It seems like a million different things affect how happy you are on a daily basis. But according to a new study, it’s actually just three.
Researchers in Australia have been doing happiness surveys for the past 15 years, and found the three main things you need in order to be happy are: Good personal relationships, financial security and a feeling of purpose.
In other words, you need friends — enough money so you’re not stressed out all the time and something that makes you feel useful, which could be anything from your job, to your kids, or even volunteering.
They’re referred to as the “Golden triangle” of happiness. If you can just get those three things sorted out, your chances of being a miserable bastard go way down.
The newest survey they did found people over the age of 55 were happier than any other age group. Guys with kids tended to be happier. But surprisingly, having kids didn’t make a huge difference for women.
People who spent half-an-hour a day on social media are happier than people who didn’t use it at all. But that wasn’t true for people who spent over an hour a day on social media. So the sweet spot is right around 30 minutes.
