Happiness is a full tank is an excellent book by Gwen Brooks. It discusses happiness and its role in life. Joy is a deeper emotion that comes from within and is connected to living a more authentic life.
Psychologists have arrived at some surprising conclusions in their research on predictors of happiness. Many of the factors that first come to mind do not seem to play a significant role.
Positive emotions
While medicine’s penchant for problem-solving has made it tempting to focus on ills, such as sadness, fear and anxiety, the joys and satisfactions of life have received little attention. Perhaps it’s because these nuances are harder to measure. Or maybe it’s because, in the face of so many real problems, the smiley-faced cheer of happiness seems trivial.
But the latest research suggests that the day-to-day experiences of positive emotions can lead to a wide range of beneficial outcomes. Fredrickson’s broaden-and-build theory offers one overarching theoretical explanation: The cumulative experience of momentary positive emotions builds enduring resources that function as reserves to help people rebound from challenges.
Interest, for example, broadens the thought-action repertoire by creating recurring urges to play, explore, and expand knowledge (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). The emotion of contentment produces a recurrent urge to savor and integrate life circumstances into new views of self and world. The emotion of hope inspires us to move forward with confidence and optimism, while serenity offers inner calmness and balance.
Mental health
The concept of happiness has a broad definition that can be used to create positive emotions and life satisfaction. It includes feelings of enjoyment, contentment, meaning and achievement. It can also include the quality of one’s relationships, work and family life. Moreover, it includes an ability to cope with life’s challenges.
Having a stable mind is critical to happiness. This can be done by focusing on positive emotions and building relationships. It can also help a person achieve more goals and be more resilient. It can even reduce the likelihood of heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity.
Research shows that happy people are more likely to be productive at work and have healthy relationships. Those with healthy mental health are also more likely to have a higher income and better physical fitness. They are also more likely to engage in flow activities, which are activities that are both intrinsically rewarding and challenging. These activities can be as simple as writing a letter of gratitude to someone who has changed your life for the better.
Relationships
People who have satisfying relationships with family members, friends and romantic partners report greater happiness. Relationships can enhance well-being by providing a sense of belonging, love, and emotional support. However, strained or toxic relationships can have the opposite effect and negatively affect happiness.
The quality of relationships is more important than the number of them. A recent study of college students found that the students who reported the highest levels of happiness also had the most satisfied social relationships. The study’s results indicated that the key to a happy relationship is pro-social behavior. Students rated their relationships as exceptional when they were more kind, compassionate and forgiving.
False scripts are the beliefs and attitudes that hold you back from creating healthy relationships. They can include the belief that you need a romantic partner to be happy, or that having children will make you happy. They can also lead to a pattern of people-pleasing and an inability to set boundaries.
Environment
If you’re looking to create happiness, there are many things that can help you get there. These include calming your mind, building confidence, and creating good relationships. You can also practice positive emotions and engage in activities you enjoy. These activities can become habits over time, making them easier to do. But you need to be aware of how they affect you.
In the thematic writings, adolescents with a more nature-based definition of happiness often emphasized the importance of cleanliness and purity in their daily environment. They were also more likely to believe that it was their responsibility to protect nature.
Happiness researchers have long debated whether money or other material possessions influence happiness. However, the results of recent studies show that the relationship is complex. It appears to be strongest at lower income levels, but less pronounced at higher income levels.