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Want to be happy? Try changing who you are!

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Hey you — be happy! The secret is to not be yourself.

It’s not really “climb the mountain to see the guru” kind of stuff; it’s more of a “British researchers show in the latest medical journal” kind of thing.

A study out of the University of Manchester suggests personality changes are the biggest factors in your well-being, affecting happiness much more than changes to marital status, employment or income.

But can you consciously change your personality traits? That’s up for debate.

“I consider myself a happy person,” says Pushpa, one of the many smiling faces News1130 found on the streets of Vancouver.

“There is no secret. I just don’t take anything seriously. I go with the flow,” he laughs.

Others we spoke to couldn’t figure out which personality traits they should change to achieve a state of happiness.

“I don’t know. I’m not really that grumpy a person,” says Jay, who believes emotional well-being is about striking the right balance in life.

“Working enough, but not too much, and taking holidays,” he smiles.

The study is the latest issue of the journal Social Indicators Research.

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