This is a reminder of what you already know – some aspects of life will increase your happiness and some will not.
Increase or decrease your happiness
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The lists in the figure above – what makes us happier and what reduces our happiness – are, of course, just partial lists – and are based on research (see “further reading” list below).
What should we do if we are feeling unhappy? We should work on doing more of what is in the bottom of the figure and on doing less of what is in the top.
The old truism is that money does not buy happiness. The current thinking is…it depends. Buying stuff/having stuff – consumerism does not buy happiness. But buying valuable free time for yourself may. Spending money on travel and other experiences (yes – limited now) may also. Also, giving money to help others may.
And especially, focusing on relationships, friends, and family—people lead to happiness.
Why seek happiness, now or at any time? Happiness is not necessarily an end in and of itself. However, happiness has positive effects on your productivity, performance, relationships, health, decision-making and creativity – on your overall mental health.
Right now, during a pandemic, we must try twice (10 times?) as hard to work on our happiness. The pandemic is making a lot of the things we should be doing to shore up our happiness either difficult or impossible. What can we do to wring happiness out of this difficult situation?
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Further reading
- To find happiness forget about passion (Harvard Business Review)
- Are we trading our happiness for modern comforts? (The Atlantic)
- Time for happiness (Harvard Business Review)
- Why does happiness matter? (The Guardian)
- How immersion in nature benefits your health (Yale School of the Environment)
- More evidence that exercise can boost mood (Harvard Medical School)
What are you doing to increase your happiness at this time? What can you do for yourself and suggest to your team to improve their mood, satisfaction and contentment during this health crisis?
