Happiness and health

As the team of HappilyBrownn noted in their recent blog, the current circumstances have made everyone realise the importance of looking after their physical and mental well-being. And with good reason. Since the start of the corona crises, 1 in 3 Dutch people experiences more anxiety, signs of depression and sleeping problems. In Britain, the number of adults with symptoms of depression has doubled, compared to a year ago. Is happiness impossible in the current situation? Is our happiness completely out of your control?

Circumstances, genes and actions

There is no doubt the circumstances of the world around us affect our happiness. However, social scientists believe that the circumstances of our lives are responsible for only 10% of our happiness. So what is responsible for the other 90% of our happiness? And how does happiness influence our health?

A lot of our happiness depends on genes. 50% of our happiness depends on our genetic makeup. Everyone is born with the ability to achieve happiness. The happiness marker or ‘set point’, the natural level of happiness to which each person returns even after failures and triumphs, varies from person to person. Our own actions account for the remaining 40% of our happiness. Time to take control of that 40% and find out what you can do to increase your happiness.

The Happiness Project

Our happiness influences our health. How it does and how you can improve your level of happiness is explored at BODY WORLDS: The Happiness Project. Here you can learn how your everyday choices impact your happiness and your health, and what you can do to increase your happiness. One tip: keep busy, go out and (safely) undertake activities.

At BODY WORLDS you are taken on a journey through the human body. The exhibition displays real plastinated bodies, giving you a unique peek into our anatomy and how our bodies work.