Time is precious, and most of us would say we are too busy to add anything else to our already packed schedules. But what if a quick and simple action could make you happier? And what if those actions were so easy that anyone could do them anytime, anywhere?

That's exactly what a team of researchers set out to discover with the Big Joy Project: Can small acts of joy change people's happiness levels?

"The idea actually started with Mission: JOY, a project inspired by the wisdom and friendship of the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu," says Darwin A. Guevara, assistant professor and director of the Affective Science and Psychophysiology Lab at the University of Miami, as reported by Good Housekeeping. “Their message is simple but powerful: joy is not just for a lucky few, it is something that everyone can cultivate, even in difficult times.”

What is the Big Joy Project?

Darwin and other researchers created the Big Joy Project as part of Mission: JOY to see if small, scientifically based actions such as expressing gratitude, doing something kind, or taking a moment to marvel could influence people's happiness and health, especially when life gets stressful. “We were looking for changes in happiness, stress, and even physical health, such as sleep quality, after just one week of simple activities,” Guevara says.

The idea was to see if these practices could help everyone, including people who are going through a difficult period or have fewer resources to cope. “We also wanted to test whether the effects were real in the ‘chaotic’ real world, not just in a controlled lab setting,” he adds.

How did the study work?

Through the Big Joy Project website, researchers invited people from around the world to try different “micro-actions” of joy. “I call them ‘joy snacks,’” Guevara explains. “The idea is that they should be easy and accessible.”

The study included data from over 17,000 people in 169 countries. Participants were asked about their happiness, stress, and well-being. Then, every day for a week, they performed a random activity related to happiness — something that took only 5 to 10 minutes. After 7 days, the researchers measured their well-being again to see what had changed.

What did the researchers find?

Surprisingly, the study found that small, joyful actions have a big impact.

“The main conclusion is that simple actions that bring joy, which take only 5 to 10 minutes a day, can really increase your happiness and well-being,” says Guevara. "We also saw that the more of these micro-actions people did, the greater the increase in their well-being. What pleasantly surprised us was that these small daily actions not only made people feel happier, but also helped them sleep better and feel healthier overall — even after just one week."

People felt less stress and greater emotional well-being and positive emotions, which, according to the researchers, may be due to the fact that these small actions are similar to other long-term techniques. “We believe these small actions are powerful because they trigger the same basic psychological mechanisms as longer interventions — such as generating positive emotions, strengthening a sense of meaning, and satisfying our need for connection and belonging,” Dr. Guevara said. “The difference is that they do it with much less time and effort. Even just a few minutes a day can trigger emotional changes that add up, especially when those moments are repeated and intentional.”

How to feel happier every day

The best news from this new study is that you can use the results in your own life. The Big Joy Project is underway, free and open to people around the world.

You can incorporate some of these easy, research-backed mood-boosting strategies into your daily routine:

• Write a thank-you note
• Do something nice for someone
• Stop to enjoy something impressive, like a sunset or a beautiful tree
• Celebrate someone's joy by asking them to share a moment they are proud of
• Reframes a recent disappointment by identifying three good things that came out of it

Think about how you can contribute to someone's well-being. Try a few activities to see which ones work best for you. “The key is to experiment and find the small actions that really make you feel good,” says Guevara. |BGNES