Want success? Pursue your happiness

Here are some research-based tips on how to raise your resting happy rate:

1. Accentuate the positive. You’ve heard this before because it’s what leaders do. For every 10 compliments and one criticism received, most people remember only the criticism. Train yourself to consciously register good things: a ray of sunshine, a kind word, a job well done. When you encounter something good, take 20 seconds to soak it up.

2. Wish people well. Next time you’re stuck in traffic or waiting for an elevator, silently beam out good vibrations. Studies show that simply wishing others well switches on a “pump” in your heart that releases a current of happiness.

3. Quit worrying. About 80% of our worries never come to pass. Letting go of anxiety and negative thoughts can even take a physical expression.

4. Get a move on. A little exercise will release happy neurochemicals—endorphins, serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine—that lower pain and boost your defenses. Even a big smile (you can fake it at first) does the trick.

5. Form a Coalition of the Happy. Hanging out with happy people exposes you to “emotional contagion,” a scientifically proven way to jump-start joy.