Website design By BotEap.comHappiness studies are a growing field of study in the area of humanities and social sciences. This article helps you incorporate some of these findings into your everyday life and thus increase your level of happiness.
Website design By BotEap.comthink long term
Website design By BotEap.comOne of the biggest causes of unhappiness is the pursuit of short-term happiness. This is a simple truth that is often not appreciated by people: that is, “I do everything I can to make myself happy, so why am I so miserable?” There is always a quick route to happiness that we can take. For some, this might include skipping work, eating fast food, ditching chores, and going out for a drink. The problem with short-term strategies is that this is what they are: ‘short-term’. They also lack the depth of true satisfaction and can further sabotage your long-term feelings of well-being. So the first thing you need to accept to improve your happiness is to distinguish between the short term and the long term. Take a look at what you do to feel good and ask yourself if these things help or hinder your long-term happiness.
Website design By BotEap.com exercise and rest
Website design By BotEap.comOne of the issues to consider when looking at happiness levels is how much your physical state contributes to your emotional and psychological well-being. There are physiological reasons why exercise promotes happiness, such as the release of endorphins in the brain. There is also the simple, pragmatic truth that if you are fit you are much better at managing stress. Exercise and rest are also important for a good night’s sleep; And sleep is important, not only to rejuvenate yourself, but also because when we are sleep deprived it is very easy for problems to get blown out of proportion, and this can easily make us depressed.
Website design By BotEap.comLife coaches often report that there are two types of people: those who are good at exercising and those who are good at resting. The former tends to try too hard and the latter doesn’t try hard enough. If you can master the balance between the two, you will have taken a significant step toward greater happiness.
Website design By BotEap.com Discover your place in the world
Website design By BotEap.comHuman beings are social animals. It is important for us to have a sense of belonging whether it is to a community, tribe or family. Zoologists have shown that when chimpanzees, our closest relatives, are deprived of social contact, they experience depression, apathy, and a tendency to self-harm. When they return to their tribe, these symptoms disappear. Experimenters have also shown that chimpanzees experience anxiety when there is uncertainty about exactly where they belong in the social hierarchy. So the next step to improving happiness is to pay attention to your place in the world. Do you fit in at work, for example? It may be a great job, but do you have a sense of community with your colleagues? Do you have a family or a group of friends that you could spend more time with? Are your relationships healthy? Is there any unfinished business between you and a member of your family?
Website design By BotEap.com do what you love
Website design By BotEap.comThis one seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t get down to doing what they really love to do. There are 8,760 hours in each year, but we often don’t find time to go fishing, get a massage, or just take a walk. We wouldn’t treat our dog like this, so why deprive ourselves? This is really important because if you don’t give yourself ‘me time’ then you don’t recharge, and if you don’t recharge you are not using your time effectively. Of course there is the theme for some of “I don’t know what I love”. The answer to that is that finding out can be a lot of fun and a bit of an adventure. Just remember to be honest with yourself and not try to do things you think you should love because your friends, family, or colleagues do; or because you think these activities suit who you think you are, but you really aren’t! Only stick to things that bring you genuine peace and joy.
Website design By BotEap.com be compassionate
Website design By BotEap.comThe Dalai Lama once said, “If you want to make other people happy, be compassionate. If you want to make yourself happy, be compassionate.” What he means is that caring about other people actually brings you happiness. The reason this works may simply be that we are social animals, programmed to take care of one another, and our programming is such that doing this gives us a sense of well-being. Or it may be, as the Dalai Lama and other gurus would suggest, that it has something to do with the deep spiritual meaning of loving fellow human beings. Either way, it has been shown in surveys of human behavior that those who score high on caring for others also score above average on levels of well-being. So what are you waiting for? Be selfish and take care of others!
Website design By BotEap.comEliminate what makes you unhappy
In recent research by a Cambridge University professor, it was found that there are three root causes of unhappiness. These are:
- dating the wrong people It seems that who we mingle with has a lot to do with how we feel. It’s not just kids who can hang out with bad people: we all can. Other people’s world view can have a significant influence on our own feelings. If you mix with people who have a negative attitude about life, about themselves or about you, this will surely bring you down on some level. Spending time with people because they’re cool instead of because they care about each other is a poor choice.
- Following the wrong path in life. The correlation between people reporting that their life is going in the wrong direction and feeling depressed is very strong. Feeling that you are moving towards your destiny and purpose in life is very important; even if it is in the space of a snail. The opposite of this is feeling out of control or even worthless. The key here is that it’s not about how fast you move or even if you’ll get there; it’s more about making the journey.
- Moving at a self-destructive pace It is a particular phenomenon of the modern age that people try very hard to achieve their goals. The consequent harm from this can be seen in poor health, particularly high stress levels; in a feeling of inner restlessness rather than peace; and in our relationships. So our last piece of advice in this guide to happiness is to take a serious look at the pace of your life and ask yourself if this might be hurting you. Ask yourself if it’s worth it and if maybe you could improve your happiness by hitting the brakes a little.
