Have you thought much about happiness, both your own and what leads to happiness in others? It’s hard to imagine you haven’t. The happiness movement, if we can call it that, has been top of consciousness for quite some time. It’s been a hard topic to avoid. In case you aren’t aware, it’s even a field of academic study and a very well-researched one at that.
It’s been eye-opening for me to look at what research shows about happiness, what makes people happy, and whether or not people consider themselves happy. I thought it would fun to share some of what I’ve learned with you all. So let’s dig in.
First, let’s take a look at what the research shows.
The research and surveys show that people who consider themselves happy experience enjoyment, with no worries, sadness, or anger during the previous day. One big finding is that happy people have rich social relationships. They spend a lot of time with family and friends. They also report having someone they can rely on when they are in trouble. They also felt that on the previous day they had been treated with respect.
Relative to other folks, happy people earn more money, are in better physical shape, have fewer health problems, exercise more, smoke less, feel well-rested, and have less stress. They have more hours of free time, more freedom to choose their activities, and are more likely to report having learned something new on the previous day.
Of course, there are moderately happy people and even people who report being unhappy who have these qualities in their life. So clearly these considerations are not sufficient for happiness, but they do seem to come close to being necessary. After all, happiness is a perception, and life conditions color perception.
But let’s not jump to happiness conclusions quite so fast!
Maybe we dwell on the peaks and forget the lows. That would certainly have us reporting we were happy, right?
Maybe happiness is about something deeper having to do with satisfaction, purpose, and meaning. Tying into these qualities would have us reporting we were happy or perhaps lacking in happiness, right?
Happiness seems to be an indicator that our lives are going well. We can’t just choose to be happy. If you choose to always be happy you’d miss out on the information provided by being unhappy. This information lets you know that something needs changing. Unhappiness is a gift. How’s that for a strange statement? Kind of flips happiness on its head.
Maybe we should try to live the best life. If you succeed you’ll be happy, and if not your unhappiness will motivate you to keep trying. Naturally the question, “What is a good life?” doesn’t have a one-word answer. All of us want pleasure, but we also want to engage in interesting activities, to have satisfying relationships, and to find meaning, and much more.
But maybe you are unconvinced by my thoughts. I hear you saying, “Forget about meaning, purpose, morality, and all that. I just want to be happy!”
In any case, do you consider yourself happy? If so, how would you describe your happiness formula? If not, what’s missing? Is happiness important to you? Maybe not.
Even if you don’t share this with me, I think these questions and the ideas in this month’s newsletter are worth considering. Contemplating what constitutes “the good life” is always worthy of contemplation!
I hope you are MARCHING into your new month in a happy and healthy rhythm!
shelli
P.S. Hope you enjoyed this newsletter. Please share this with family and friends. You never know how one of these wellness tips can completely transform someone’s life when you take the time to share it with them. There’s also a newsletter archive page where we have hundreds of free health insights that can help you and your loved ones live a long, vital life. Let’s do this together.
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