Happiness Comes Pretty Cheap

According to a University of Nottingham study, happiness does not necessarily mean owning a luxurious car or earning a ton of money. While of course they can enhance your quality of life, researches point out that the simple pleasures—enjoying a hot chocolate, walking on the beach or taking a leisurely bubble bath—really impact one’s sense of well-being. On the University of Illinois’ Satisfaction with Life Scale, the study compared the happiness level of lottery jackpot winners with a control group. People were asked about the elements of happiness in their lives, their moods, and how often they treated themselves and how. Surprise! The unexpected result was that lottery winners weren’t that happy with owning sports cars, jewelry or big houses. Quite the contrary, reading a book, listening to music or taking a warm bath really spiked their happiness quotient.
Conclusion? Happiness is found in life’s simpler pleasures, and most of these are free.