Do exercise, nature and socializing make people happier? Research suggests we don't really know

Hannah Ali feels happiest when she can take her dog, Ella, out for a walk and meet up with her friends. 

"Humans are social animals, so when you spend time with your friends, your family … I think that's what makes you the most happy," said Ali, a Toronto resident. 

As an immigrant to Canada, Ali says she knows a lot of people who also left family and friends behind in their home countries and she sees how losing those social connections impacts them. 

"They miss the social aspect of it," she said. "I think that really affects their mood and their overall quality of life here." 

But a recent review of research on the subject suggests that despite decades of scientific studies, experts still don't know whether some of the most common happiness-boosting strategies — such as socializing — actually work. 

Happiness is a feeling that people can spend their whole lives chasing. Often, that pursuit involves doing certain activities, such as seeing friends or going outside for a walk. 

Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) decided to look into whether there is robust evidence to support the effectiveness of these activities. They began by searching phrases such as "scientifically proven ways to be happier" on Google and looked at the activities recommended within the links in the first 10 pages of results. 

From there, they identified the following five most common ways people are advised to seek happiness: 

After reviewing dozens of studies that focused on these five strategies, they found there's not a lot of rigorous research to prove they make us any happier.  

The review's senior author cautions that the results shouldn't discourage those who enjoy the suggested activities.

"If you're somebody who, for example, works out every day and really enjoys it — absolutely, you should stick with it, and if you find that it makes you happy, that's fabulous," said Elizabeth Dunn, a psychology professor at UBC. 

"All we're saying is that there isn't really strong evidence that, across the board for the typical person, that exercise … or that these other strategies reliably promote happiness."  

The review's lead author, Dunigan Folk, says that while people shouldn't stop doing what makes them happy, the findings are important for those who sink time or money into trying to feel good. 

"It can be frustrating if you're trying something that at least the consensus suggests is strongly scientifically backed and it doesn't work for you, and that can lead to feelings of hopelessness," said Folk, a PhD student in psychology at UBC.