Expert Outlines Five Counterintuitive Habits to Boost Happiness

Happiness may not depend on luck, external circumstances, or validation from others, but rather on personal choices and everyday behaviors, according to keynote speaker and executive coach Jessica Weiss. Drawing on research and her 15 years of studying the science of happiness, Weiss highlights five practical yet surprising habits that individuals can adopt to feel more fulfilled, empowered, and satisfied in life.

A 2020 study by researchers at Northern Illinois University, which surveyed 422 women aged 31 to 77, found that two factors strongly influence long-term happiness: a person’s approach to aging and the kind of friend they are. Weiss said the findings show that happiness comes from agency and intentionality. “The study participants who were the happiest felt that way not because of luck or circumstance — but because of their own agency,” she noted.

Woman smiling in front of a mirror | Source: Pexels

Weiss outlined five strategies to apply this insight:

• Embrace your felt age: Act according to how young you feel, not the number on your ID.
• Be someone’s most reliable friend: Focus on being a dependable presence in someone else’s life.
• Increase social frequency: Prioritize consistent contact with close friends rather than expanding social circles.
• Don’t fear being a beginner: Regularly try new skills or hobbies to recapture youthful curiosity and energy.
• Create essential traditions: Establish simple, lasting rituals that anchor relationships and foster belonging.

Weiss emphasized that these actions, though counterintuitive, shift happiness from chance to choice. “They were intentional about how they showed up in the world,” she said of the study’s happiest participants. The findings suggest that happiness can be cultivated through mindset and relationships, offering individuals greater control over their well-being regardless of age or circumstance.