What is Happiness: Happiness Definition & ExplanationWe know what happiness is when we feel it. But what exactly is happiness and where does happiness come from? Here we explore what happiness is to uncover the most effective ways to experience it in our lives.
*This page may include affiliate links; that means I earn from qualifying purchases of products.
"You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy." — Jane Marczewski
What is happiness?Happiness includes both momentary positive emotions and a deeper sense of meaning and purpose in life. Sometimes these parts are split up in to hedonia (pleasure) and eudaimonia (more like thriving or flourishing), but most of the time when people say "happiness", they are talking about the combination of both.
In my book, Outsmart Your Smartphone, I define happiness as a skill that has to be built, but I also note that it is influenced by your surroundings. For example, if I build my skills to think positive, be mindful, and cultivate resilience, I am likely to be happier than if I didn't build these skills. But if I just lost my job and am trying to put food on the table, I might not be as happy as someone who doesn't have to deal with this stress. This is how happiness comes from both inside us and everything around us. We'll focus here on the parts of happiness that we have control over. That is, our ability to build "happiness skills" and, to some extent, our ability to influence our surroundings. What does happiness feel like?If we've been struggling with unhappiness for awhile, it can sometimes be hard to remember what happiness feels like. It can often feel like a sense of contentment, ease, joy, and gratitude.
Try this exercise to explore what happiness feels like. Why money doesn't equal happiness:
How to build happinessAnytime we want to increase happiness we must build a particular set of skills-skills like mindfulness, positive thinking, resilience, and so forth. Building these “happiness skills” is the key to thinking, feeling, and acting in ways that make you happy.
So what are the right steps to take for building happiness? Well, it depends on what personal challenges you face, what situations you’re in, and what’s happening in the world around you. That’s why we need to look inward, to gain clarity on our personal challenges, as well as outward, to gain clarity on the social or cultural challenges we are all dealing in the moderns world. As a start, you can take our well-being survey to identify the specific skills you personally would benefit from most—for example, maybe we struggle with self-compassion, resilience, or living our purpose. When we focus on building the skills we personally struggle with, we can more quickly, easily, and effectively boost our happiness. Next, we benefit from making a plan, mapping out exactly how we plan to build these happiness skills and improve our lives. Are You a Therapist, Coach, or Wellness Entrepreneur?
Grab Our Free eBook to Learn How to
|
Are You a Therapist, Coach, or Wellness Entrepreneur?
Grab Our Free eBook to Learn How to Grow Your Wellness Business Fast!
|