Ask most people anywhere in the world what they want out of life and the reply will probably be“to be happy”. Ed Deiner，an American psychology professor，has spent his whole life studying what makes people happy，comparing levels of happiness between cultures and trying to find out exactly why we enjoy ourselves.

Many people would say that this question does not need an answer. But Professor Deiner has one anyway. “If you’re a cheerful，happy person，your marriage is more likely to last，and you’re more likely to make money and be successful in your job. On average，happy people have stronger immune systems（免疫系统），and there is some evidence that they live longer. ”

So who are the world’s happiest people？It depends on how the word is defined. There is individual（个人的）happiness，the sense of joy we get when we do something we like. But there is also the feeling of satisfaction we get when we know that others respect us and approve of how we behave. According to Professor Deiner，the Western world pursues individual happiness while Asia prefers mutual satisfaction.

“In the West，the individualistic culture means that your mood matters much more than it does in the East. People ask themselves if they are doing what is fun or interesting. They become unhappy when they can’t do any of these things. If you ask people from Japan or China whether they are happy，they tend to look at what has gone wrong in their lives. If not much has gone wrong，then they are satisfied. ”

“People from Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries have the happiest culture，”Professor Deiner found. “The biggest cultural difference is to do with pride and shame. Hispanic cultures report much more pride and much less shame than others. ”

Income（收入）also makes a big difference to people’s happiness，but only at the lowest levels. Average income earners in the US are much happier than people in poverty. But millionaires are only a little bit happier than people on average incomes. It seems that money makes us happy when we have enough to feel safe.

Ways to Be Happy in Life

Happiness is very important. If you are not happy, life can become meaningless. What can you do to be happy? Here are several ways to help.

1. 【小题1】.

Having things to expect helps keep you positive and happy. It might be a holiday you’ve booked, or a concert. Make sure you regularly provide yourself with things that you desire to do.

2. Have a laugh.

Laughter is fantastic medicine for the soul. Seek out people who is humorous and make you laugh. Avoid those negative people. Watch some funny films. Learn to laugh at yourself and things around you. 【小题2】.

3. Exercise!

Through millions of years of evolution, we are designed to work physically harder than most of us do. This leaves us with extra unburned energy.

【小题3】 This could be the gym, swimming, playing tennis etc. Exercise also produces some feel-good chemical substance (物质) in your body, leaving you feeling great afterwards.

4. Watch your stress levels.

Stress is harmful to your health. 【小题4】 Can you off-load some responsibility? Maybe talk to your boss about getting some help? If things can’t be improved, then consider finding a new job.

5. Don’t be a people pleaser.

【小题5】 Learn to say no to people who ask for too much. Do things that make you happy, even if people in your life don’t approve. As long as it isn’t harming anyone else, then chase what you feel you want to do.

   As the pace of life continues to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation. _______ you are in the habit of rushing through life, being on the go（忙碌）from morning till night, it is hard to _______. But relaxation is _______ for a healthy mind and body.

Stress is a（n）_______ part of everyday life and there is no way to _______ it. In fact, it is not the bad thing that it is often supposed to be. A _______ amount of stress is important to provide motivation and give _______ to life. It is only when stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and _______ health.

The amount of stress a person can bear _______ very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress, and such a ________ is obviously chief material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the ________ of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we ________ both chemically and physically. In fact we make a choice between ________ and fight. And in more ancient days the choices made the ________ between life and death. The crises we meet today are ________ to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it requires the same response. It is when such a reaction ________ long, through continued exposure to stress, that health becomes ________. Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have ________ links with stress. Since we cannot ________ stress from our lives we need to find ways to ________ it.

So what do you think of stress? What is your way to deal with it?