Hacking

Happiness
M. Ackerman, PhD.

The Great Living Series

Hacking Happiness is from

Great Living Now

greatlivingnow.com

Demystifying Happiness
How Happy Are You?

4
6

Happy Time
Happy Relationships
Work For Happiness
Buying Happy Times

8
9
11
13

Happy Attitude
Live Now
Active Gratitude
Openness & Honesty

15
16
18
20

Happy Body
e Body-Mind Connection
Food For Happiness
Exercise For Happiness
Sleep For Happiness

22
23
25
28
29

Demystifying happiness

Aristotle called it the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of
human existence. It's why we work. It's why we rest. It's why we look for love.
And it's why you are reading this book.
From the moment we are born, until our very last breath, we yearn for it, we
struggle for it, and we search for it.
O Happiness, Happiness, wherefore art thou Happiness?
e problem is that sometimes, no matter how hard we try, happiness seems to
elude us.
What if I told you that there is a direct, eective way to achieve happiness? What if
I also told you that there is a straightforward way to attain and sustain it? What if I
told you that you could hack happiness?
Hacking happiness is no joke. It is all about getting down to what happiness really
is and then following the most direct way to achieve it.

When I first learned that psychologists have a formal, reliable definition of

happiness, I was very surprised. e definition seemed too simple at first. But the
more I thought about it, the more I realized how useful this definition is.
We overcomplicate happiness. Happiness is, in fact, quite simple. But in order to
hack happiness, we must first understand what it is.
Psychologists define happiness as overall life satisfaction. People who are more
satisfied with their life experience more moments with positive emotions (called
positive aect) and fewer moments with negative emotions (called negative aect)1.

Happiness =

positive moments
negative moments

If you divide someones positive aect (number of positive moments) by their

negative aect (number of negative moments), youd get their well-being score,
which tells us how happy they are.
Hacking happiness is about striving to have as many good moments, and as few bad
moments as possible. is is the most direct way to attain a high level of satisfaction
with life.
In this book, I will show you how to have more positive moments and fewer
negative ones. Not only will you find happiness, but you will also be able to hold
on to it.
But first, lets see how happy you already are.

1 Diener, E. and Emmons, R.A. e independence of positive and negative aect. Journal of Personality and Social

Psychology, 47, 1105-1117, 1985.

How happy are you?

If we are going to be serious about improving your happiness, well need some way to
measure it. And not just any old way. Well use the method that psychologists apply
in their studies.
We cant possibly go through and count all of our positive and negative experiences.
In 1985, Ed Diener (nicknamed Dr. Happiness) proposed a test that works just as
well. It is called the Satisfaction with Life Scale.
You can do this test now, and come back to it in several months, aer youve had time
to practice the tools presented in this book. is will help you keep track of your
progress.
Using the 7-point scale provided below, rate your agreement with each item. Be
open and honest in your responses.

Satisfaction With Life Scale

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

In most ways, my life is close to my ideal.

e conditions of my life are excellent.
I am satised with my life.
So far, I have gotten the important things I want in life.
If I could live my life over again, I would change almost
nothing.

7-Point Scale
1 = strongly disagree
2 = disagree
3 = slightly disagree
4 = neither agree nor disagree
5 = slightly agree
6 = agree
7 = strongly agree

Add up your scores for each question, and then consult the following legend:

30 - 35

You love your life.

25 - 29

You like your life.

20 - 24

You are satised with your life.

15 - 19

You are slightly satised with your life.

10 - 14

You are dissatised with your life.

5-9

You are extremely dissatised with your life.

Now that you know how happy you are, it is important to understand that
happiness can be improved. You can and will become happier. We will show you
how.

SECTION 1

Happy time
Your happiness comes down to how you spend your time.
e more oen what you want to do aligns with what
you are actually doing, the happier you will be. In this
section, we will show you three eective ways to align
your time with your desires.

happy Relationships
Let us be grateful to the people who make us
happy; they are the charming gardeners who
makes our souls blossom. Marcel Proust

What do you think is the number one predictor of happiness? Its not hard to guess.
e number one predictor of happiness is relationship satisfaction. at is, the
number one thing that happy people have in common is that they are satised with
their romantic relationships.
Humans are social animals. We share a deep, profound need for connection.
Many of our moments, be they positive or negative, are spent with our close ones. As
such, our satisfaction with our relationships colors our lives.
As adults, we are lucky to be able to choose the people with whom we interact. Most
importantly, we get to choose our partner, who becomes a key player in our life and
happiness.
What do you look for in a relationship? I used to have a list. He had to be tall. He
denitely had to be smart. He had to have brown hair and blue eyes, hmmm... I guess
dark eyes are also OK. e list went on and on, and kept evolving.
It took me a long time to realize that no list was ever going to cut it. ey all missed
the mark.
Why do we look for relationships? Its hardly a secret. We are well aware that our
search for love stands at the heart of our search for happiness.

Lets return to the denition of happiness and see what it has to say about
relationships.
Since happiness comes down to the number of positive and negative moments, the
best way to predict whether someone will make you happy is to compare the number
of positive and negative moments that they bring into your life.
In this case, both quality and quantity matter. One good evening every several
months isnt going to cut it. Its about your everyday life together.
Also, remember that whether a moment is positive or negative is based entirely on
how you feel. A positive moment is one in which you experience a positive emotion,
and a negative moment is one in which you experience a negative emotion.
In this sense, a suitable partner is one who makes you feel good on a regular basis,
and rarely brings about bad feelings. Welcome people into your life who bring you
many moments of joy, and few moments of pain. is is all that really matters.
is simple principle will help you identify a good partner who will make you happy
with a lot more accuracy and speed than any other criterion or long winded list.
If you are currently in a relationship, take a moment to ask yourself: does your
partner make you feel good? Is your time together predominantly positive? If so,
then youve got yourself a keeper.
While all relationships go through rough times, these should be few and far
between. Your overall relationship should be lled with positive emotions.
Some relationships consistently bring down our happiness ratio, in which case, we
would literally be happier alone.
is principle does not apply solely to your romantic relationships. It applies to all
those you let into your life. Choose friends that ll your life with good moments,
whose company you genuinely enjoy.
Fill your life with people who bring happy moments into your life, and one ray at a
time, they will light your life with happiness.

Work for
happiness
Choose a job you love, and
you will never have to work
a day in your life.
- Confucius

Following relationship satisfaction, the second most powerful predictor of happiness

is the quality of our work life.1,2
Why is work satisfaction so important to our happiness? We spend so much time at
work that many of our moments - be they positive or negative - happen there. As a
result, how much you enjoy your work has a substantial impact on your overall life
satisfaction.
By the time we come home, only a few waking hours remain. Not only that, but most
of us are so tired aer work that we can hardly enjoy these hours.
As we can see, job satisfaction has a high impact on our happiness. But, what use is
this information? Depending on your situation, it could mean several dierent
things.
Sometimes, merely the knowledge that job satisfaction plays such a critical role in our
happiness is itself invaluable.
Some of us nd ourselves unhappy, even though everything looks great on the
surface. We make a good living, we have a home in a good neighborhood and a loving

marriage - and yet, we nd ourselves miserable. Realizing that the root of the problem
may rest with our job can be our rst step to nding happiness.
But, what can you do if you dont like your job? One approach is to try to make your
job more enjoyable. Perhaps you would like to move onto a dierent project, or take
on a dierent role. It might be possible to nd happiness at work without making
radical changes in your life.
On the other hand, you may want to explore the possibility of changing careers. is
is a more radical path, but for some of us, this is the only true way to nding
happiness. e job of your dreams can upli you and your happiness to levels that
you may now only imagine.

1 Judge, T. A., & Klinger, R. (2008). Job satisfaction:Subjective well-being at work. In M. Eid & R. J. Larsen

(Eds.), e science of subjective well-being (pp. 393413).New York: Guilford.

2 Argyle, M. (2001). e psychology of happiness (2nd ed.).New York: Routledge.

Buying Happy Times

The best and most beautiful things in the
world cannot be seen or even touched - they
must be felt with the heart. Hellen Keller

We live in a materialistic society. Our society values fancy cars and large houses. Our
storage rooms overow with things. Although it is impossible to use everything we
already have, we still feel the impulse to buy even more.
is isnt our fault. From the moment we wake up, until we go to bed, we are
bombarded by advertisements. We have been convinced that buying will make us
happy.
But as you may have already noticed, the happiness we get from buying something
doesnt last. Within a few short days, all excitement evaporates.
is doesnt only apply to small purchases. We get used to a large house about as
quickly as we do to a new appliance. In the long run, things simply dont have the
ability to make us happy.
On the other hand, when you spend your money on experiences, you are buying good
moments. is is a direct investment in your happiness.
Also, consider spending money on many small pleasures, instead of a few big ones.
e idea is to generate as many positive moments as possible.

Instead of going on one expensive vacation per year, build many positive experiences
into your daily life. Go for a night out, invest in a hobby, go for that weekend getaway.
You can also use your money to reduce the number of bad moments. If much of your
time is occupied doing chores that you dont enjoy, consider hiring help. You can then
replace those bad, boring moments with moments that are lled with joy.

SECTION 2

Happy Attitude
It isnt only what happens to you that denes your
happiness. Your attitude towards life plays a critical role. I
will share with you three ways to adjust your perspective
that will have an immediate eect on your overall
happiness.

Live Now
It is only possible to live happilyever-after on a day-to-day basis.
Margaret Bonnano

We live our lives as if we have to earn the right to be happy. We wait for that big
promotion. We wait to nd the one. We wait for retirement. Only then, will we
nally live happily ever aer.
But, sadly, the day never seems to come. We are so goal oriented that before a second
has passed since our last achievement, were already onto the next big thing.
Forget the future. You deserve to be happy right now.
Being focused on right now will also help you accomplish your goals. at level of
focus always gets the job done. Better still, this attitude allows you to enjoy the
reward of your accomplishments.
On the other hand, if our brain gets a lot of practice worrying, jumping around from
the past to the future, then by the time we meet our next goal, we are so used to
worrying that we almost instantly nd something else that may go wrong. e vicious
cycle repeats. Only you can put an end to it.

Whenever we worry, it is almost always about the future, or about the past. Most of
the time, the present moment gives us nothing to worry about. By living in the
present moment, you deprive your worries of the very thing that fuels them.
e present moment is the only moment that you really have. e past is history, and
the future is a mystery. Make this moment a happy one by choosing to stay present.
e easiest way to increase your ability to remain present is to practice meditation.
Begin by setting a goal - how oen and for how long do you want to practice? I would
recommend setting the goal at 15 minutes, every day. To reach that goal, lets break it
down further. Start with 5 minutes, 3 times a week. Aer one week, increase that to 5
times a week. en, aer another week, 7 times.
Aer youve managed to increase your meditation practice to 7 times a week at 5
minutes, start increasing the time.
You will nd, before you even reach the full 15 minutes, 7 times a week, that your
focus has increased. Your ability to remain present will also be much better, and will
only increase further with time.
For help on meditation, there are many great (and free!) sites, videos, and guided
meditations available online.
Yoga is also a great way of teaching yourself to remain present. e whole practice is
about bringing yourself wholly into your body, in the present moment.
If you can incorporate one or two sessions of yoga per week with your meditative
practice, then you will see results even faster.

Active gratitude
Gratitude is one of the sweet shortcuts to
finding peace of mind andhappiness inside. No
matter what is going on outside of us, theres
always something we could be grateful for.
Barry Neil Kaufman

By now, you already know that the whole point of this book is to increase the number
of positive moments that you experience in your life. But what if I told you that there
was a way to multiply a single positive moment into many more?
ere is a way. It is called active gratitude.
Active gratitude is the process of actively recounting what is good in life. With
practice, active gratitude can prolong the inuence of positive events. Moreover,
practicing gratitude improves physical health, raises energy levels and, for patients
with neuromuscular disease, relieves pain and fatigue1.
You can practice active gratitude by keeping a gratitude journal - a diary in which you
write things for which you are thankful. Taking the time to count your blessings once
a week signicantly increases your overall satisfaction with life within just six weeks 2.
Before you go to sleep tonight, take a moment to count 10 good things in your life.
e rst time you do this, you may have a hard time getting all the way up to 10. But,
if you do this for a few more days, good things will come to mind eortlessly.

Count 10 good things that happened this very day. As you get used to this exercise,
you may be amazed how many good things happen each and every single day, when
we take the time to think about them.
Try this simple exercise, and it will make a substantial dierence to your happiness.
And, if you ever have trouble falling asleep, it works a lot better than counting sheep!

1 Emmons, R.A., and McCollough, M.E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: And experimental inestigation of

gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 377-389.
2 Lyubomirsky, S., King, L. A., and Diener, E. e benets of equent positive aect: Does happiness lead to success?

Psychological Bulletin, 131, 803-855, 2005.

Openness & Honesty

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and
what you do are in harmony.

Mahatma Gandhi

Some of the most beautiful moments in our lives happen when we are open and
honest about who we are. Openness and honestly are some of most eective pathways
to happiness.
Because we care so much about our relationships, we fall into the trap of trying to
please others at the expense of being true to ourselves. Craving acceptance and
approval, we pretend that we are a little dierent from who we really are - sometimes,
very dierent.
We say things we dont mean. We pretend to agree when we secretly disagree. We
hide who we really are for fear that we will not be loved and accepted for our real
selves.
Furthermore, much of what we do doesnt correspond with who we are. You may
want to rest, but instead stay up late washing the dishes and scrubbing the oor (what
if the neighbor drops by and sees this mess?)
You crave an evening alone, but agree to go out with your partner anyways. Whats
worse, you can be so afraid to rock the boat that you may not even mention what you
really want.

is leaves us feeling empty and disconnected. Because no matter how much

approval we receive for the masks that we put on, deep down inside we know that it
isnt really us.
To create meaningful connections with others, we must call upon great courage - the
courage to be ourselves. To speak our mind honestly. To share deep from the heart. To
show our true selves.
is type of openness creates opportunity for real and very deep connections with
others. As a result, we know that others know who we really are. is leads to a
greater sense of worthiness, as we realize that people love the real us.
As our connections with others grow deeper, our feeling of being connected
increases, as does our self-esteem and feelings of self-worth. All of this leads to a huge
boost in how happy we feel.

SECTION 3

Happy Body
One of the most important portals to happiness is your
body. We will discuss the body-mind connection and get
you started on your journey to health with three eective
techniques you could start applying today.

The Body-Mind
Connection
The best six doctors anywhere, and no one can
deny it, are sunshine, water, rest, and air, exercise
and diet. These six will gladly you attend if only
you are willing. Your mind they'll ease. Your will
they'll mend. And charge you not a shilling.
Wayne Fields

We tend to view our bodies and minds as separate. Nothing could be further from the
truth.
You are your body. Your body captures everything you feel during every moment of
every day. Your mood is 100% represented by the chemicals in your body.
If you are not convinced, just think about what drugs can do to our bodies: drinking,
antidepressants and other drugs can radically aect how we feel.
You brain contains chemicals called neurotransmitters. ey fully determine how you
feel right now, or at any other moment. You need enough neurotransmitters, and the
right balance of them, to feel good.
Drugs, be they pharmaceutical or recreational, work by aecting our brain chemistry.

e good news is that it is oen unnecessary to use drugs to inuence our happiness.
Our minds can be aected through our bodies using much gentler methods, and their
eects are much longer lasting.
Take care of your body, and you will have a relaxed, happy mind.
Below, we discuss three eective ways to bring about happiness by taking care of your
body. Learn how to take care of your health, and happiness will follow.

Food For
Happiness
Let food be thy medicine
and medicine be thy food.
Hippocrates

I was very surprised when I rst learned how much food aects our happiness.
How to eat is a huge subject. e best diet for you (the one that will maximize your
happiness) is based on your own unique physiological makeup. In this chapter, I will
explain how food eects our happiness and address the most common dietary mistakes.
How Food Aects Your Happiness
1) It proides the raw materials. What you eat aects the chemical balance in your brain.
Your food gives your body the nutrients necessary to create the right balance of
neurotransmitters, which in turn creates good feelings and makes you happy.
2) It inuences the health of our organs. In order to convert food into neurotransmitters, you
need healthy internal organs. When our organs are malfunctioning, our body is unable
to create the right balance of neurotransmitters - no matter what we feed it. As a result,
in the long run, the health of your internal organs is a key player in your happiness.
One of the most common dietary errors is to eat in a way that destroys our organs. Its the
typical unhealthy diet: too much fat, too much meat, too many sweets, and generally too
much food. Too much food, especially processed food, strains our internal organs. Over
time, our bodies become unable to convert food properly, an unable to produce a healthy
brain chemistry.

e other common dietary error, which is increasingly common today, is to go way o in

the opposite direction (and thats what I did - for twelve years). is is when instead of
eating a lot of everything, we radically limit our food consumption, either by simply not
eating enough or by seriously limiting the types of food that we eat. e problem with this
approach is that over time, our bodies become depleted of nutrients and no longer have the
raw material needed to make us happy.
is is not to say that food omissions cannot be done property. Indeed, at times, health
conditions render them necessary. But it takes a lot of research and much care to do that
properly. Otherwise, omitting some foods can have serious consequences on our happiness
and health.
So, how should we eat? I spent many months researching food and what it does to the
body. In the end, I came to the conclusion that the traditional, simple, and balanced meal
does more for our happiness than just about anything else.
What is a balanced traditional meal? Some protein (meat, sh, or beans), some
carbohydrates (grains, pasta, or bread), some vegetables, and a little bit of fat. e type of
protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables should vary between meals. Below I explain why
each component is necessary, what part it plays, and why variety is key.
Protein. Proteins are made up of amino acids. ese are the raw materials for
neurotransmitters. If you dont give your body enough amino acids, it has no hope of
creating a healthy brain chemistry.
Now, not all protein-rich foods are created equal. Some have a lot more amino acids than
others. Some are a lot easier to digest than others. Additionally, the types of amino acids
contained in dierent protein-heavy foods vary substantially.
Deciency in even a single amino acid can have an array of symptoms aecting every part
of our body and inuencing our mood.
On the other hand, consuming too much protein will strain your internal organs, so
moderation is key.

Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates help transport amino acids, so that your brain can use
them to create neurotransmitters. Carbohydrate rich foods are essential to the process. It
works best when protein and carbohydrates are eaten together in the same meal. Whole,
unprocessed carbohydrates, such as whole grains, work best because they slow down the
digestion process. is gives your body enough time to absorb and transport the raw
ingredients to your brain.
Fat. Fat has a terrible reputation, but our brain need it to be happy. In fact, our brain is
made up of 60% fat! On the other hand, large quantities of fat can spell disaster for our
internal organs. e best thing to do is to eat small amounts of fat with a protein, as
protein helps digest fat. As with other food, make sure that you vary the type of fat you eat,
choosing among natural, unsweetened varieties.
Vegetables/Fruits. ese aid in digestion, and provide your body with vitamins and
minerals that also keep your organs healthy in the long run. Dierent types of vegetables
and fruits contain radically dierent vitamins and minerals. A deciency in as much as a
single vitamin or mineral can substantially hurt ones well-being, so its important to vary
your vegetables and eat them frequently.
Final Word of Advice
Whenever possible, choose food that is fresh, organic, or local (or all of the above). ese
are much denser in nutrients.
Avoid buying food with ingredients that you cant pronounce. ese ingredients are very
dicult to digest and will put a lot of strain on your organs.
Finally, listen to your body. Be mindful of how dierent foods aect your health and
your mood and adjust your diet accordingly.
For me, returning to a simple, varied diet was a life saver. is is what made the biggest
dierence to my happiness. But I would have never tried this simple advice had I not
understood the science behind how diet aects happiness. I hope that this information
will help some of my readers restore happiness to their lives.

Exercise For
Happiness
Those who think they have no time for
bodily exercise will sooner or later have to
find time for illness.
Edward Stanley

Physical exercise is one of the most eective ways to raise your mood, and, over time,
improve your overall happiness.
ere are many forms of exercise. Try them out, and choose the one(s) you like best.
Cardio (exercise that increases your heart rate) leads to the release of endorphins. is
decreases stress and creates a wonderful relaxing feeling. Now those are some good
moments!
In addition, long term cardiovascular training is associated with improved overall
health. Remember: you are your body! By improving your health, you are making a
positive contribution to your happiness.
But dont overdo it. Excessive exercise can overstrain your body and even increase
anxiety.
Gentler forms of exercise, such as yoga, can be done more frequently. Relaxation
exercises help relieve stress. Yoga teaches us mindfulness, helping us to stay focused on
the present moment.
Make exercise a part of your life, and you will immediately feel how it boosts your
mood. Over time, it will make a lasting impact on your overall happiness.

A good laugh and a long sleep are

the best cures in the doctors book.
Irish Proverb

Sleeping your
way to happiness
One of the very best things you can do for your happiness is to get adequate sleep. Sleep
is when our body detoxies, restores, and heals. It is when our brain chemistry is restored
to a healthy state. When you wake up aer a good, restful sleep, youre already happier.
Life is easier aer a good nights sleep.
If you are not getting enough, every bit of extra sleep counts. An extra half an hour of
sleep per night, or one more day per week where you can get proper rest can make a real
dierence.
One the best ways to add sleep to your life is to go to bed earlier. But many of us nd
ourselves unable to do so, no matter how hard we try. One of the main reasons we have
trouble turning in at night is exposure to bright light. Watching TV before going to bed
confuses your body into thinking that it is daytime.
Avoid the use of all light emitting electronics for a least an hour before going to bed. It
also helps to reduce the lighting in your bedroom and bathroom at night.
e beautiful thing about sleep is that itdoesnttake long to feel its benets. Aer a good
nights sleep, you should feel the improvement right away. But over time, the healing
power of sleep is nothing short of extraordinary.

Continue to learn & grow

If you enjoyed his book, then you will also enjoy the many free articles we have
on our website at www.greatlivingnow.com.
Our articles span a wide range of topics, from happiness and love, to
mindfulness and meditation, to money and productivity. On each topic we
discuss, we share with you eective, actionable advice.

About The author

Maya Ackerman, PhD. divides her time
between research, writing, teaching, singing,
and her family. She has authored over a dozen
academic articles, and is a cofounder of Great
Living Now.
Maya is passionate about personal
development, and her mission is to provide
others with the tools they need to become the
best that they can be.
She lives with her husband and son in
Pasadena, California.

A note from the author

ank you for reading my guide to happiness. I believe that happiness is our birthright.
I wrote this book to help my readers create a happier, more joyful life.
Please take a moment to let me know what you think. Email me a note at
maya@greatlivingnow.com.
If there is enough interest, I will write an expanded version of this book. Please mention
in your email if this is something that would interest you.
To your happiness!
Yours truly,

Maya

Coming Soon...

Attributions
Demystifying Happiness photo by Camdiluv - view on Flickr
How Happy Are You? photo by Camdiluv - view on Flickr
Happy Time photo by Abnormalbeauty - view on Flickr
Happy Relationships photo by Kevin Buehler - view on Flickr
Work For Happiness photo by Bogenfreund - view on Flickr
Buying Happy Times photo by World of Oddy - view on Flickr
Happy Attitude photo by Indy Kethdy - view on Flickr
Live Now photo by Evan Leeson - view on Flickr
Active Gratitude photo by Shereen M - view on Flickr
Openness & Honesty photo by ShamtiNB - view on Flickr
Happy Body photo by D. Sharon Pruitt - view on Flickr
Body-Mind Connection photo by Tony Armstrong - view on Flickr
Food For Happiness photo by D. Sharon Pruitt - view on Flickr
Exercise For Happiness photo by Mash Talker - view on Flickr
Sleeping Your Way To Happiness photo by cinnamon_girl - view on Flickr
Laugh designed by Nathan Borror from e Noun Project

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