Happiness studies is 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 to increase your level of happiness.

think long term

One of the biggest causes of unhappiness is the search for short-term happiness. This is a simple truth that is often not appreciated by people: ie “I do everything I can to make myself happy, so why am I so miserable?” There is always a fast route to happiness that we can take. For some, this might include missing work, eating fast food, giving up 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 feelings of well-being in the long run. So the first thing 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 happiness in the long run.

exercise and rest

One of the things to consider when looking at happiness levels is how much your physical condition 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 and pragmatic truth that if you are in shape you are much better at managing stress. Exercise and rest are also important for getting 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 out of proportion, and this can easily make us depressed.

Life coaches often report that there are two types of people: those who are good at exercising and those who are good at rest. 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.

Discover your place in the world

Human beings are social animals. It is important for us to have a sense of belonging whether it be 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 improve 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?

do what you love

This one seems obvious, 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 often we 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 don’t use 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 figuring it 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 it; 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.

be compassionate

The 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 each other, 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!

Eliminate what makes you unhappy

In recent research conducted by a professor at the University of Cambridge, it was discovered that there are three main causes of unhappiness. These are:

• dating the wrong people It seems that who we mix 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 views 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 great 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’s 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 damage of this can be seen in poor health, particularly high levels of stress; 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 rhythm of your life and ask yourself if this could be hurting you. Ask yourself if it’s worth it and if maybe you could improve your happiness by putting a little bit of pressure on the brakes.