Harvard Expert Outlines 10 Practical Steps to Boost Happiness

A leading Harvard social scientist says happiness doesn’t need to be left to chance, offering ten evidence-based practices that can increase well-being today. Arthur Brooks, a Harvard happiness researcher and author of "The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life", shared the findings drawn from global research and expert consensus.

Brooks, whose online Harvard course on managing happiness has enrolled more than 180,000 people, examined a 2020 international study that ranked 68 common happiness-boosting methods. Eighteen leading scholars in the science of happiness then identified the most effective and feasible strategies.

Woman smiling | Source: Pexels

The top ten practices Brooks highlights are: keep your mind and body active; be nice to others; spend your money on loved ones; check on your health status; join a club; engage in physical activity; belong to a faith and practice it; go out in nature; build connections with colleagues outside of work; and give back and be generous.

Brooks emphasized that these tactics work best when combined into a cohesive approach. “The best way to increase your chances of being happier is to develop an integrated strategy that allows these practices to feel more cohesive,” he writes. He recommends learning about happiness science, building habits around these practices, and sharing insights with others.

“The most important thing to remember is this: You don’t have to leave your happiness up to chance,” Brooks says, underscoring that intentional actions—rather than luck—can meaningfully improve well-being.