10 Habits Of Happy Career Climbers In A Nation Recovering From Collective Trauma

Amidst the holiday letdown and the January winter blues, everybody is looking for ways to be happy, especially at work. But when you add to the mix a nation recovering from collective trauma, happiness is a tall order. The American Psychological Association (APA) recently published, Stress in America 2023: A Nation Recovering from Collective Trauma, which examines the lasting psychological impacts of the pandemic, global conflicts, racial injustice, inflation and climate disasters—all weighing on the consciousness of the American workforce. The APA report found an increase in chronic illnesses—especially among those between the ages of 35 and 44, which increased from 48% in 2019 to 58% in 2023. Adults ages 35 to 44 also experienced the highest increase in mental health diagnoses—from 31% in 2019 to 45% in 2023—though adults ages 18 to 34 still reported the highest rate of mental illnesses at 50% in 2023.

Where Are All The Happy People?

There are many philosophies and books on the topic of happiness and tons of scientific articles. Everyone is looking for the magic bullet to well-being. Many would agree that happiness is difficult to define and challenging to measure—partly due to its subjective nature. So I started digging to find out what the science actually shows to get an objective handle on this slippery concept. I have distilled the science-backed research and identified ten habits that can sustain your happiness and well-being amidst the nation’s collective trauma.

Scientists have identified the well-researched happiness u-shaped curve, which indicates that happiness is highest until age 18, dips at mid-life and increases as we grow older again. When we boil down the research, it becomes clear that happiness doesn’t require huge changes. There are ten easy-to-develop habits that can put you at the top of the happiness leader board to cope with pervasive trauma:

1. Self-compassion. You like yourself and treat yourself and others with compassion instead of self-judgment. And that includes intentional work-life balance and a self-care plan of rest and relaxation.
2. Broad perspective. You develop the ability to see the big-picture perspective instead of a myopic focus on global problems. You are open-minded and have a broad point of view that leads to the ability to see more potential, possibilities and solutions.
3. Creativity. Your ability to broaden and build your outlook makes you more creative and endows you with the ability to focus on solving problems instead of getting mired in them. You are a life-long learner who approaches tasks from a variety of viewpoints.
4. Smiling. You are upbeat and smile on a regular basis. The act of smiling can trick your mind into happiness. The sheer activity of moving your facial muscles to form a smile—even if you fake it—generates positive emotions and raises your mood. According to scientists, smiling not only reflects happiness, it also contributes to your happiness.
5. Optimism and gratitude. Negativity is like Teflon and positivity is like Velcro for happy people in the midst of crises. You expect good things to happen and quickly see the upside of a downside situation with the ability to turn a difficulty around into an opportunity and make the best of it. You practice gratitude for what you have (the attitude of wanting what you have instead of having what you want) which raises your happiness level by 25%, according to scientific research.
6. Resilience. When obstacles—both up close and personal or national or global—are thrown in your path, you are able to face opposition with a positive attitude and emotional stamina. You have the courage to stick your neck out and keep going no matter how frequent and difficult the obstacles.
7. Social connections. You reach out to others on a regular basis for emotional and psychological support and develop close relationships with them.
8. Internal locus of control. Research shows that if you feel in control of your happiness, it correlates with actually feeling happier. That empowers you with a built-in sense of personal control and confidence in yourself, instead of depending on external circumstances to stabilize you.
9. Sense of humor. You balance serious and troubling moments by practicing light-hearted banter and encouraging jokes and laughter as good medicine.
10. Kindfulness. When you’re happy, you automatically want to help others. The helper’s high—a feeling of euphoria—is a real thing, science tells us, and we feel it when we do kind deeds for others, no matter how austere the circumstances.

The Pursuit Of Happiness

So despite the mental health epidemic and the state of today’s world, you can control your happiness in your own corner of the world with these ten habits. Perhaps the most influential factor is that if you believe you can take certain actions to control your happiness, you will be happier, despite the circumstances. Even though there is a happiness dip at midlife, if you have a good education and are employed, these factors contribute to your happiness level. The happiest people learn over time how to implement strategies that give them an upper hand at being happy which inoculates them against the curve balls that life throws their way. And that includes the widespread trauma affecting many Americans today. Focusing on the positive habits that we can control versus focusing on the global conditions we can’t control makes a big difference in our pursuit of happiness.