Last Updated on September 7, 2022 by Editors Desk
Let’s define happiness before we respond to the question above. Happiness refers to pleasurable or positive emotions that can range from contentment to ecstatic joy when referring to mental or emotional states. The other types are eudaimonia, flourishing, life satisfaction, and subjective and overall well-being.
Although everyone wants to be happy, different people have different definitions of what happiness is. When most people talk about what happiness is, they usually mean their current state of mind or a more general sense of how they feel about life.
Since “happiness” has such a broad definition, psychologists and other social scientists prefer to refer to this emotional state as “subjective well-being,” which, as its name suggests, focuses primarily on how a person feels about their current situation in life.
Everyone seeks happiness. Furthermore, studies show that being joyful not only makes you feel great but also predicts better physical health and possibly even a higher income.
But how exactly do we go about doing that? Some recent scientific studies advise against seeking happiness. For instance, participants who were instructed to feel happier while watching a pleasant film clip felt worse than participants who were instructed to watch the clip alone, according to a study led by psychology professor Iris Mauss at the University of California, Berkeley.
The question now is: Should we aspire to happiness at all?
The simple response is no. Happiness is something that should never be pursued because doing so defeats the point. The source of happiness must be internal. Of course, people ought to try to improve their happiness by engaging in pursuits that promote tranquillity and joy.
But making an excessive effort to be happy will only make you feel hopeless and restless. Research suggests that those who strive to feel happy all the time may be let down, and those who chase happiness like it’s the only thing that matters may, ironically, chase happiness away.
You can pursue happiness in other ways besides these, though. Another strategy is what I refer to as “prioritising positivity”: planning your daily activities so that they include circumstances that inevitably result in positive feelings. This method of seeking happiness entails setting aside time in your daily schedule to engage in activities you truly enjoy, such as writing, gardening, or spending time with loved ones. Prioritizing positivity also entails carefully weighing the positive emotional effects of significant life decisions, such as accepting a new job, which have an impact on the situations you will frequently encounter daily. This method of seeking happiness entails purposefully placing oneself in situations that inevitably result in happy feelings.
How to be happier?
- Control your attitude
Having control over your attitude means having control over how you react to a particular situation. The reaction does not have to be loud but correct. If you overreact to the situation you may end up hurting yourself emotionally and may even physically.
- Get a hobby
Engaging yourself in a hobby will bring peace and it will also divert your mind from weird thoughts. When you stay busy and invest your energy in the right place, you tend to live a longer and happier life.
- Colour therapy
Might sound childish, but colour therapy is effective when it comes to controlling your emotions and seeking happiness. Having colours around automatically boosts your serotonin level hence improving your overall mood.
Colour therapy includes colouring, painting, drawing, or playing with colour dough. There are many others ways as well.
- Avoid alcohol, drugs, and other intoxicants.
Alcohol, drugs, and other intoxicants may help you feel calm for a while but the after-effects they have on your body are far worse. Instead of these, switch to other ways of relaxing yourself, like playing with kids, talking to your loved ones, going out, listening to music etc.
- Maintain a healthy body.
A healthy body leads to a healthy brain. Eating healthy, and practising a daily self-care routine might help you boost your confidence, have self-awareness and improves your overall health.
- Yoga
The fact that yoga is known for lowering stress levels is a huge benefit of it. The nervous system is directly impacted by the practice of yoga as we move from the fight-or-flight state to the rest-and-digest state, which encourages the body to relax.
- Get proper sleep
Your brain processes your emotions while you’re sleeping. For your mind to recognise and respond appropriately, it needs this time. You typically experience more negative and fewer positive emotional reactions when you cut that short. Hence, getting 6-8 hours of sleep is beneficial for your body.
- Acknowledge yourself
The best way to attain peak happiness is to accept yourself the way you are and acknowledge your worth. Make peace with your body and relax your mind. Practising self-love is highly beneficial and affects your mood and lifestyle on several levels.
Be your own master. Don’t let external factors affect you internally. That’s how you can attain happiness without striving for it.
