We seem to have a happiness set point, according to researchers. They have found that people who win the lottery are about as happy a year from now as they are prior to winning the lottery. Likewise, people who go through a tragedy are about as happy a year from now as they were prior to the tragedy. This even includes circumstances of loss of limbs.

Things that change our happiness set point: psychotropic drugs, such as prozac. Unfortunately they only work for a while and have side effects.Cognitive therapy. If you are able to uncover and discard the thoughts and beliefs that make you unhappy, your happiness will increase. Finally, meditation. Apparently, in meditation the prefrontal cortex part of the brain is actually able to generate the exact same chemicals that psychotropic drugs attempt to generate. except there are no side effects.