Israeli App Aims to Make Happiness a Daily Habit

The pursuit of happiness, a concept enshrined in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, is more than just a fleeting emotion—it’s a goal that can be actively pursued and developed. A new Israeli startup, Happy Things, embraces this philosophy, offering users a unique way to cultivate happiness through small, daily habits.

Despite the challenges Israel has faced, including the recent conflict on October 7th, the country remains one of the top five happiest nations in the world. This resilience, a key ingredient in well-being, can be strengthened through practice—a concept central to Happy Things.

Talia Soen, CEO and co-founder of Happy Things, was inspired to create the app by her own search for greater happiness. “I had this feeling that I’m not happy enough and that something is missing in my life,” she shared with ISRAEL21c. Her quest led her to the emerging field of positive psychology, which focuses not on treating negativity, but on fostering positive emotions and habits that contribute to happiness.

Positive psychology studies what happy people do differently and uses those insights to develop practices that anyone can adopt. However, Soen found that many people struggle to maintain these habits without external reinforcement, which is where Happy Things steps in.

“Happy Things is a digital framework that teaches people how to practice happiness and provides them with a tool to do so daily,” Soen explained. The app works similarly to Duolingo, but instead of language learning, it’s designed to help users build and sustain happiness.

After securing funding from Fusion, Happy Things has already attracted 1,200 users and offers a free month to Israelis. The platform condenses thousands of research studies into short, manageable activities that can be completed in just five minutes a day, making it easy to incorporate into a busy schedule.

“These activities can range from listening to a song that evokes a happy memory, complimenting someone, calling a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while, going on a 10-minute walk, or reflecting on three good things that happened this week,” Soen noted.

Over time, the app learns more about its users and begins to tailor reminders and feedback based on their preferences, family situations, hormonal status, work schedules, and more. “That way, it will be able to provide users with what’s best for them,” Soen said.

Happy Things aims to make the pursuit of happiness a habit, offering users the tools they need to incorporate more joy into their daily lives, even amidst life’s challenges.

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