN ]. It's the people of Ikaria that make the difference, the people are really for Ikaria. In Ikaria, it's cultural, it's an epicurean culture, they avoid stress, or cope well with it. When they cannot avoid it, they seek small pleasures. They live the day as it comes. So, somehow naturally, they're doing things that we should all be doing. [ FOREIGN ]. I got money from my uncle Giannis. He said to me, come with me for work, for one week and I will give you money, I said, okay. I went first three days, and then I said, I, I quit, I cannot do it anymore. I was waking up at 6 o'clock and working until, four, five and he was saying, come on, let's go, let's go until night. [ FOREIGN ]. [ MUSIC ] [ FOREIGN ]. In the documentaries they show only old people, they don't show nothing else, old people and the nature. They don't show the young people, what are they doing in their lives, you know? [ NOISE ]. I don't think that I would live so many years as them because, with the live that we are doing now it's, it's bad because we drink alcohol so much. We don't sleep good. [ NOISE ] [ FOREIGN ]. [ FOREIGN ]. [ FOREIGN ]. I'm looking forward to the people of Ikaria being able to come together, and work for the good of their island. And I'm also looking forward to the next generation, to see how they turn out and where they're going to be in 20 years time. I think it's gonna be a very interesting journey. We like the tradition of Ikaria, the history, the music, the culture, everything. We like it, and we trying, I think, my generation is trying to keep it, you know, not lose it. What I learn a lot from the older people is their sense of continuity, their strong sense of family, their strong sense of, my children have grown. I've seen my grandchildren, my life is complete, I'm fulfilled. They're not looking for new things. They're enjoying the things that they have in the moments they have. They're not looking for the next one, and the next one before they've actually enjoyed the present one. 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