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What is happiness truly? Literally, yes, it is the state of being happy, but what does that feel like, what does that mean, and the golden question: how do we exist in a constant state of BEING happy?
Like many frustrating answers, it is relative—however, comparable in that happiness is not the same for everyone. Sure everyone wants the same things, but what constitutes those things and makes up the fabric of our happiness existence are entirely different.
Let me break it down some more. There are things that make us happy, and there are things that contribute to our overall happiness. This is the first distinction that should be made and is important to understand.
Here are some things that make me happy: Spending time with those that I love, lying on the grass in the shade on a hot day, freezing cold and pouring rain, discovering new coffee shops, and enjoying a good book.
Here are some things that contribute to my overall happiness: love, friendship, peace, passion, and feeling fulfilled.
Every single person will have different themes that contribute to their happiness the same way that every single person has different values in life, with one extremely affecting the other. In effect, though, the idea that these things are getting fulfilled is the psychological feeling that each threshold needs to be met in order to feel feelings of joy.
What this leads to, though, is a constant disappointment. Can you tell me the last time you went through your day, and you felt 100% contentment, and everything went your way? Spoiler. You can’t because that NEVER happens. Just this morning, I overslept, rushed to get ready, and in the process, spilled coffee all over myself. I was very much not fulfilled or feeling any peace at that moment in time, so can you imagine if I went through every day expecting everything to go my way and writing off the day every time a minor inconvenience occurred?
This is why I think gratitude is a HUGE component of happiness and oftentimes acts as a lurking variable that underpins everything you feel about all the occurrences in life, good or bad. We take so much for granted, and it was only after I started really and truly practicing gratitude that I started to feel much more content and happy.
As such, here are some daily practices that I have implemented in life to become a happier individual:
1. Sometimes, it is the little things
Happiness is not absolute. It can seem super contradictory when short-term happiness conflicts with long-term happiness. However, it is when you arrive at some balance between the two maturities that you can realize it is okay to mold the two into a combination that works for you. Cherish the little things throughout your day that give you that extra boost to make it through to the next!
2. Laughter is the Best Medicine; so is Sleep
While feelings of sadness can present adverse health benefits, both laughter and sleep present beneficial effects on your health, laughter soothes tension, relaxes stress levels, and releases endorphins, while a good night’s Sleep apparently has the strongest association with wellbeing.
3. Do Things, but Outdoors
Spending time outdoors releases stress, improves focus, can boost your confidence and cooperation, and is especially beneficial to feeling good about oneself.
4. Grace, Gratitude, and Getting over things!
Life is simply too short to dwell on things. Harboring feelings of resentment can actually take away from your feeling of happiness, so get over it. It simply, most of the time, is not that deep.
Practice gratitude. Go tell your mom you love her, write thank you cards to friends that are there for you during hard times, and write down your daily blessings. When you become more content and grateful with your life, you will start to value the things that matter and really start living. :)
About The Author:
Aishwarya Agnihotri '23
Business Honors and Finance
Entrepreneurial LeadHERship Course Student - Spring 2022