Without gratitude, life is endless work with no real meaning and no detectable results. Research has shown how important it is to express gratitude (if you want to be happy). Positive psychology not only impacts your mental health, but physical, spiritual and social health too. And for people in recovery—whether that’s from addiction to alcohol and other drugs, loss and …

Some people seem to have a naturally higher baseline for happiness—one large-scale study of more than 2,000 twins suggested that around 50% of overall life satisfaction was due to genetics, 10% to external events, and 40% to individual activities.10 So while you might not be able to control what your “base level” of happiness is, there are things that you …

Why is happiness so important? Happiness has been shown to predict positive outcomes in many different areas of life including mental well-being, physical health, and overall longevity. Positive emotions increase satisfaction with life. Happiness helps people build stronger coping skills and emotional resources. Positive emotions are linked to better health and longevity. One study found that people who experienced more …