What is Happiness?
According to the Oxford Dictionary, Happiness is the state of being Happy”. It can be referred to as a feeling or showing pleasure or contentment. Happiness only comes when we make sure our inner self is at peace and content. We need to understand that happiness is a state, not a trait. It doesn’t have to change in a minute or two rather a permanent feature that lasts long. Happiness can be both, an external and internal experience.
The Science Behind Happiness
To give it a scientific term “happiness”, it is also known as Positive Psychology. According to researchers Chu Kim-Prieto Ed Diener and their colleagues(2005), There are three main ways how happiness has been viewed in Positive Psychology
- A recollection of past emotional experiences.
- An aggregation of multiple emotional reactions across time.
- Happiness is a global assessment of life and all its facets.
Psychology and Happiness
Each concept has different theories that support them, similarly, Happiness has some theories that define itself more explicitly. Here are two categories that help us conceptualize Happiness in various ways and notions.
Hedonic and Eudaimonic
1-Hedonic Happiness-It is a kind of feeling that helps us experience more pleasure and less pain. It is a state which helps us gain more positivity and surround ourselves with less negativity. Here, one experiences a sense of satisfaction.
2-Eudaimonic Happiness-It is a kind of feeling that comes when we achieve something or attain the purpose of making anything happen. This state also occurs when somebody faces the challenge that helps us in our personal growth. The happiness that one feels is based on his potential.
Apart, from theories, many people feel HAPPINESS can only be increased by fulfilling some purpose thus putting happiness indirectly proportional to their experience. Like everything, Happiness also has some source with which it helps enter people’s life, some basic factors are;-
- Moral values
- Family
- Friends
- Good and healthy relationships
- Satisfactory job
- A good workspace
- Individual Income
All of these factors contribute to our happy life.
How can we learn to be Happy-
One should learn to find his/her happiness in small things that come up to us. We need to look up to factors that bring joy to us and will help us improve our overall happiness.
Here are some tips that will eventually lead you to a happy life-
- Take care of your health.
- Good health will lead to a healthy mind
- A healthy mind leads you to your personal growth
- Your personal growth will help you to be more creative
- Creativity will lead to more productivity leading you towards good income
- And pleasure in life.
The Anti happy scenario-COVID19
With all the negativity surrounding us during this time we all need to find small ways to find happiness and spread happiness. For the same, we need to look for positive things that help us cater to joy to one and all. The most positive thing about this scenario is “we are all in this Together”.
Togetherness gives us satisfaction thus making our mind relaxed for not suffering alone. Thus, we can find out different ways to find out ways and keep our mind happy, like-
- Indulge yourself in reading-it helps take your mind to another place and helps us increase our imagination
- Go green, Go gardening we all know how nature helps us heal and gives our mind a sense of relaxation. The sense of happiness will eventually come when you see your hard work grow green.
- Dance and drive away your stress with the steps that help you move.
- Pear pets, if you have a pet you are good to go, you have your whole day routine fixed around his mischievous activities that’ll help you stay happy and joyful.
- So, next time you feel low, look around yourself and find ways to give a curve to your face that is a path to a joyful heart.
So, If you want to be happy, there is no secret sauce as in the end, it’s all about feeling happy and being happy.