A new study shows how happy someone is could largely be due to genetics. Here’s what to do if the genetics of happiness aren’t in your favor.
Family history is certainly important when it comes to health. If certain cancers run in your family, you know that it’s important to get screened for them earlier than you might have to otherwise. It’s also true that mental health conditions can be hereditary. If your family members have bipolar disorder or have obsessive-compulsive disorder, the odds of you having it are higher, too.
But can happiness — which is more of a feeling than a mental health condition — be inherited too? A new scientific study published in Scientific Reports argues that it largely can. The study took into account more than 222,000 people, all of whom were asked how happy they were at the beginning of the study and then again five years later. Additionally, the participants all got an MRI (a brain image scan).
Researchers found that how happy someone is remains pretty steady between the ages of 12 and 73. Sure, there may be factors that cause it to dip or rise a little, but it almost always comes back to a steady baseline. This synced up with what they saw on the brain scans, too, looking at the parts of the brain associated with happiness.
The findings beg the question of just how much of happiness is genetic and how much of it is actually in our control. If you want to live a happy life, what can you do if happiness is genetically rigged against you?
How Much of Happiness Is Hereditary?
It’s well-known in the psychology world that genetics play a role in happiness and most people maintain a steady level of happiness throughout their lives, says Maike Neuhaus, Ph.D., a psychologist who studies happiness. “This is called the ‘set point theory of happiness,’” she says. It’s the science-backed idea that while a person’s level of happiness can be impacted by life events (such as the birth of a child, getting married, getting laid off, or the death of a loved one), most people quickly adapt to whatever their baseline of happiness was before.
Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside who also studies happiness, says that while this is true, it’s important to recognize that sadness (the opposite of happiness) is not the same as depression. Both can be inherited, but happiness and sadness are feelings, while depression is an illness, similar to diabetes or cancer, Lyobomirsky explains. “There is a very high correlation between unhappiness and depression, but people who have depression can look [just as happy] as someone who does not have depression,” she adds. “While people with depression do tend to be less happy than others even in between depressive episodes, there is a distinction.”
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If happiness and sadness are moods, then how are they inherited? Scientists are still trying to figure that out, but what they have pinpointed through twin studies is that genetics accounts for about 40 percent of someone’s happiness set point. The rest of it comes down to one’s environment and exposures.
“Personal factors, such as one’s beliefs, whether someone has resilience, if they are optimistic, whether they have gratitude, if they are pursuing their purpose…All of this plays a role in one’s happiness,” Neuhaus says, speaking to what makes up the other 60 percent. In fact, both experts emphasize that there are a lot of factors you can control that play into how happy (or not) you feel.
Personal factors, such as one’s beliefs, whether someone has resilience, if they are optimistic, whether they have gratitude, if they are pursuing their purpose…All of this plays a role in one’s happiness.
What to Do If the Genetics of Happiness Aren’t in Your Favor
Both Neuhaus and Lyobomirsky emphasize that even if you have a family history of unhappiness, you are not doomed to live an unhappy life. “You have to remember, it’s just a predisposition,” Neuhaus says. She uses weight as an analogy. Someone may have a predisposition to be a certain weight, but their personal diet and lifestyle factors can massively change the weight they end up being.
If you want to put the odds of happiness in your favor, Neuhaus says to start by taking care of yourself physically. “The neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., said something brilliant, which is, ‘Take care of your biology to look after your psychology,’” she says. To this point, there is a wealth of scientific research backing up that eating nutrient-rich foods can increase how happy someone feels. And you probably have already experienced the endorphin high of exercising yourself — proof that physical activity can certainly impact mood for the better.
As the happiness set point shows, most people adapt to life events and get back to their happiness baseline. Because of this, Lyubomirsky says it’s important to continuously pursue new activities or rituals that you enjoy. For example, someone may start writing in a gratitude journal every night in an effort to feel happier. After all, gratitude has been repeatedly linked to boosting mood. Lyobomirsky says this works at first; someone will feel happier from this new habit. But over time, they will adapt and get back to their set point. When this happens, it’s time to seek out a new ritual or activity.
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Fortunately, there is no shortage of habits or activities to pursue. For example, if your outdoor runs used to be your happy place but lately they haven’t been doing much for you, try signing up for a dance aerobics class or boxing class instead. Lyubomirsky says that the activities that promote happiness vary greatly from person to person, so it’s important to tap into what it means for you — and then to do it regularly (until you feel that it’s time to switch it up). Some examples to consider include: having a weekly dinner with your group of friends, volunteering for a cause you believe in, sending letters to extended family members, being in nature, painting or pursuing another creative hobby, or reading in your favorite cafe. In fact, switching up your happiness habits from time to time is part of the fun!
So is happiness hereditary? Partially. But, the better question is, what are you going to do with the 60 percent you can control?