A doctor who created the ‘formula for happiness’ has revealed a simple new way to test your life satisfaction.
Alphonsus Obayuwana is a physician-scientist and happiness coach who has spent three decades researching human hope and happiness.
He says that if you can say these six phrases with confidence, you live a happier, more hopeful life than most.
Dr. Alphonsus Obayuwana says that if you can say these six phrases with confidence, you live a happier, more hopeful life than most
Obayuwana’s formula for happiness is Hope ÷ Hunger = Happiness. This essentially means that the more hopeful and less hungry you are, the happier you are.
But he doesn’t mean hunger in the typical sense. This type of hunger refers to ‘a compelling desire or craving for inclusion and acknowledgement, intimacy and trusted companionship, food and comfort, information and answers, and continuity and certainty.’
Hope comes from having high self-esteem, robust human relationships, economic sufficiency, adequate knowledge and spiritual assurances.
To use the formula, you first have to measure your hope and happiness. Obayuwana created a 12-question survey to help you do just that. It only takes five minutes to complete.
Once you get your hope and hunger score, plug these values into the formula to calculate your Personal Happiness Index.
If you want to test your life satisfaction further, try saying these six simple phrases out loud. If you can recite them with confidence, you’re likely happier than the average person, Obayuwana says.
1. ‘Generally speaking, I am an optimist’
If you identify as an optimist, that means ‘you habitually choose the most favorable interpretation of events and outcomes of the past, the present, and especially the future,’ Obayuwana wrote in an article for CNBC.
This means you probably have a high hope score, and therefore a higher Personal Happiness Index.
‘To an optimist, the future is full of hope, whereas to the pessimist it’s full of hunger, or unfulfilled desires,’ Obayuwana wrote.
What’s more, optimists tend to be more resilient than pessimists.
‘When you haven’t achieved a goal after a few attempts, you try and try again. And if you determine a goal is truly impossible to achieve, you modify it to keep hope alive,’ Obayuwana wrote.
Some people are predisposed to optimism from the day they are born. Research has shown that the roots of optimism lie in our genes, and that some individuals are hard-wired to be more hopeful and positive.
But having a glass-half-full outlook on life is also a skill that can be learned. Challenging negative self-talk and replacing pessimistic thoughts with positive ones can help a person become more optimistic.
‘You can learn to be more optimistic by noting and acknowledging that good things do happen, and anyone (including yourself) can make them happen,’ Obayuwana wrote.
2. ‘I have something to offer to other people’
This phrase represents a high degree of self-esteem and a strong belief in yourself, Obayuwana says.
Feeling like your life has purpose, or that you have something meaningful to contribute to society or the people around you, means that you are a consequential member of your community.
‘You matter, and you belong,’ Obayuwana wrote.
If this statement doesn’t resonate with you, it may be time to identify your true calling or passion.
‘The best way to build this belief is to identify your true calling or passion – something you love to do and do very well,’ Obayuwana wrote.
Your ‘true calling’ can be anything. Maybe you’re unfulfilled at work and want to explore other careers. Or perhaps you want to do something more meaningful with your free time, like volunteering at an animal shelter or a charitable organization you believe in.
Filling your time with experiences that help you feel like a valuable member of your community is key to living a happy life.
3. ‘I have someone I can count on’
Life is full of ups and downs. Knowing that you have people to support you through difficult times is important.
‘All humans have an inborn desire for human connection,’ Obayuwana wrote.
When you have someone you can count on, especially in stressful emergency situations, it diminishes your natural hunger for trusted companionship, he says.
Research has shown that good relationships are the most consistent predictor of a happy life. Humans are a social species, we need to connect with others to have a sense of safety, security and belonging.
If you’re lacking strong relationships in your life, you can begin to expand your social circle by doing things that make others smile, Obayuwana says.
‘Send someone a note just because you’re thinking of them, give your neighbor a ride, compliment a friend, or let the other driver go first,’ he wrote.
These little acts of kindness can strengthen budding relationships and help you create a strong support system.
4. ‘When I need answers, I usually find them’
Humans are born with natural curiosity, or a ‘hunger’ for new information and answers to our questions.
‘When you believe that answers to your questions are within reach, that hunger is mitigated and under control. Simply understanding ‘Why?’ can ease heavy burdens,’ Obayuwana wrote.
Knowledge is a source of hope, he says. It strengthens self-esteem, self confidence and courage.
Feeling like you can rely on your knowledge and answer-seeking abilities to get you through challenging or confusing times can alleviate fear and anxiety, Obayuwana says.
As the old saying goes, knowledge is power.
5. ‘When I think about what I have, I believe I’m more fortunate than many’
Practicing gratitude is key to living a happy life. This phrase acknowledges how fortunate you are to have your economic assets, such as money, food, shelter and the financial and material comfort they provide, Obayuwana says.
He believes that when you value and appreciate what you have, the value of what you have instantly appreciates.
You’ve probably heard the phrase, ‘comparison is the thief of joy.’ When we are constantly wishing we had what others have, we fail to recognize just how rich our own lives are.
If you find yourself struggling to appreciate what you have, you can do small things each day to foster a sense of gratitude, Obayuwana says.
It can be as simple as being a good steward of your assets. Making your bed, tidying your desk, and conserving water and electricity can serve as daily reminders of everything you’re fortunate to have, he says.
You can also practice gratitude through mindfulness. Taking a few minutes each day to count your blessings can make a big difference.
6. ‘Relying on something larger than myself is reassuring’
Practicing spirituality can reduce stress and anxiety, provide a sense of purpose, offer perspective and make individuals more resilient in the face of life’s challenges.
Spirituality can refer to a belief in God or another source of divine guidance, protection, or supervision, but it doesn’t have to, Obayuwana says. In fact, spirituality doesn’t have to relate to organized religion at all.
Your core beliefs, moral tenets, ethical convictions and virtuous practices are all part of spirituality.
‘At the end of the day, spirituality is about that urge to respond to others’ material needs, the motivation to do things even when they don’t directly benefit you, and the hope and fulfillment you get as a result,’ he wrote.