Can you double your happiness, double your fun?

According to research with twins, you can't double your happiness -- but you can increase your happiness by up to 50%.

Yes, after three decades of twin research, studies have shown that 50 percent of your tendency to be happy or sad is determined by your genes.

This tendency is called your "happiness setpoint.”

It means your brain is pre-wired to either see the glass half full or half empty.

But this discovery is actually happy news.

Professor of psychology at the University of California Riverside, Sonja Lyubomirsky, compares the genetically determined happiness set point to our inherited tendency to stay thin or to put on weight.

"All the set point means," Lyubomirsky, says, "is that in the same way some people have to work on maintaining their weight, you may have to work to achieve the same level of happiness as someone else. It may be harder, but it can be done."

In our culture most people struggling with their setpoint – in either happiness or weight – usually turn to quick fix medications – which can be affective.

But -- there are other more fun options when it comes to raising your happiness setpoint.

Indeed researchers say there’s a simple formula for increasing happiness:

H = S + C + V

H = Happiness

S = Setpoint

C = Conditions of Your Life

V = Voluntary Activities


You know already about H and S.

Let’s look at that C – your Conditions.

Researchers say factors like education, health, income, and good looks have little effect on our genetic "setpoints."

Drastic changes in any of these conditions (aka winning gobs of money in the lottery) tend to re-regulate -- balancing themselves right back to original setpoint.

The same holds true for subtle conditional changes, like dying your hair. As the roots in your hair grow back in, you grow used to your new hair – and thereby might not want to re-dye it – because it no longer gives you that added ooompapa of happiness

But there is hope with that valuable V – with all your varying Voluntary activities you can add into your life.

These Voluntary activities fall into two broad categories: pleasures and gratifications.

Voluntary Pleasures are sensual and emotional (a back rub, having flowers sent to you) – and these are generally fleeting in their effect.

Voluntary Gratifications, however, are those activities which give us a sense of purpose -- and tend to last much longer (volunteering at a dog pound, picking up some soup for the homeless. And of course there’s the Grand Gratification of doing your signature strengths – those skillsets you excel at – which make you feel like your life has true meaning and purpose!)

The more you find time in your schedule to do more Voluntary Gratification Activities, the more you will increase your joy – by up to 50%!

Holley Simmons reporting!