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20th Apr 2017

These Are The Five Keys To Happiness According To New Research

James Fenton

Imagine. All this time we thought the key to happiness it was a big pile of doughnuts and some high-quality Netflix.

On the contrary, according to new research carried out at University College London, happiness can be found by following a simple five-step plan. 

The study headed up by Professor Andrew Steptoe, Head of the Department of Behavioural Science and Health at UCL, found that a combination of the following will put you on the road to eternal happiness. 

In no particular order, they are:

Emotional Stability – Your ability to remain calm when faced with life’s challenges. Basically, count to ten and don’t fly off the handle. 

Determination – Persistence, perseverance and sticking to your purpose.

Control – Cultivating the feeling that what you do and how you react matters

Optimism – An old-fashioned dose of positive thinking. 

Conscientiousness – How dependable and organised you are. In other words, if people see you as being reliable, you’re laughing. 

So there you are now. Next time someone asks you ‘how’s the form?’ you should be able to give a more detailed answer than “grand, so I am.”

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