A full tank is key to a smooth and safe journey. The same can be said for happiness.
One theory, the hedonistic view, identifies happiness with pleasant experience. Another, the emotional state view, focuses on a person’s overall mood.
Regardless of which theory you prefer, it is important to make time for happiness. Happiness is a choice that can be nurtured through activities like smiling, making friends, and writing gratitude lists.
1. It Keeps Your Engine Running
Happiness is a powerful fuel that promotes health and wellness, boosts career success and helps you build strong relationships. However, like a full tank of gas, happiness requires consistent care and attention to thrive.
Soaking in the good moments and replenishing your bucket of joy is a great way to build resiliency for when hard times come along. However, happiness is not a cure for all that ails you, and it’s important to acknowledge that happy moments can ebb and flow just as other emotions do.
It’s also important to avoid falling into the arrival fallacy, where you believe you will only feel happy once you achieve a certain goal. Instead, try to find happiness in daily activities such as exercising, spending time with friends and family and giving back to others. Studies show that experiences create more happiness than possessions, which depreciate over time. Also, focus on spending your money on things that make you happy, such as vacations and concerts rather than material goods.
2. It Keeps You Safe
Happiness has been linked to a stronger immune system, a lower risk of heart disease and faster recovery times after surgery. It may even help people live longer lives.
People who have a lot to be grateful for often experience happiness. They also know the importance of soaking up joyful moments, even during rough days. They don’t think that happy feelings aren’t real or appropriate when they are facing a health crisis, a loss, stress at work or financial worries.
Happiness requires a consistent effort, and it can be hard to find in a world where so many of the things that make us happy are short-lived. However, you can find happiness in small ways every day by eating a healthy diet, spending time with family and friends, exercising regularly and giving back to others. Research shows that those who spend two hours a day on activities that make them happy are much happier than those who don’t.
3. It Saves You Money
Happiness saves you money, especially when you prioritize experiences over material possessions. This is because experiences make you more satisfied in the long run compared to things that provide temporary pleasure that fades over time.
Moreover, it can help you spend less because happiness leads to wiser decisions. For example, when you choose to shop at a store closer to home, you can experience greater satisfaction because you’ll be spending less on gas and more on the things you value most.
It also allows you to avoid the pitfalls of debt, which can lead to stress and anxiety. Being happy can help you resist the societal pressure to “keep up with the Joneses,” and instead opt for a more modest lifestyle that puts a premium on your values, like building an emergency fund or donating to charity. This is important, because low mood is correlated with negative life outcomes such as poor health, suicide and substance abuse.
4. It Gives You Peace of Mind
Happiness gives you a healthy perspective on life and helps keep the bad stuff at bay. It helps you cope with stress, anxiety and fear, and it allows you to remain centered during the many ups and downs of your journey.
While traditional psychology has primarily focused on pathology and negative states like depression, researchers are finding that happiness is vitally important. It promotes health and wellness, boosts career success and strengthens relationships.
People who are happier also report fewer illnesses and less physical pain. Moreover, some research has shown that people who are happiest tend to have healthier hearts. This may be due to reduced levels of cortisol, a hormone that can lead to weight gain, acne, muscle weakness and high blood pressure. Happiness is also associated with a stronger immune system and increased longevity. Soak up the good moments in your life and build a bucket of happiness that will last through difficult times.