Being Yourself Can Make You Happier, According to Research

2 minute read
Ideas
Barker is the author of Barking Up The Wrong Tree

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:

When 577 volunteers were encouraged to pick one of their signature strengths and use it in a new way each day for a week, they became significantly happier and less depressed than control groups. And these benefits lasted: Even after the experiment was over, their levels of happiness remained heightened a full months later. Studies have shown that the more you use your signature strengths in daily life, the happier you become.

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.

Join over 215,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email here.

Related posts:

How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips

How To Get People To Like You: 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior Expert

New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful

More Must-Reads from TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com

TIME Ideas hosts the world's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. We welcome outside contributions. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of TIME editors.