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Happiness is difficult to define and even harder to realise. Despite its nebulous nature, a community of researchers is studying the concept of happiness and the factors that influence it. Jordi Quoidbach, associate professor in the Department of People Management and Organisation at in Spain, has conducted innovative research on happiness and its connection to various aspects of modern life. Quoidbach has published several research papers on scientifically proven strategies for improving mental satisfaction – even in the face of challenges.

“From my research, the key factors that influence happiness in modern life are the ones we have spoken about for hundreds of years,” Quoidbach says. “Happy people tend to spend a lot of time with their friends, are in committed romantic relationships and regularly do something that they find meaning in,” he says.

“Realising happiness today depends on nothing profoundly different to what our grandmothers have been saying for generations,” Quoidbach notes. Although the fundamental factors that underpin happiness may have remained unchanged for years, research has highlighted interesting discoveries regarding individual habits and the impact they have on happiness.

“One of the most surprising findings from my research is that circumstances don’t play that big a role regarding whether an individual is happy,” Quoidbach adds. For instance, studies suggest that happiness is more closely connected to genetics, disposition and the things people do daily rather than material possessions and wealth. “Tracking people’s use of time, we found that they tend to be happier when engaged in social relationships or taking part in leisure activities as opposed to working.”

While some aspects of happiness appear to be immutable, the modern world has changed the way we experience and perceive it to some degree. Technology, for example, appears to have had a broadly negative impact. “We see three profound negative changes as a result of technology,” Quoidbach explains. “Firstly, time is fragmented more than ever due to an almost-permanent connection to our smartphones. We are always interrupted, which reduces our ability to enjoy the present.”

Social media has made it easier to relativise our success or standing with people from around the world, even though what we are seeing is a highly curated version of people’s lives. “This increases our propensity to be unsatisfied,” Quoidbach continues. “And thirdly, technology has reduced in-person interactions. We’ve traded happiness for convenience.”

Quoidbach’s research has pointed out common misconceptions about happiness, such as the belief that success and money lead to happiness in a linear way. In reality, happiness seems to be a driver of success rather than a symptom of it and money makes little difference to happiness once an individual has the means to live comfortably.

“An interesting property of emotions like happiness is that they are not triggered by situations as much as our perception of them,” Quoidbach says. “We can make a conscious effort to interpret things more positively even if you can’t change the situation directly.”

“Emotional diversity plays a bigger role than many realise,” Quoidbach says. Those who are the happiest aren’t necessarily positive all the time but have a diverse emotional life. “There seems to be an ideal mix of emotions – including negative ones – that can help guide us through difficult situations,” he says.

about research at Esade.