The Happiness Formula!

One of the key foundations for the Lifemaps model is Positive Psychology, and the Happiness Formula. This is a scientific formula that shows how a large portion of our positive mental health is built through our actions, skills and attitudes, and fostered through our relationships with others.

The formula is Happiness (H) = S + C + V.

S = Your genetic Set Point. Different people have different emotional set points; some may be more naturally pessimistic whereas others will have a more positive natural outlook. Significant life events, whether good or bad, will alter this drastically, but we will generally return to this emotional set point after time, and this accounts for about 50% of our happiness.

C = The Circumstances in your life. Some of our circumstances can change, like getting losing a job, moving house, getting married, bereavement etc. And of course there are circumstances beyond our control, like age, sex etc. These circumstances may feel like they have a massive impact, but in reality they only add 10% towards our happiness.

Many people think that if your circumstances aren't good, then you can't be happy. "If I had more money, or a better car, or a bigger house, then I'll be happy." This is untrue - these are rewards, and rewards don't sustain happiness in the long term. The best way to build sustainable happiness is through our everyday actions, behaviours and attitudes, which leads us to...

V = the Voluntary Actions that we take on a regular basis. This is entirely within our control - some people choose to do nothing, or choose behaviours that are bad for them. But we can also choose to build healthy behaviours by engaging in positive activities, looking at life with a better attitude, and taking actions to build our mental health. These voluntary actions contribute 40% to our happiness, making this the largest portion of our happiness that we can control.

Like physical fitness, we can't just read a book about mental health and expect our wellbeing to be boosted; we must develop skills, thoughts and actions to help our mental health and wellbeing flourish.

So there you have it! Your happiness is much more within your control than you realise, it is up to you to take action to build the positive behaviours and actions that will make the difference. Here is an excellent article on the science of happiness, and we hope this inspires you to take some voluntary actions to help improve your happiness level!