Featured Post from University of Delaware

The keys to holiday happiness: Gratitude, giving and genuine connection

University of Delaware professor shares research-backed strategies

Nov 14, 2025

1 min

The holiday ads insist that it’s the time for cheer, buying gifts and reconnecting with friends and family. Various factors – social media, remote work, politics – have made that more difficult than ever. There is hope: Research by the University of Delaware's Amit Kumar shows the path to genuine happiness this season.

Kumar, assistant professor of marketing in UD's Lerner College of Business & Economics, offered the following three strategies.

Gratitude:

• Gratitude and giving thanks has benefits for both the giver and the receiver. It makes both parties feel good, and provides a real-life human connection at a time when those are hard to come by.

"Investing in doing is a better route to social connection than spending on having." - Amit Kumar

A shift in gift buying strategy:

• Experiences can make for better gifts than trinkets, coats, jewelry or other items. There's a better chance of social connection if you're doing something rather than giving something.

Type less, talk more:

• It's important to keep in touch, but reconnecting during the holidays through a phone call or face-to-face interaction (virtually or in person) has a better chance of strengthening our bonds.

More information on Kumar, who is also an assistant professor of psychological & brain sciences, can be found on his website.

To contact Kumar directly and arrange an interview, visit his profile and click on the contact button. Interested reporters can also send an email to MediaRelations@udel.edu.

Connect with:

Amit Kumar

Assistant Professor of Marketing

Professor Kumar’s research focuses on the scientific study of happiness.

HappinessConsumer BehaviorSocial PsychologyBehavioral Decision MakingKindness

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Happiness isn’t just about chasing big, exciting moments. A lot of the science points to the smaller, everyday things that help people feel connected, calm and grounded. Simple habits like helping others when we see them struggling create a bigger impact than we often expect. University of Delaware's resident "happiness expert" Amit Kumar, a psychologist and assistant professor of marketing in UD's Lerner College of Business & Economics, appeared on NPR's Hidden Brain to discuss that very topic. Kumar discusses why sometimes it feels like we can't help others and how we can surmount those fears to build strong connections and also feel a greater sense of happiness. To speak with Kumar about this topic, click his profile.

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