The eight ‘happiness hacks’ backed by science (including one you’re almost guaranteed to hate)

When you’re feeling a bit down, striking up conversations with strangers might be the last thing on your mind.

But such encounters may actually make you feel happier, research has suggested. 

It is one of eight simple ‘happiness hacks’ devised by scientists at the University of Bristol.

Writing gratitude letters, conducting acts of kindness and trying out meditation are among other key measures found to improve mental wellbeing. 

The four other checkpoints relate to getting sufficient sleep, exercising, savouring experiences and drawing attention to positive parts of the day, for instance writing down ‘three good things’ that happened. 

People will only experience the lasting benefits of happiness if they keep practising the habits, however, the researchers said. 

Students who were taught the hacks as part of a 10-week course were found to have a better mental wellbeing two years later.

But that was only if they kept using the hacks. 

Study co-author Dr Sarah Jelbert, lecturer in psychological science, told MailOnline: ‘The intention was that by the end of the course students have a well-rounded understanding of various factors that can contribute towards their own well-being — rather than a to-do’ list of activities.

‘What we found was that as long as students continued to practice something from the course their elevated wellbeing was maintained.

‘But we didn’t need to be prescriptive about exactly what to do and when.’

While seven or more hours of sleep ‘is definitely something we recommend’, she added that ‘any individual student might need seven, eight or nine hours in order to feel well rested’. 

They found others continued to write their ‘three good things’ well beyond the end of the course. 

Some, instead, returned to the activity ‘every now and again’, for instance when they were going through ‘a period of stress’. 

Launched in 2018, the University of Bristol’s ‘Science of Happiness’ course was the first of its kind in the UK. 

It is open to all undergraduates who have room in their schedule and involves no exams or coursework. Participants must attend lectures and workshops.

Students are also taught that social media is not bad for everyone, but can be bad for those who focus on their reputation.

Sleep deprivation also impacts on how well we are liked by others, while walking in nature deactivates part of the brain related to negative ruminations, which are associated with depression.

The researchers analysed feedback from 228 course graduates in the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 academic years. 

They found students who took the course reported a 10 to 15 per cent improvement in wellbeing.

But only those who continued implementing course learnings maintained that improved wellbeing when they were surveyed, up to two years after completing it.

Writing in the journal Higher Education, they said more than half (117) agreed the course had a positive effect on their wellbeing, with just 19 participants disagreeing (8.52 per cent). 

Of the 113 students who admitted to still continuing the hacks, more than a third (37 per cent) wrote letters of gratitude to others and made lists of things that they were grateful for. 

Other commonly reported techniques included were mindfulness and meditation (34 per cent), exercise (21 per cent), journaling (18 per cent) and kindness (11 per cent).

Professor Bruce Hood, a professor of developmental psychology in society and study co-author said: ‘It’s like going to the gym – we can’t expect to do one class and be fit forever. 

‘Just as with physical health, we have to continuously work on our mental health, otherwise the improvements are temporary.’

He added: ‘Much of what we teach revolves around positive psychology interventions that divert your attention away from yourself, by helping others, being with friends, gratitude or meditating.

‘This is the opposite of the current “self-care” doctrine — but countless studies have shown that getting out of our own heads helps get us away from negative ruminations which can be the basis of so many mental health problems.’