Valuing the wrong things

Happiness is an emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction. contentment and fulfillment. 

While happiness has many different definitions, it is often described as involving positive emotions and life satisfaction.

One important thing to remember is that happiness isn't a state of constant euphoria. Instead, happiness is an overall sense of experiencing more positive emotions than negative ones.

Some key signs of happiness include:

• Feeling like you are livi...

The balance of emotions: Everyone experiences both positive and negative emotions, feelings, and moods. Happiness is generally linked to experiencing more positive feelings than negative.

Life satisfaction: This relates to how satisfied you feel with differ...

Happiness isn't a goal you can simply reach and be done with. It is a constant pursuit that requires continual nurturing and sustenance.

One study found that people who tend to value happiness most also tended to feel the least satisfied with their lives. Essentially, happiness becomes such...

Exercise is good for both your body and mind. psysical activity is linked to a range of physical and psychological benefits including improved mood. Numerous studies have shown that regular exercise may play a role in warding off symptoms of depression, but evidence also suggests that it may also...

Some people seem to have a naturally higher baseline for happiness—one large-scale study of more than 2,000 twins suggested that around 50% of overall life satisfaction was due to genetics, 10% to external events, and 40% to individual activities.

So while you might not be able to control w...

While seeking happiness is important there are times when the pursuit of life satisfaction falls short. Some challenges to watch for include:

• Valuing the wrong things
• Not seeking social support
• Thinking of happiness as an endpoint

Happiness has long been recognized as a critical part of health and well-being. The "pursuit of happiness" is even given as an inalienable right in the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Our understanding of what will bring happiness, however, has shifted over time.

Psychologists hav...

Research has found that people who feel like they have a purpose have better well-being and feel more fulfilled.

A sense of purpose involves seeing your life as having goals, direction, and meaning. It may help improve happiness by promoting healthier behaviors.

Some things yo...

Social support mean having friends and loved ones that you can turn to for support. Research has found that perceived social support plays an important role in subjective well-being. 

For example, one study found that perceptions of social support were responsible for 43% of a perso...

The hierarchy of need suggests that people are motivated to pursue increasingly complex needs. 

Once more basic needs are fulfilled, people are then motivated by more psychological and emotional needs.

At the peak of the hierarchy is the need for self-actualiz...

In one study, participants were asked to engage in a writing exercise for 10 to 20 minutes each night before bed.

Some were instructed to write about daily hassles, some about neutral events, and some about things they were grateful for. 

The results found that people who had...

Hedionia: hedonic happiness is derived from pleasureIt is most often associated with doing what feels good, self-care, fulfilling desires, experiencing enjoyment, and feeling a sense of satisfaction.

Eudaimonia: This type of happiness is derive...

Pursue intrisic goals: Achieving goals that you are intrinsically motivated to pursue, particularly ones that are focused on personal growth and community, can help boost happiness. Research suggests that pursuing these types of

Happiness has been shown to predict positive outcomes in many different areas of life.

• Positive emotions increase satisfaction with life.
• Happiness helps people build stronger coping skills and emotional resources.
• Positive emotions are linked to bette...