Have you noticed that when the weather gets good, people start smiling more and seem to choose Happiness? Here’s why.  People in sunny, outdoorsy states — Louisiana, Hawaii, Florida — say they’re the happiest Americans, and researchers think they know why.

A new study comparing self-described pleasant feelings with objective measures of good living found these folks generally have reason to feel fine. The places where people are most likely to report happiness also tend to rate high on studies comparing things like climate, crime rates, air quality and schools. Probably not surprisingly, their report in Friday’s edition of the journal Science found the happiest people tend to live in the states that do well in quality-of-life studies.

Ranking No. 1 in happiness was Louisiana, home of Dixieland music and Cajun/Creole cooking. Rounding out the happy five were Hawaii, Florida, Tennessee and Arizona. At the other end of the scale, last in happiness — is New York State.

The long commutes, congestion and high prices around New York City account for some of the unhappiness. The top ten happy states, in order of cheeriness, are:

1. Louisiana

2. Hawaii

3. Florida

4. Tennessee

5. Arizona

6. South Carolina

7. Mississippi

8. Montana

9. Alabama

10. Maine.

If you don’t live in one of these areas, don’t despair. There are a number of things you can do to get out there and boost your happiness within and mood by getting your fair share of sunshine.

Take a vacation – as well as getting you to sunnier climates, a great vacation will let you unwind, relax and remember the finer things in life, as well as giving you time to spend with friends and family without the hassles of work.

Invest in a daylight lamp – these work by waking you up with light that has the same effect as daylight. It boosts your mood from the minute you open your eyes, easing you in to the day.

Take a vitamin D supplement. This is the vitamin that the sun gives us, leading to healthier skin, hair and nails and an overall feeling of wellbeing.

Get out of the house as often as you can. We don’t always think of it, but being copped up indoors means you don’t get access to sunshine very often. When you get the chance, pop out for a walk and catch some rays!

Got a convertible? Drive with the top down! Assuming you haven’t been caught up in one of the recent rain showers, kill two birds with one stone by getting your sunshine while you go to where you need to be.

Draw the curtains, open the windows and let the sun stream in. With spring well underway, most of us are getting more access to natural light now – make the most of it, and let the spring weather blow away your winter cobwebs and fill your house with light.

If all else fails and the sunshine hasn’t yet found its way to where you live, you could always move to Louisiana!

Enjoy the sunshine it is one of the secrets to happiness!

Debbie