Find your happiness in 2025 with these tips from a professor of psychology and neuroscience

[peter-proscia]

Finding happiness isn’t always easy but you are not the only person feeling that way. The latest World Happiness Report shows a drop in rankings in the U.S. to 23rd in the world. That’s a drop from 15th in the previous report.

While finding what makes you happy may not have a simple answer, CU Boulder Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience June Gruber may have some tips. Gruber is a happiness expert. She teaches a class on happiness at the university and recently spoke with In the NoCo podcast to share some advice on finding joy in life.

Here are some recommendations from her on finding happiness.

1. Shift your perspective and reframe how you think about happiness. Don’t be afraid to challenge previously conceived thoughts on what it means to be happy.
2. Appreciate that happiness isn’t one single thing. There are many different ways to pursue happiness and be happy. Don’t let your own terms make finding happiness unachievable. 
3. Happiness is not only about yourself. Dr. Gruber says happiness should not be a self-focused pursuit or something you need to achieve on your own. Be sure to use connections and those around you to fulfill your goals.
4. Keep it simple. Happiness doesn’t have to be some big mysterious pursuit. In her research, Dr. Gruber says there is plenty of evidence that following a few simple hacks can improve your mood. Those hacks include:
   
   1. Keep a daily gratitude journal. Spend some time each day writing down a few notes about what made you feel good. Simple instances count as well, like a nice compliment you received today, the way the sun rose or even “the first sip of coffee” in the morning.  
   2. Get out in nature. The power of the outdoors has been well documented on how it improves your mood. While Dr. Gruber does teach in Colorado, it’s important to note that getting out in nature doesn’t need to be climbing a mountain, even a nearby park can help. 
   3. Do things that connect you to other people. Dr. Gruber says humans evolved with social groups, and that shows the importance of being connected with other people. Find happiness by spending time with friends and family, and avoid too much alone time.
5. Prioritize your mental health and pursue happiness at the same time. If needed, find support for mental health challenges. But that can be done while also using these life hacks to find daily happiness. These strategies aren’t mutually exclusive and it doesn’t need to be one or the other. They can be done in parallel, so take care of your complete well-being when needed.

Listen to the full interview on the In the NoCo podcast.