How to Turn on the Happiness Gene

Can we become happier, or are some just born with propensity for being happy? We all know someone who seems to be happy and can float through life. Of course we’re not one of those lucky ones, right? Hold on, you do have a choice in this happiness matter.

Scientists discovered a gene that regulates motion of serotonin in our brains, so don’t feel bad. The 5-HTT gene could be a direct correlation to the person’s happiness.

However, scientists don’t believe that our wellbeing in contained this one gene. There are other variables that influence individual happiness.

“But this finding helps to explain why we each have a unique baseline level of happiness and why some people tend to be naturally happier than others, and that's in no small part due to our individual genetic make-up,” the

Journal of Human Genetics

reported.

What if that gene doesn’t exist in you, and where do we go from here?

Best-selling author Dr. Deepak Chopra of Super Genes

said you can do something. We know there are repercussions in living an unhealthy lifestyle like smoking and drinking. They are also affected by positives changes to our diet, by reducing stress, and genes are like the brain when you start changing. Your genome is responsive--the gene activity changes and it is fluid throughout our lives.

Doctor Rudy Tanzi who co-authored the book said in an interview in 2014 that every experience we have causes chemical changes in the brain and in our bodies.


“And those genetic changes occur often enough and with persistence, that can lead to modification of those genes such that they react the same way in the future because they’ve been trained."

So we need to change our thought process, to change our genes to become happier? I thought it was biological. It sounds like a farfetched idea. Wait a minute, biology doesn’t determine destiny?

No, said Chopra. There are many factors that influence us like stress management, life events, and again, lifestyle choices. He said we change the genetic activity which includes the proteins, and enzymes of individual cells.

“You are speaking to your genes with every thought, word, and action. Experiences are recorded and remembered at the genetic level (such markers are studied in a special field known as epigenetics, which focuses on how sections of DNA are activated or suppressed). Without going into the complexities of genetic activity, a single lesson is emerging: a person's genes and their lifestyle form a single feedback loop,” he wrote.


Chopra suggested that we work with our bodies, not against it by making better choices, and choosing healthier thoughts. This mean eating better, and exercising, and believing you are not a victim, but a conqueror. Thinking along the lines of this, pumps you up into happiness. You can already feel yourself come alive.

Here is what you can do

 Start by letting this stress go. You can’t control everything in life, but you can control reactions, how to tackle, tasks, problems, and other hurdles. Start meditating, to calm down. Allow yourself to slow down and live in the present. This will take time, but try it for 10 minutes. Being still allows for you stop multitasking and take one thing at time. Scientist also found that if you smile more, it improves health! You might not like this next one.

During his Ted Talk on how to be happy psychologist Dan Gilbert explained we need to stop chasing success Inc. shared “Our brains have a defense mechanism that's hard-wired to make us happy with the lives we have, whatever those may be. Even Pete Best, a drummer best known for getting fired by the Beatles just before they hit it big, now says he wouldn't want it any other way.”

A lot of our stress comes from chasing something making, more advancing our careers, and other material things. Not only if we slow down in these areas, might we find there are things more important, like being happy.