Be Serious about Happiness

How can I live a happy life?

Cheery slogans tell us “Happiness is something you switch on,” and “Don’t worry. Be happy!”Is happiness just adopting a glib saying? The research-backed reality confirms that happiness involves seriously developing our state of mind as well as revealing the real factors we have to consider and resolve.

The good news is that there are many things we can do to enhance our experience of happiness on a consistent basis.  To be consistently happy, we need to work on experiencing a flow of happiness bursts throughout our day, our week, our month, our life. Most of these will be small, such as a coffee break, and we’ll also achieve larger, long-term happiness bursts, such as graduating or buying our dream house. 

Focus on enjoying little things; there are more of these in a day, and get into the habit of savouring life's pleasures and living in the moment. Don’t just have the coffee, really enjoy it. Be in the moment. 

“Our happiness depends on the habit of mind we cultivate. So, practice happy thinking every day. Cultivate the merry heart, develop the happiness habit, and life will become a continuous feast.”1 

Identify what makes you happy - and act.

Take note - what are the things that regularly make you happy, less happy? Invest your time in activities that make you happy. Do more of what makes you happy and less of what doesn't. Proverbs 17:22 “A merry heart does good, like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones.” 

Happiness and contentment. 

Here’s a surprise finding on happiness: The happiest people in the world aren’t necessarily the richest people, in the most pleasant conditions or in the wealthiest countries. A key factor in the happiness of people who are less well-off is contentment. Amazingly, slum dwellers living in some of the most deprived conditions were content. Although they lacked plumbing and other material assets, they had close social interaction and care for one another. 

Becoming content. 

Contentment is the state of mind in which we’re satisfied with what we have. It’s attitude-focused, and so, it’s in our power to choose to be content! A wise man said, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content...” His life purpose was so fulfilling that he was able to treat hardships with a healthy perspective. Regardless of conditions, we can choose to be primed for happiness. 

There is no key to happiness.

The door is always open. 

Attitude Enhancers. 

Be grateful for at least one thing every day, and feel gratitude when you say it out loud. Count your blessings, practise optimism about your future, focus on good things, and avoid over-analysis. 

And laugh, laugh lots. 

A merry heart does you good - it’s a proven fact. 

So, enjoy life. 

Now and then, it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy. 

Happiness keys. 

What makes us happy? Researchers collected and analysed the findings from surveys on a global scale. In just one Gallup World Poll, 350,000 people from over 150 countries were surveyed. That shows us how seriously we treat happiness. And the research revealed that we can enhance our experience of happiness on a consistent basis when we seriously work on our mental, physical and environmental factors. 

So what can you do to enjoy life more?  

Emotional health. 

Be kind to yourself - you, like everyone, have made mistakes, let go, it’s past, so love yourself.  

Be tolerant of others - like you, everyone makes mistakes, so be tolerant of everyone. 

Allow yourself to be angry when appropriate, and seek to forgive everyone.  

Let go of negative emotions - resentment, bitterness, envy and actively think on wholesome emotions. 

Affirm yourself and others. It’s healthy to compliment someone, and it’s healthy to receive genuine compliments. Don’t allow false modesty to rob you.

Accept that life’s good even if it’s not perfect. 

Allow yourself to work through grief and loss. Sadness is useful. It's good to be sad 10% of the time. 

Focus on good things - note good, not unpleasant things. Visualise good things. 

Smile and maintain good body language - it unconsciously boosts mood effortlessly. 

Meaning in Life. 

Be generous. 

Practise acts of kindness. 

Help others and make a positive difference. 

Accept the difference you make, even if it’s small. 

Make the world around you a better place. 

Be active in changing policies - it’s empowering.

Caring relationships.

You need someone you can count on.

Nourish a loving, quality, long-term relationship.

Surround yourself with people who look out for you, people who care.

Cultivate a few quality, close friends. It’s a good thing to note that happiness doesn’t increase with the number of friends.

Focus on those people who really look out for you, encourage you and who don’t harm you or others.

In turn, encourage, love and care for those in your life. 

Healthy life expectancy.

Did you know that many of our happiness factors are affected by physical influences? Activity in your work and your recreation boosts happiness.

Get some sunlight to boost your mood.

Exercise, brisk walking, can raise mood levels.

Remove habitat toxins such as nerve and behaviour deteriorating chemicals found in foods, household products such as cleaners, and you can reduce impurities in your water and air through filters and purifiers.

Check the side effects of your medications and look for depression side effects. Always speak to your physician about your medications and ask for safer alternatives, if possible.

Eat foods that nourish and enhance well-being and mood.

Note the short and long-term mood changes from what you consume.

Boost nutrition with minerals, vitamins and nutrients that reduce irritability, depression and get the right medical and supplemental advice tailored to your physiology to boost happiness.

Reduce your consumption of caffeine-based beverages. Excess causes irritability and anxiety.

Reduce undue distress just by reducing over-commitment. So, consider your schedule priorities carefully.

Maintain enough deep sleep and relaxation time.

Work satisfaction.

Find work that gives you satisfaction, and that’s meaningful for you, where you’re appreciated.

Reduce your time commuting to work. An hour’s journey to work significantly reduces happiness. Non-commuters are happiest. Higher earnings don’t compensate for the time lost.

Make sure you work a healthy number of hours and take breaks. Overwork and excessive hours can drain happiness.

Develop expertise in some things you enjoy, e.g. your art, writing, advising, decorating, research etc., whatever works for you personally. 

Real money value. 

We need enough money for good food, health, clothes, shelter for us and others. We also need to be able to buy things we want.

After a certain point, more money doesn’t increase happiness. In other words, happiness doesn’t increase more for the very rich or by becoming very wealthy.

Findings on Happiness

Men tend to be happier in a society where women enjoy greater equality.

You’re happier if you think you're good looking, rather than if you are, objectively speaking.

People who drink in moderation are happier than people who don't drink at all.

People who were over-focused on goals tended to be less happy. Goals push our focus into the future. Happiness is now focused. “Unhappy people are more aware of their goals, because they seek to change their lives for the better." So, work on your goals and ambitions, but don’t become goal-obsessed. Be primed for happiness and walk in it. Appreciate all you have.

Happiness doesn’t equal success, and success doesn’t equal happiness.

Is there more? Yes

People who pray and feel connected to God bounced back from calamities such as losing their home in a storm better than people who didn’t. Their hope for the future was higher, and this affects their behaviour.

The happiest people have found the gifts and talents placed in them and are using them.

Purpose and making a difference even in adversity help us and help us help others.

Little treats, big rewards.

We need to be able to reward ourselves. Going out for dinner increased happiness, and eating chocolate was high on the list of things that people said made them happy. Filling your life with little rewards, you create a happy flow that fills your life with happy moments that flow into a happy life.

Enjoy the everyday things...

Dr Glenn Williams, lecturer in psychology, Nottingham Trent University, “It's vital for our health and well-being to experience positive emotions regularly.” By appreciating the little pleasures in our everyday lives, we can seriously boost our happiness.

Top things people said made them happy...

At the top, finding money in your pocket.

Second, the sun is shining.

Performing a random act of kindness.

Eating chocolate.

Looking at old photographs.

Having a cup of tea or coffee and a biscuit.

Praise from a colleague or boss, so choose a place to work that makes you feel appreciated.

These are very ordinary and very inexpensive. So, we can easily live in a flow of happiness. Create an environment that increases your happiness, treat yourself and others kindly, enjoy and express gratitude for who you are now and where you are. Yes, it takes effort, but you’ll be so happy with the results.

So, be serious about happiness!

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