Top positive psychology research of 2021
There is so much research happening around the world into what is arguably the most important question you can ask: how can I be happy? As global mental health stats continue to decline, particularly during COVID, this is good news. There’s now a raft of actionable science-backed research you can apply in your life to take you from simply languishing in life, to thriving.
While the rest of this article is a catalogue of the top positive psychology research in 2021 so far, I would like to acknowledge one other piece of sad news from this year: Edward Diener, Psychologist Known as Dr. Happiness, Dies at 74. Since the 1980s, Ed Diener was recognised as a leader in measuring what he called “subjective well-being” and his passing is a loss for not only his family and friends, but the entire positive psychology community.
In this article, we take a look at the top positive psychology research of 2021, so far. Let me know in the comments about how you are using the latest research to achieve a happier, healthier life!
January
Frequent travel could make you 7% happier (Science Daily). People dreaming of travel post-COVID-19 now have some scientific data to support their wanderlust. A new study shows frequent travellers are happier with their lives than people who don’t travel at all.
Research suggests positive forward-thinking safeguards mental health during lockdowns (Mental Health Today). We all might feel nostalgic for a time when we weren’t confined to our homes or had rules imposed upon us in public spaces; however new research from the University of Surrey suggests that if we forget about 2020 or even our current lockdown state in 2021 and look forward to the future, our mental wellbeing will presently be more resilient.
Learning Boosts Happiness, New Study Suggests (Sci News). New research from University College London suggests that how we learn about the world around us can be more important for how we feel than rewards we receive directly.
Study suggests link between word choices and extraverts (Science Daily). A study by a team of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) psychologists has found a link between extraverts and their word choices.
Why living in the future, rather than the past, is key to coping with lockdowns – new research (The Conversation). Researcher in the UK recruited 261 people during the first lockdown in the UK (March-May 2020) to explore the impact of the three different time orientations on wellbeing.
Being around birds linked to higher happiness levels (World Economic Forum). Greater bird biodiversity can make people more joyful, according to a study published in Ecological Economics. The happiest Europeans are those who see the most bird species in their day-to-day life.
Research shows positive effect of street trees on mental health (De Montfort University). Daily contact with trees in the street may significantly reduce the risk of depression and the need for antidepressants, according to new research by a De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) academic.
Heading outdoors keeps lockdown blues at bay (Science Daily). A new study has found that spending time outdoors and switching off devices, such as smartphones, is associated with higher levels of happiness during a period of COVID-19 restrictions.
February
Money matters to happiness—perhaps more than previously thought (Penn Today). Research shows that contrary to previous influential work, there’s no dollar-value plateau at which money’s importance lessens. One potential reason: Higher earners feel an increased sense of control over life.
Happiness and life expectancy by main occupational position among older workers: Who will live longer and happy? (ScienceDirect) We show that women in routine jobs were systematically the ones who were expected to live shorter and unhappier. Men and women in managerial positions lived longer, but only men record more years with happiness.
Why being resilient won’t necessarily make you happy new research (The Conversation). Resilience featured at the core of the World Health Organization’s policy framework for health and well-being in 2020. This states that “building resilience is a key factor in protecting and promoting health and wellbeing”. Similar statements have also been made by wellbeing researchers. Despite this, most resilience research focuses on how to help individuals avoid negative outcomes, rather than achieve positive outcomes. Very few who investigate resilience actually assess wellbeing.
Happiness really does come for free (Science Daily). Economic growth is often prescribed as a sure way of increasing the well-being of people in low-income countries, but a study led by McGill and the Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technologies at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) suggests that there may be good reason to question this assumption.
20 surprising, science-backed health benefits of music (USA Today). Research suggests that music not only helps us cope with pain — it can also benefit our physical and mental health in numerous other ways. Read on to learn how listening to tunes can ramp up your health.
Mental Health Plays a Role in Treating and Preventing Heart Disease (VeryWell) Researchers are stressing the important links between your mental health and heart health. And they’re calling on clinicians to screen and address mental health when seeking to treat heart conditions.
COVID-19’s Impact on Mental Health Hasn’t Been All Bad (Psychology Today). The COVID-19 pandemic has caused mental distress, but it has also strengthened people’s mental health in many ways. New research shows how the crisis has increased mental health through three main processes.
Study uncovers a psychological factor that predict one’s motivation to boost happiness (PsyPost). A group of researchers from Seoul National University and Korea University have found evidence that “essentializing” happiness—i.e., attributing one’s happiness to immutable factors like genetics—renders individuals less likely to adopt behaviors intended to (and in many cases, proven to) increase happiness.
To Get Through Tough Times Turn Down Your Pessimism (Psychology Today). New research shows the value of remaining positive when things look negative. There is a personality trait that can explain this tendency to overlook the negative and find reason to celebrate each day as it comes. Optimism, from this perspective, reflects not some delusional form of denial, but a stable quality that allows people to feel genuinely hopeful no matter what’s going on around them.
Emotional Well-Being Under Conditions of Lockdown (Springer) The coronavirus pandemic and related lockdown measures present serious threats to emotional well-being worldwide. Researchers examined the extent to which being outdoors (vs. indoors), the experience of loneliness, and screen-time are associated with emotional well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.
March
How Trip Planning and Happiness Are Directly Correlated (Psychology Today). Research reveals that planning future travel may boost mood and mindset.
A Tale of Three Countries: What is the Relationship Between COVID‐19, Lockdown and Happiness? (Wiley Online Library). Though lockdowns do minimise the physical damage caused by the virus, there may also be substantial damage to population well‐being.
Does Volunteering Make Us Happier, or Are Happier People More Likely to Volunteer? Addressing the Problem of Reverse Causality When Estimating the Wellbeing Impacts of Volunteering (Springer Link). New research shows that volunteering does indeed make people measurably happier.
Is Awareness of Strengths Intervention Sufficient to Cultivate Wellbeing and Other Positive Outcomes? (Springer Link). A new study shows that students who reflected on strengths for a 5-week period prior to exams prevented the surfacing of negative emotions and distress, as well as a decline in wellbeing due to the impending examination period. The intervention also enhanced feelings of optimism about the future.
Mental Health Declining During COVID, But Not For Regular Church Attenders (Theravive). A recent Gallup study reveals a positive connection between regular church attendance and a positive self-evaluation of one’s mental health. I invited experts to give their opinions on these findings and what it is about church attendance that contributes to positive mental health.
Happiness of centenarians a severely neglected area of research (Mirage). A systematic review by researchers at the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), UNSW Sydney has highlighted the need for clearer definitions of ‘happiness’, ‘life satisfaction’ and ‘positive affect’ in centenarians. This is the first systematic review to summarise the literature on the subjective wellbeing of this unique age group.
Forget what you think happiness is (Wall Street Journal). Think you know what it means to be happy? Think again. Scientists are learning how to better measure and improve happiness, as the pandemic forces many to question what brings them joy. In the future, some experts believe, people will embrace a more complex definition of happiness that focuses less on uninterrupted bliss and involves everything from a person’s environment to exercises that train the brain in ways to be happy.
How watching TV in lockdown can be good for you — according to science (Salon). Many mental health organizations have proposed strategies to protect mental health, such as exercising, sleeping well and enjoying nature. This may make us assume that watching TV is ultimately bad for our mental wellbeing. But there is evidence to suggest that watching TV can also be good for us – if we go about it the right way.
One team is redefining how the world measures happiness, for the better (Inverse). First released in 2012, the World Happiness Report aims to both quantify and analyze well-being around the world. Each year, it generates press coverage because of its ranking of the world’s happiest countries — typically Nordic countries like Finland and Denmark top the charts.
Women reported decreased happiness during COVID-19 pandemic: Study (ZEE5). A recent study found that during the COVID-19 pandemic women, especially mothers, spent more time on tasks such as childcare and household chores than men. In turn, time spent completing household chores was linked to lower well-being and decreased happiness during the pandemic.
Why Older People Managed to Stay Happier Through the Pandemic (New York Times).New surveys over the last year show that the ability to cope improves with age.
Australia ‘most expensive country in the world to be happy,’ study finds (DMarge) Researchers at Purdue University in the United States have come up with a metric called ‘income satiation’ – basically, the point at which you have enough money to be happy.
April
Degrees of happiness? Formal education does not lead to greater job satisfaction (Science Daily). Education is considered one of the most critical personal capital investments. But formal educational attainment doesn’t necessarily pay off in job satisfaction, according to new research from the University of Notre Dame.
Happiness can be learned through meditation, philosophy and training (Medical Xpress). Is it possible to learn to be happier? Well, it seems it is—at least according to a scientific study coordinated by the University of Trento and carried out in collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome, now published in Frontiers in Psychology.
Make mine a micro-job! Why working one day a week is the secret of happiness (The Guardian). Working only one day a week is the secret of happiness, according to researchers at the University of Cambridge.
Do you ever struggle to overcome a bad mood? Scientists have finally figured out why this happens (News24). In a new study on brain activity led by University of Miami psychologists, researchers explain why some of these emotional experiences persist. According to their research, how a person’s brain evaluates fleeting negative stimuli may influence their long-term psychological well-being.
The unsung secret to stability and happiness during the pandemic (ZDNet). It’s been a hard year, but at least many people have found a reliable way to reduce stress and increase happiness. Netflix is great and exercise is important, but music, it turns out, has made a positive difference in the lives of many during an often-bleak and perpetually uncertain pandemic year.
How Life Could Get Better (or Worse) After COVID (Greater Good Magazine). Fifty-seven scientists make predictions about potential positive and negative consequences of the pandemic.
Want a Happier Workplace? Studies Say the Best Companies Do These 5 Things Every Single Day (Inc.). It will not only make employees happy, it will also increase their productivity.
UK workforce finds happiness in ability to work from anywhere (Computer Weekly). Study finds 44% of UK workers consider the ability to work remotely as a driver of happiness and 61% would support government policies aimed at the widespread adoption of ‘hybrid’ working practices.
Scientists explore the source of well-being and happiness (ZJU University). Serotonin, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), is a messenger molecule that produces a sense of well-being and happiness and is therefore also known as the “happy hormone”. However, the biological mechanism as to how 5-HT generates a sense of well-being has yet to be deciphered.
How has WFH impacted employee happiness? results by sector, revealed (HRD). If there’s one thing we can all agree on about 2020/21, it’s that most of us have never spent so much time at home. But how has working from home (WFH) affected us? Expert Insolvency Practitioners, Hudson Weir, polled 3,500 employees across the country to find out how well we have taken to it…
Social comparisons with similar people determine income’s effect on happiness (Phys.org). Researchers have found that in states where incomes were relatively equal, individuals’ happiness was affected less by their incomes because their economic positions were less clearly defined, making social comparisons less meaningful.
May
Can Online Psychology Classes Increase Well-Being? (Psychology Today). A study found that participants in online psychology courses saw increases in well-being from their baseline measures. If these classes have long-term benefits, they could become reliable public health interventions.
8 Mix-and-Match Ingredients for a Tailored Be-Well Plan (Psychology Today). A new systematic review and meta-analysis of well-being studies identified 8 core psychological interventions that delivered positive results. The researchers found, though, that no one approach was best, and encouraged clinicians and individuals to “mix and match” strategies.
Curiosity and happiness go hand in hand (The Philadelphia Inquirer). As Einstein said: The important thing is to never stop questioning. Recent research suggests that consistent curiosity goes hand in hand with happiness.
Lockdown has had a positive effect on some people’s mental health, study reveals (GentSide). Researchers from the University of Manchester have found that lockdown brought forth a sense of relief for those who struggled with pre-existing depression.
If You Want to Be Happy, Try to Make Someone Else Happy (Greater Good Berkeley). What if happiness comes from aiming to make others happy, instead of doing nice things for yourself? That is exactly what a recent study found.
How to Draw On Your Psychological Resources (Psychology Today). An international team of psychologists has explored various ways individuals can help alleviate the pandemic’s massive psychological toll – with an arsenal of researched-backed skills, states, and competencies that can help us buffer against stress, bolster mental health, and build new capacities.
3 Reasons Real-Life Social Support Is Best for Mental Health (Psychology Today). Many people rely on social media platforms for social support. New research suggests that social media social support (SMSS) doesn’t have a negative impact on mental health. However, real-life social support (RLSS) can reduce anxiety, depression, and loneliness; RLSS has a positive effect on mental health.
The impact of staff happiness on customer service (Convenience and Impulse Retailing). Three-quarters or 79 per cent of Australian casual workers say their happiness at work directly impacts on the customer experience they can deliver.
Happiness statistics 2021 (Finder.com). Data reveals children, financial security and a good Internet connection make Aussies happy.
June
So Happy Fur You: Elmhurst Research Links Pet Spending to Joy (Elmhurst University). In findings published in The Journal of Positive Psychology, Elmhurst University faculty and students showed that a person’s happiness can be affected by purchasing a gift for their pet. Study participants reported being happier when buying for a pet than spending money on themselves or another person.
Happiness Comes from Making Others Feel Good (Psychology Today). New research published by a team of psychologists at the University of Missouri-Columbia suggests that King’s words are as true today as they were a half-century ago — that our own happiness is, in part, influenced by the kindness and generosity we show others.
Happiness & Sustainability Go Hand In Hand’: New Survey Shows Vegans Are Happier Than Meat Eaters (Green Queen). A new study was looking to do a deeper dive into the many misconceptions about vegans and vegetarians has taken meat eaters by surprise, with the results showing that vegans reported higher happiness levels (+7%) than those who consume meat.
Zest, Hope, And Humor Are The Most Important Character Strengths, Suggests New Psychological Research (Forbes). A new study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology suggests that while all character strengths serve an important function, some may be more central to psychological well-being than others — and that zest, hope, and humor are the three strengths most commonly found in well-rounded and psychologically healthy individuals.
Employee happiness drops 75% in two years (Employee Benefits).The happiness of workers has decreased by 75% since 2019, according to new findings from employee engagement consultancy Inpulse.
If You Want to Be Happy, Try to Make Someone Else Happy (Epoch Times). In a recent study, college students reported on their happiness and on their sense of autonomy, competence, and connection to others—all what researchers consider to be “basic psychological needs” for well-being.
Green space around primary schools may improve students’ academic performance (The Conversation). Greenery around primary schools may improve students’ academic performance, while traffic pollution may be detrimental, our study shows.
This is where older Americans find the most happiness (Market Watch). A new study “The Four Pillars of the New Retirement: What a Difference a Year Makes” conducted by Edward Jones, the large investment and financial services advisory firm, in partnership with Age Wave, a think tank and consulting firm, and The Harris Poll reports that 70% of Americans say the pandemic has caused them to be more reflective and pay more attention to their long-term finances.
‘Urban green space affects citizens’ happiness’ (Science Daily). A recent study revealed that as a city becomes more economically developed, its citizens’ happiness becomes more directly related to the area of urban green space.
Considering happiness and stress as leading indicators (OHS Canada). As our understanding of neuroscience evolves, how we manage workplace safety and health must also evolve.
How You Decorate Your Home Can Impact Your Happiness (Women’s Health). Google partnered with the Arts & Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University to explore the impact of sensory input on our minds and bodies. They designed three different rooms, and participants wore bands to track their physiological responses as they moved through each room.
One Walking Strategy That Will Secretly Make You a Happier Person (Eat This. Not That). If you’re looking to really boost your mood—and to view the world in a much more positive light—walking can help you out there, too. You just need to employ one specific mental technique devised by researchers at Iowa State University and published in the Journal of Happiness Studies.
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