What makes us happy?

We interviewed people about what makes them happy and sad and we researched how our brain computes this.

We wanted to find out what makes us happy and how we can tell this, we did some research on the internet and asked members of Cranbrook School and members of the public what makes them happy.

Things that make people happy we generally things that calmed them or they found relaxing. The majority said friends, family,  holidays, being around nature and nice weather. Hobbies were also something that people mentioned like art or playing sport.

We found out from our research that there are four main chemicals in the brain that effect happiness and emotions. These chemicals are: dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins. You can also eat foods high in chemicals that make you happy that can produce a happier outlook on life. We discovered that having a positive attitude can make it less likely for you too feel sad than someone with a negative attitude.

Students from our  school said that they felt sad when they received bad grades and teachers said that they disliked it when students misbehave. Some people also said that they felt sad when they saw or heard about animal cruelty. The majority of people expressed sad emotions when they felt stressed or alone.

Overall we found out that different things will produce these emotions in different people, although each person will associate similar things with what makes them happy or sad.