3 science-proven ways money can't buy happiness

Good news for the thrifty, penny-pinched, and underpaid among us: A study from Belgium's University of Liege found that money diminishes our appreciation for life's mundane pleasures. The reasoning? Regularly enjoying extravagances that money can buy--like going out to spendy restaurants and buying all the Chanel we ever wanted--makes it harder to savor the beauty in life's little joys, like sunny days and cold beers. Here, three ways to cultivate a life with more happiness, no money necessary.

LOOK OUTSIDE YOUR JOB
While more content people generally report higher job satisfaction, a study from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, finds that loving your job won't necessarily increase your overall level of happiness. The study suggests that the secret to being happy at work is to be happy with other areas of your life, like family and friendships. Instead of working late again, how about punching out to meet your bestie for a yoga class?

Read more: How to love the job you have

DIG IN
Remember when you were a kid, and you lost all sense of time when you were building forts in the backyard, watercoloring, or playing soccer? This is what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls flow, a state where we feel completely immersed in the task at hand, often feeling spontaneous joy from what we're doing. If you haven't felt so delightfully engaged in awhile, think back to what in life has managed to make you feel this energized and alive, and then go after it (something else to do when you punch out from work!).

Read more: How to pursue your life passions (and drop what drains you)

DO GOOD
Numerous studies have shown the positive relationship between volunteering and mental well-being. Doing good can help combat depression, and those who volunteer report better health and greater happiness than people who do not. Try lending a hand to a cause that means something to you, like the Girl Scouts of America or a local food pantry. See how much happier you feel when you do good in less formal ways, like holding open the door for people and offering to pitch in when a colleague is overwhelmed at work.

Read more: Simple, non-cheesy ways to makeover your self-image

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