You Can Buy Happiness this Holiday Season!

With Christmas around the corner, everyone is running around for their last minute gifts. Fortunately, you can buy happiness this holiday season. Behavioral science and social psychology studies from San Francisco State University and the book Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending, by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton draw on quantitative and qualitative research explaining how to buy joy. These studies suggest that Buying Experiences, Not Possessions leads to Greater Happiness. Going to a concert, on a vacation or a dinner with your partner not only fulfills your needs for social connectedness and satisfaction, but it is the gift that keeps on giving due to the fact that it creates fond memories that you can access for the rest of our life. We do not get bored of these memories like we would a material object. Consequently, people who purchased experiences displayed less buyers remorse than those who bought "things." So this holiday season instead of shopping the stores, consider thinking of creative experiences you can give to your loved ones whether it be theater tickets, sky diving, or a weekend retreat to a local hotel. Happy and Healthy Holidays everyone!

For Further Reading Check out:
Forbes: Want to Buy Happiness?
Buying New Experiences

Or Watch this Video:
Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending

Let me know what you think in the comments below. Do you experience more happiness when you receive material gifts or an experience?

Future Therapist

#Christmas2013 #New Year

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