Good health. Good relationships. Good work. Those are three things most of us want. How do we increase our odds of getting them? According to Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener’s book Happiness, it just takes a little happiness.

HEALTH: It has been proven empirically that happy people get sick less often, experience fewer symptoms when sick, and recover more quickly. They also live longer. Why is that?

• Happy people are more likely to have healthy habits – diet, exercise, vitamins, nonsmoker, moderation in alcohol consumption
• Happy people have more effective immune systems.
• Happy people are less prone to anger, depression, and stress, all of which have been associated with cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
• Happiness helps regulate the stress hormone cortisol. Stress undermines recovery from injury and may accelerate the rate of cellular aging.

RELATIONSHIPS: From the earliest times when humans roamed the earth, social relationships proved essential to survival. They helped distribute the work to provision shelter, sustenance, and clothing, and had our backs when facing threat. We also need them to find fulfillment. Life becomes especially meaningful when we have people who care about us, people toward whom we show affection, and people with whom we share life’s journey.

Happy people are far more likely to enjoy the blessing of family, friends, and support networks than people with low life satisfaction. They are more sociable, pleasant, and rewarding to be around. They express greater interest in social activities. And both introverts and extroverts have more positive feelings when with others.

Close relationships allow us to feel loved, validated, and secure. The mere presence of others proves comforting. Moreover, their diverse knowledge and experience help us solve problems, stretch our comprehension of the world, and form ideas and opinions. Groups to which we belong help define who we are and give us a sense of identity. And being with them can be just plain fun!

While happy people are more likely to marry that non-happy people, marital happiness depends on finding the right partner and cultivating forwarding communication. Further, most happiness studies have not shown children to be an important cause of happiness. It depends on one’s disposition and preferences.

WORK: Folks tend to view gainful employment from one of three perspective:

• It’s a job that makes it possible to pay the bills – i.e., transactional.
• It’s a stepping stone to advancement – i.e., career-oriented.
• It’s a place to express what matters deeply and be in contribution to community – i.e., a calling.

Callings abound in every profession, and happy people find ways to narrate their work in that context. They become architects of their work, taking the initiative to bring their day-to-day responsibilities in accord with a higher purpose. They’re great employees who show up on time, take fewer sick days, and lend helping hands to co-workers. Their positive demeanor promotes broad, creative thinking and results in superior decision making. People who are happiest at work are happiest at home.

Of course, favorable employment rests on the shoulders of the employee’s attitude and the company’s treatment of its workers. Important factors for job satisfaction include opportunities for personal control, a variety of tasks, supportive supervision, respect, equitable pay and benefits, clear job requirements and the means to meet them, and a good “fit” with appropriate challenge.