Why is finding happiness a mystery to so many? Reading books, searching the web, looking toward one’s faith – it seems to be an endless hunt for something just out of one’s reach. This constant search for contentment has spurred the creation of positive psychology, a field of psychology studying what makes people happy.
Stephen Post, Ph.D., director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics in the School of Medicine at Stony Brook University (SUNY), is an expert on the topic. Post has studied people from all over the world, discovering how and why things like culture, attitude, money, memory, health, altruism, and day-to-day habits affect one’s overall wellbeing and ability to feel happiness.
Listed below are 10 ways to live life in a way that fosters happiness for yourself and those around you.
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- Get out and exercise. Exercise is an outlet for negative energy. Get your body moving and your mind will follow!
- Smile even when you don’t feel like it. Research has shown that you can improve your mood by mimicking happy behaviors.
- Take initiative in your work. It doesn’t matter what your job is; enjoy what you do and make the most of all of your experiences.
- Put money low on the list. Don’t define your life by the things you possess. You can easily lose sight of what has really been fulfilling your life – friends, family and work.
- Say thank you like you mean it. Showing gratitude helps build relationships and helps remind you all the reasons you have to be thankful.
- Avoid comparison. Depending on your values, you can enhance your happiness by avoiding the grass is greener on the other side mentality.
- Have meaningful goals. Whether your goals is to own your own business, climb the tallest mountain or become a better friend, set your goals, create a plan to achieve them, and stick to it.
- Savor everyday moments. Notice the goodness and happiness that’s already around you – the sun warming you on a crisp fall day, the smile of a loved one, or the laughter of the kids at the playground.
- Make friends and treasure family. Human connections are valuable, vital part of life. Let your friends and family know how much they mean to you on a regular basis.
- Pay it forward! Helping a friend, volunteering, or donating goods and services results in a helper’s high. Plus, these actions usually result in a mutually beneficial relationship that can give you just as much as you’re giving!
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