Things that will make you happier, according to scientific studies

Happiness is a very interesting thing because each of us has different ideas about what it is and how to achieve it. In fact, we are all obsessed with happiness by nature.

Everyone wants to be happy, don't they? There was an article in the New York Times a few years ago that caused quite a stir. The article explained that 7 minutes of exercise a day scientifically fulfills your daily exercise needs.

Exercise has a profound effect on happiness. In a study shared in Shawn Achor's book The Happiness Advantage, patients struggling with depression were divided into three groups and the results were really surprising. Accordingly, 38 percent of those who were only medicated relapsed, while 31 percent of those who both exercised and took medication relapsed. In those who only exercised, the relapse rate was 9 percent.

You don't have to be depressed to see the benefits of exercise. Exercise can help you relax, boost brain power and improve the way your body looks.

Sleep allows our bodies to regenerate and recuperate at the end of the day, helping us to focus more easily and be more productive. This shows that sleep is essential for happiness.

There are countless studies proving that spending time with family and friends has a huge impact on happiness. A study published by BPS Research Digest shows that sleep affects our sensitivity to negative emotions. The study found that people who did not take a midday nap were more sensitive to negative emotions such as anger or fear at the end of the day.

Sleep is of great importance for happiness, but the quality and duration of your sleep is also very important. The mood you have when you wake up can also determine how you spend the rest of the day. You may be interested in: I want to be happy too, but...

It may be surprising, but the distance between your home and your workplace has a very strong impact on happiness. In fact, it's not very interesting to think that something you repeat twice a day, at least five days a week, makes you happier or unhappier. "Driving in traffic is an everyday hell," says Harvard University psychologist Daniel Gilbert.

Sometimes you may prefer to live far away from your workplace in order to live in a bigger or nicer house. But rest assured, in the long run this will make you more unhappy. Swiss economists who have conducted studies on the impact of distance between home and work on happiness say that long distances between home and work bring unhappiness.

When it comes to happiness, social time is even more important. There are countless studies proving that spending time with family and friends has a huge impact on happiness.

"We're happy when we have family, we're happy when we have friends, and almost all of the things that we think make us happy are actually based in some way on spending more time with family and friends."

Getting out and spending time in good weather is a huge benefit. Research has shown that spending 20 minutes in good weather not only fosters positive moods, but also distracts from bad thoughts and makes you more productive." If you complain about lack of time, you can even take advantage of your commute or lunch break to spend 20 minutes outside.