Need a happiness boost?

very happy woman

It's International Happiness Day. So, we thought we'd share 10 ways to help boost your happiness!

Five things happy people do

Simple things to make you happy

Five steps to a happy retirement

Money habits for happy couples

Five ways to improve your day

Seven simple ways to improve your life

Five ways to be happier

Out of your mind for happiness

How pets improve health and happiness

Five steps to a happier life

 

What's your secret for being happy? Why not share it with our members?

Here's to happy days ahead!

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Yep RnR I agree all those can make one happy

RnR I like your rain guage theory :)

Good one Rnr......

And Frank do believe a 'homeless man with one arm' could experience some level of happiness.....Also believe he may be even more finely attuned to experiencing happiness moments than say someone who has everything Eg. Feeling the warmth of the first rays of sun on a wintry morning after a fearful night of sleeping rough..

All sorts of things make us happy, sad, angry, joyful, fearful...

Recall I loathed my wedding day and couldn't wait for the whole hideous, stress inducing, awkward-family-members-thrown -together sideshow to be over and believe many brides feel the same way - but weddings are often spun as 'the happiest day in  a woman's life'....

That's beautiful RnR, so true.

 

Shetso1, the love you had for your husband on your wedding night, is it different in any way today? Someone mentioned love in a post, but is it not a feeling? Similar to lust or happiness? We know that lust is a fleeting feeling.Should we compare happiness with lust or love?

  Anyway, back to the homeless person with one arm. I dont think long term happiness is possible for this person without his need for security being fulfilled. Unless of course he has found his ideal abode. It's not always about bigger and better in my opinion.

I can only imagine what I would feel about a BIG WEDDING -- I could think of nothing worse -- get married and tell bugga all -- thats the way I did it it is between you and your Husband -- 

So much these days is put on the WEDDING and not the MARRIAGE 

Me too RnR.

There are many things that contribute to making one happy, not just one thing.  It's all these things joined up together that gives one a feeling of contentment.  Loving and being loved, the joy of watching a small child, amazement at things in nature all go to giving one the feeling things are right in the world you are living in.

I see no mention of money? Does the strength of your country's economy play a part it your overall happiness? Does your ability to manage your personal finances improve your prospects for happiness? Or is this a question to be avoided because it actually makes people unhappy? lol

My gut feeling is that we can all achieve long term, lasting happiness if we know what it is. If we can describe it in great detail, if we can measure it, we can set goals to acheive it! Goal setting in itself is a pathway to happiness... but a goal set to acheive happiness itself? wow!!

I think short term happiness is shallow, it's real but it's shallow. It's like a strong coffee. It's a fillip, an instant hit. This type of gratification is becoming more socially acceptable. Less people willing to plan long term these days. We want it and we want it now.  

I think most people would say,"the most important thing for me is to be happy." If that's the case , then why dont we do something about it??

 

@ Frank...." Thea, I'm curious. If happiness is a state of emotion and humans have the same chemistry , then why is happiness different for all people?"

Hi Frank...I'm having my first cup of happiness of the day (coffee)..so my answer will be brief..

I don't like answering a question with another question..however..what is your understanding of "human chemistry?"...I believe you are talking of biology..yes..we all have the same biology but the DNA of each person is different..so bearing that in mind..and the fact that DNA has an effect on our personality (human chemistry)..then it is not surprising we all feel emotions differently...

Maybe someone can add to this..perhaps Ben (the soldier)?

Good morning Thea, we may behave differently, but we all have the same biological needs. We all eat drink etc. So why cant we all have our happiness goal met by the same set of KPI's? I'm answering a question with a question so consider it rhetorical :)


Hi Frank..I agree we all have the same biological needs..but is "happiness" a biological need? There is a school of thought today that Maslow missed one very important point and that is.. all of these needs are not possible without "social connection" and "collaboration." In other words..we need people.. 

As  you are probably aware..our Key Performance Indicators (KPI) depend largely on how we rate on the happiness scale..when we're feeling happy..we do better etc..

Hi Thea, Interesting question. Is happiness a biological need? I think happiness is a combination of biological needs. As an example, can one be truly happy without loving another person? I dont know if Maslow wanted to place too much importance on the need for social intercourse although if my memory is ok he does make mention of a few activities which cannot be done without social connection and collaboration. If KPI's tell us how we rate then they become the goal? Do they not?

The goal of happiness, I think, needs to be painted with a broad brush if it is to include all humans. My understanding of Maslow's theory was to take away the obstacles to sustained high performance in the workplace. He underscored the need for certain basics human needs to be fulfilled before one could reach this level of peak performance. My experience was that if desire was strong enough it would drive peak performance, if those needs were the reward.

If happiness is the reward of only basic needs being attained then where is the motivation to strive beyond ones capabilities. 

Hi Frank...a few thoughts based on your above post...

"Is happiness a biological need? I think happiness is a combination of biological needs"

I share that view and would add this...A variety of biological, psychological, economic, religious and philosophical approaches have striven to define happiness..what do you think?

"can one be truly happy without loving another person?" 

Personally I don’t think so..one can be “content” but I believe we are meant to have that connection with another person to be “truly happy.” Speaking of “content” that also would only eventuate if the person has some genuine pursuits they are interested in…

I share your enthusiasm regarding Maslow..however..are you using it only as a business model? The reason I ask is because when Maslow created his hierarchy of needs...he originally intended it to be somewhat more spiritual..but didn't think people would use it..hence only five levels..

If previous writings are correct.. he was a spiritual person and before he died he added a sixth level to those needs..

                            Image result for maslow's sixth level\" data-mce-src=



Good morning Thea, I did not know about the sixth level. I initially became interested in Maslow because of the reaserch he did into high acheivers.  I have seen how adherence to the model can make a huge difference to people's lives with the drive for that change coming from the work place. 

Have I drawn on Maslow's theory only as a business model?

No, not at all, I have taken elements and simplified them in order to break down barriers for acheiving "long term happiness." I call the short term happiness "joy" and the long term happiness simply, "happiness."

Can a person be happy without being productive? When we consider the side effects of productivity and the value it places on the individual, then it's hard to see happiness without it.

When I see subjects like this one I think of all the people living on their own -  widowers/widows and those who have never married and have no grand children or family.  Loneliness is hard to admit to but if you know what it feels like, it must be very hard to overcome.

toot2000, Maybe the feeling of being alone is part of the human condition? Perhaps that's why some people cannot tolerate being alone. Maybe that's is why we concocted religion? So that we all feel like part of a bigger picture?

Some people can enjoy being alone -- I am one of them -- I have many Friends but I quite happily enjoy my own company -- I do not need to be surrounded by people and I consider myself very fortunate to be able to be this way.

Quote Frank: Reagan if happiness was only short term then is it a worthwhile acheivement?

When I say "short term" I also said it comes in stops and starts meaning not continuous. One can be "happy" several times a day depending on the situation.Some people don't want to be happy, they like their state of misery, too much hard work being happy, you have to eat the right foods, exercise, hug someone every now and then etc. Another thing that makes people unhappy but they don't realise it,is being obsessed with the lives of others. Mind your own business as they say and you'll be happy.

 

 

HA HA HA that's right Reagan. People who benchmark their lives based on others in the gossip columns will find it hard to live up to.

 

HUMOUR AND MENTAL  WELLNESS

The ability to laugh is closely tied to having a positive outlook on life, an important protective factor against numerous mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. A study at Northwestern University revealed that patients with advanced COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) who were exposed to humorous videos enjoyed better mental health than study participants who viewed non-humorous videos, supporting the connection between mental wellness and humour.

Laughing also promotes emotional well-being, helping people maintain a positive outlook and stable mood throughout the day. Optimism has been linked to improved resiliency; the ability to cope with stressful situations in spite of numerous obstacles such as disease, financial stress or the loss of a loved one.

HUMOUR  AND AGEING

Some of the most popular jokes involve getting older, thanks to their universal appeal (everyone ages, after all). While joking about age-related changes can help ease any anxiety over aging as well as help to normalize common experiences among seniors, researchers in Norway have found that people with a sense of humour can expect to live longer than their humourless counterparts.

The study by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology examined the health records of 53,000 Norwegian seniors; it examined their overall health and length of survival in relation to their ability to see the humour in situations. Researchers discovered that after seven years, the study participants who had a "sense of humour" enjoyed a 20 per cent lower mortality rate in comparison to those who had difficulty laughing at daily events.

LAUGHTER: THE BEST MEDICINE FOR CHRONIC CONDITIONS

While laughing has been shown to help prevent the onset of many physical and mental illnesses, humour is also emerging as one of the most powerful medicines for chronic and degenerative conditions like dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and cancer.

A recent study by Dr Jean-Paul Bell of Australia's Arts Health Institute tracked the effects of live comedy on elderly nursing home patients with dementia/Alzheimer's. Over a 12-week period Dr Bell and a troupe of clowns and comedians visited 36 long-term care homes in Sydney, Australia, where they told jokes, played games and performed funny skits for the patients. For the duration of the program, staff in the nursing homes reported that participants were more positive and happier, while aggressive behaviours by the patients decreased for about 26 weeks after the program ended.

https://www.seniorhomes.com/p/humor-and-laughter-health-benefits-for-seniors-resources/

All of our emotions are valuable and arise for a reason. Listening to them puts us in touch with understanding ourselves at depth and leads us to then think about what we need to do. For example, anger tells us something is feeling wrong for us so we need to contact what that wrong thing is (sometimes evident and sometimes not) and then work out how to make right what is wrong. Fear inspires us to be wary and to work out how to make ourselves safe. Sadness indicates a sense of loss which can be tangible or intangible (eg expectation to be loved by a parent or partner not being met). Happiness simply tells us we are feeling good, content, enjoyment etc. I guess it puts us in touch with personal needs that are being met and unhappiness puts us in touch with needs not being met and leads us to consider ways to get those needs met. I don’t think any of us can or should attempt to strive for perfect happiness all of the time because it would be denying the existence of our whole emotional self and would not be honouring the value of ALL of our emotions.

Love this! :) I am always for some happy boost

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