While this list can go on and on, I’m going to focus on the positives today. Mainly, how can you help make the world a better place? What can you do to help the world, as an individual? Even though your own actions can sometimes feel insignificant when looking at the grander scheme, you still have the power to change the world for the better.

This article discusses 13 things you can do to make the world a better place. Interestingly enough, most of these things are proven to make your life more interesting and happier in the process. So let’s get to it!

Can you really make the world a better place?

We all want to make the world a better place, right? Not just for ourselves, but also for future generations.

But to think we can solve all of the world’s problems seems naive.

I’m always reminded of a meme that shows a person who’s proud of banning the use of plastic straws, while someone else crushes that sentiment by showing a picture of the great Pacific garbage patch.

Such comparisons always raise the question: “Do my actions have any meaningful consequences?”

I recently read Barack Obama’s “A Promised Land” and one passage really stood out to me:

… On every issue, it seemed, we kept bumping up against somebody – a politician, a bureaucrat, some distant CEO – who had the power to make things better but didn’t.

A Promised Land – Barack Obama

He wrote this to explain his motives for becoming a politician. I don’t want to turn this post into a political one, but I do want to say that I really respect Barack Obama for believing in change.

But we don’t all have the set of skills required to enter politics or to become a CEO of a big company. The question remains: can we still make the world a better place?

By the way: Do you find it hard to be happy and in control of your life? It may not be your fault. To help you feel better, we’ve condensed the information of 100’s of articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet to help you be more in control.

Don’t Miss Out On Happiness

Find happiness with this 10-step mental health cheat sheet.

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Why inspiration is so important to make the world a better place

Even though you don’t have the power to single-handedly abolish racism, solve income inequality or clean the great pacific garbage patch, you do have the power to inspire others.

Your power to inspire others is the key to making the world a better place.

Here’s a fun example that always comes to mind: at the start of 2019, my girlfriend decided to become a vegetarian. I was initially hesitant, as I was afraid it would interfere with my own habits.

But over time, I noticed how easy it was for her to not eat meat. In fact, I was too lazy to prepare 2 different meals each night, so I joined her in her vegetarian diet. One year later, I officially declared myself a vegetarian!

Some months later, my girlfriend decided to try a 100% plant-based diet. This time, I thought, there’s no way in hell I’m ever going to follow suit. “It’s just too big of a pain in the ass”, or so I thought.

Long story short: she eventually inspired me to join her in the vegan life. We’re both trying to live a life free of animal consumption, and we’re happier for it. In fact, we’ve inspired some of our friends and family to also lower their consumption of animal products. And that’s how the power of inspiration can help you make the world a better place.

You have the power to do good on a small scale. Your actions are able to inspire others, who will then spread those actions to their friends and family. This snowball will continue to grow, and can eventually have a big impact on the world (with or without your awareness of it).

Why being good translates to being happy

There’s a beautiful synergy that I want to highlight here. Most of the things that I’ve included in this article are beneficial to your own mental health as well.

So even though picking up trash might sound like a total bummer, doing so still has a positive impact on your own mental health! Being a good person is often proven to result in being happier and healthier, even though doing good deeds doesn’t always seem like fun.

I’m not making this up! I’ve done my best to reference as many studies as possible that show how being a good person translates to being a happy person.

This means that making the world a better place doesn’t have to feel like a sacrifice to you. We can all benefit from these things.

13 ways to make the world a better place

Here are 13 things you can to make the world a better place, some small and others big. What they all have in common is that these things can all inspire others to follow suit. Whatever way you choose to help the world become better, your actions have the power to inspire the people around you.

And that’s how you can make the world a better place.

1. Stand up for equality

A lot of the world’s human conflicts can be traced back to inequality. Whenever a group of people is treated unfairly, there is going to be a conflict eventually. And the world will be a worse place because of it.

Whether that’s:

• Deep-rooted racism.
• Mistreatment of anyone who doesn’t follow the rules of the Bible.
• The (still existing) gender pay gap.
• Hate speech.
• Corruption.

You have the power to speak up about it.

Even though you are not directly experiencing any negative effects of these inequalities, you can make the world a better place by speaking up and acknowledging your own stance.

So the next time your colleague makes a slightly sexist joke, or you see someone being mistreated because of their sexuality, just know that you have the power to show your disapproval.

2. Stop consuming animal products

I recently shared a newsletter in which I talked about my personal view on sustainability in the world. The newsletter included some – admittedly – harsh truths about why I am now a strong proponent of embracing a 100% plant-based life.

As a result, a lot of our subscribers said “screw this shit, I’m outta here!” and clicked the unsubscribe button. In fact, it was the worst email newsletter I ever sent if you looked at the number of unsubscribes and spam complaints.

It showed me that a lot of people don’t want to be faced with the urgent message that we need to reduce our consumption of animal products.

So I won’t bother you with those pesky details in this article. If you want to know more about how your consumption of animal products impacts the world, here’s a decent resource. As I stated in the introduction, I want to focus on the positives, so here goes:

Did you know that embracing a sustainable lifestyle is linked to happiness?

We recently surveyed over ten thousand Americans and asked about their lifestyle. We found that people who don’t consume meat are actually happier than those who do, by as much as 10%!

If you want to make the world a better place, I would argue that sustainable behavior is a fairly safe gamble. You don’t have to go all-in at once, because success is achieved with small steps. While it may require some sacrifices, rewards like psychological well-being and satisfaction, and the continued existence of natural resources, make at least trying worth it.

3. Be happier

I started Tracking Happiness (this website) a long time ago. At the time, it was just a small one-man show. A tiny blog.

This tiny blog was entirely focused on happiness. Its message was that the most important thing in life is – you guessed it – your happiness. Nothing else. Wealth, success, love, adventures, fitness, sex, fame, whatever. It all doesn’t matter, as long as you’re happy. After all, happiness is correlated to all kinds of positive things, from confidence to creativity.

It’s because there’s a lot of proof that shows that more happiness in the world would lead to fewer conflicts. Also, being happy at what you do makes you better at what you do.

The point I’m trying to make here is that the world is not only better with you in it. The world would be a better place if you were as happy as you can.

We all deserve to be happy. If you focus more on your own happiness, you’re indirectly making the world a better place.

4. Spread your happiness to others

Now that we know that a happy world is a better world, it must be clear why it’s important to spread happiness to others.

Studies have found that laughter is contagious and that the act of smiling can help make you feel happier. Our tendency to mimic the facial expressions and body language of those around us can have a powerful effect on our moods.

But spreading happiness is not only a great way to make the world a better place, it’s also surprisingly effective at making ourselves happier. By trying to lift the mood of others, we will indirectly lift our own happiness as well.

How can you put this to practice?

• Smile to a stranger.
• Try to laugh when you’re around others (not in an awkward way!). Laughter is one of the best remedies for sadness.
• Do something nice for somebody else, a random act of kindness.
• Make a compliment to somebody else and notice how it affects their happiness.

5. Allow yourself to be vulnerable

Being vulnerable is often thought of as being weak. This is especially true for men, even though most of them are probably not aware of it (including yours truly).

I’ll use myself as an example: I often find it hard to show my emotions, especially around people that I don’t personally care about. If a colleague has a terrible day at work, I’m probably the last guy in the room to give that person a hug.

It’s not that I don’t want to be compassionate, it’s just that I grew up with the idea that needing support is a sign of weakness. As if asking for help is somehow bad.

Terrible! This train of thought has kept me from showing appreciation, love and compassion, even though I really wish I should have. I try to get rid of this notion, and it’s proving to be a challenge so far.

But I believe the world would be a better place if more people tried to let their guards down. Here’s a great article that contains actionable ways to show compassion.

6. Be a volunteer

Most people see volunteering as a good and noble endeavor, but many are reluctant to actually volunteer. Our lives are busy as they are, so why should you spend your time and energy on something that doesn’t pay?

Volunteering is a fantastic way to make the world a better place. Most volunteers spent their time helping those who need it most. By doing so, they are indirectly reducing the amount of inequality in the world (which was the first thing to do in this article).

It may not come as a surprise that volunteering is also proven to positively enhance your own happiness.

A 2007 study found that people who volunteer consistently report to be healthier both physically and mentally than those who do not.

Another important finding of this study was that those who were less well socially integrated benefited the most, meaning that volunteering may be a way to empower groups who are socially excluded otherwise.

7. Pick up trash

Picking up trash is probably the most actionable way to make the world a better place, from an environmental and ecological point of view.

There’s simply nothing that stops you from going out right now, to bring an empty trash bag and to fill it by picking up trash. Depending on where you live, you can fill one or two bags of trash by just going for a 30-minute walk around the block.

Even though this may seem like an inconsequential thing to do, you should not underestimate the power of inspiration here. Whenever I’ve gone out to pick up trash myself, I’ve had multiple people stop by for a quick chat. They all let me know how much they think that it’s amazing that somebody spends their (free) time picking up trash.

As an indirect result, I believe these people are more inclined to think twice before throwing out their garbage on the street. In fact, there’s a growing movement of people that go out there to pick up trash in their free time. There is even a subreddit with over 100,000 members that talk about their experiences picking up trash.

That’s probably because picking up trash is one of the simplest and most actionable ways to help make the world a better place.

8. Don’t judge others too soon

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to judge others, without actually knowing what they’re dealing with?

I’m unfortunately a perfect example of this questionable habit. I recently saw an overweight man riding a bicycle. The shirt he was wearing was undersized and his pants were a little down. As a result, he showed a massive buttcrack to everyone he passed on the street. According to most standards, this was not a pretty sight.

I was quick to make a jokey comment about it to my girlfriend. “Hey look, he’s probably on his way to the nearest McDrive”, I laughed while sneakily pointing to the man.

My girlfriend – having a better functioning moral compass than I have – quickly pointed out that I have no idea what shit he may be dealing with.

She was 100% right. It’s so easy to judge others for the way they look, dress, behave or appear. What we don’t know is how quickly our way of thinking becomes adapted to those negative judgmental thoughts. Especially when nobody ever speaks up about your negativity.

I’m happy my girlfriend made me realize how judgmental I was. Hell, maybe I should have asked her to write this article instead of me.

I recently saw this image on Twitter, that perfectly encapsulates what I mean here:

pic.twitter.com/RQZRLTD4Ux

— the Awkward Yeti (Nick Seluk) (@theawkwardyeti) June 11, 2021

My point here is that judging others comes easy for most of us. It’s tempting to point out flaws in other people, as it makes us feel better about ourselves. But it’s really important to realize that this behavior is not making the world a better place.

Instead, the world would be better off if we’d focus more of our energy on highlighting someone’s strengths. Being a judgmental person all the time won’t help the world.

9. Try to think positive and spread your happiness

This one expands on the previous tip. Instead of being judgmental all the time, why not spend that same energy in trying to be more positive?

There’s plenty of proof that positivity makes the world a better place. Here’s a simple example from the Medical University of Rochester:

Researchers reviewed the results of over 80 studies to look for common findings. They found optimism had a remarkable impact on physical health. The study examined overall longevity, survival from a disease, heart health, immunity, cancer outcomes, pregnancy outcomes, pain tolerance, and other health topics. It seemed that those who had a more optimistic outlook did better and had better results than those who were pessimistic.

Can Optimism Make a Difference in Your Life?

While this proves the impact that positivity has on an individual, there’s also science that shows how positive behavior can increase happiness in those you interact with. This study found that your happiness can spread to your friends, which then spreads to their friends, and so on.

As we discussed earlier, a happy world is a better world to live in. So by thinking positively and spreading your happiness, you’re making the world a better place!

10. Help someone out for free

Whereas the previous tip lacked an actionable takeaway, this tip is super easy to implement.

By helping someone out for free, you’re spreading your positivity to others while also closing the gap between those who are in need and those who are well off already.

What can you do to implement this idea and make the world a better place?

• Help out a colleague with a project of theirs.
• Do some grocery shopping for an elder.
• Give some of your food to a food bank.
• Provide your support for a good cause at a rally.
• Find opportunities to give compliments.
• Give someone a lift.
• Offer a listening ear to your friend or colleague.
• Give away some of your stuff to a thrift shop.

This idea applies to everything. Even though your help is not requested, and you don’t stand to profit from giving away your time, you’ll be making the world a better place.

Especially when you lend out your free help to someone who needs it most (like a group of people that’s treated unfairly).

11. Donate to good causes

The last tip in this list is also relatively simple and actionable. Donating money to a good cause is one of the simplest ways to make the world a better place.

You are probably reading this from a Western country. This means that you’re already better off than >50% of the world. As we discussed earlier in this article, there are a lot of people in the world that haven’t had as much luck as you.

So whether it’s the environment you want to support, animal welfare, refugee care, or hunger in Africa, you must know that you can make a difference.

And even when you won’t benefit directly from donating to a good cause, you will still feel happier as a result.

A well-known study once organized around 500 participants to play 10 rounds of a word-puzzle game. In each round, they could win 5 cents. They could either keep it or donate it. Afterward, they had to note down their level of happiness.

The outcome revealed that those who donated their winnings were happier compared to those who kept their winnings for themselves.

Another interesting series of studies by Michael Norton and Elizabeth Dunn had similar results. More than 600 people were interviewed in one of the studies. They were asked questions to find out how much they made, how much they spent, and how happy they were.

It was again discovered that people who spent more on others felt happier than those who spent it on themselves. The studies showed that the amount of money given hardly had an impact. What mattered is the intention behind it.

So if you want to make the world a better place but are still not sure what to do, think of a good cause you believe in and donate.

12. Practice active listening

In a world filled with distractions, taking the time to truly listen to someone can be a powerful way to make a difference.

Active listening involves fully concentrating, understanding, and responding to what someone is saying, rather than just passively hearing them. By practicing active listening, you show empathy, understanding, and respect, which can strengthen relationships and foster a sense of belonging.

Next time you’re in a conversation, resist the urge to formulate your response while the other person is speaking. Instead, focus entirely on their words, ask clarifying questions if needed, and give feedback only after they’ve finished speaking. This simple act can make the person feel valued and heard, promoting positive interactions and understanding.

13. Reduce digital waste

While we often think of environmental conservation in terms of physical waste, our digital habits also have an impact on the environment. Every email sent, photo stored, or website visited requires energy, contributing to our carbon footprint.

By being mindful of our digital consumption, we can reduce unnecessary energy use and promote a more sustainable digital ecosystem.

Regularly clean up your email inbox, deleting unnecessary emails and unsubscribing from newsletters you no longer read. Additionally, consider using cloud storage judiciously, deleting duplicate or unnecessary files. By adopting these habits, you not only declutter your digital space but also contribute to a greener digital environment.

By the way: If you want to start feeling better and more productive, I’ve condensed the information of 100’s of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here.

This Cheat Sheet Will Help You Be Happier and More Productive

Thrive under stress and crush your goals with these 10 unique tips for your mental health.

Download The Free Cheat Sheet

Wrapping up

If you made it all the way to the end, you’ve probably found a few tactics that you can use to help make the world better. In the end, your impact as an individual is always going to be small. But it’s through inspiring others that your actions can snowball into an actual change. Start small and eventually you can make the world a better place to live in.

What do you think? Was there something I missed? Something that you’ve found helpful in the past that needs to be shared in this article? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Hugo Huijer Author

Founder of Tracking Happiness, with over 100 interviews and a focus on practical advice, our content extends beyond happiness tracking. Hailing from the Netherlands, I’m a skateboarding enthusiast, marathon runner, and a dedicated data junkie, tracking my happiness for over a decade.

The post 13 Ways to Make the World a Better Place (Big & Small!) appeared first on Tracking Happiness.

Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to form new connections between neurons. And as the brain changes, the mind changes, for better or for worse. There are a lot of interesting studies that have worked out the mechanism of neuroplasticity. For example, by practicing positive thoughts, you can train your brain to be more optimistic. It may not be as easy as it sounds, but the results are worth it.

In this article, I’ll take a look at what neuroplasticity is, some specific examples of neuroplasticity, and how you can harness your brain to live a happier life.

What is neuroplasticity exactly?

According to professor Joyce Shaffer, neuroplasticity can be summarized as:

The natural tendency of the brain architecture to shift in negative or positive directions in response to intrinsic and extrinsic influences.

In other words, our brains aren’t passive information-processing machines, but rather complex systems that are always changing based on our life experiences. Humans are highly adaptable to a wide range of situations and it’s all thanks to neuroplasticity.

Think of a time when you have learned something new. By learning to solve quadratic equations or play the guitar, you have forced your brain to create new connections between tens of thousands – if not millions – of neurons.

These 4 studies show some specific neuroplasticity examples

You don’t just have to take my word for it, because we have the science to back it up.

A famous study from 2000 showed that London taxi drivers, who had to memorize a complicated and labyrinthine map of the city, had a larger hippocampus than the control group. The hippocampus is a part of the brain that’s involved in spatial memory, so it makes sense that it was more developed in taxi drivers, who had to navigate from memory.

Here’s an even more drastic example of neuroplasticity:

A 2013 article describes a young man known as EB, who has learned to live with only the right half of his brain after a tumor surgery in childhood. Brain functions related to language are usually localized in the left hemisphere, but it seems that in EB’s case, the right hemisphere has taken over these functions, allowing EB to have almost full command over language.

If neuroplasticity allows one half of the brain to take over the others’ functions, there is no reason why it couldn’t make you happier.

However, it’s important to note that if the brain can change for the better, it can also change for the worse.

For example, a 2014 study reports that chronic insomnia is associated with neural atrophy in the hippocampus. According to an article from 2017, neuroplasticity induced by stress and other negative stimuli plays a role in the development of depression.

By the way: Do you find it hard to be happy and in control of your life? It may not be your fault. To help you feel better, we’ve condensed the information of 100’s of articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet to help you be more in control.

Don’t Miss Out On Happiness

Find happiness with this 10-step mental health cheat sheet.

Download The Free Cheat Sheet

How neuroplasticity can make you happier

A part of making neuroplasticity work for you – not against you – is to focus on the positives. Let’s take a look at some examples and tips on how to harness the power of neuroplasticity.

1. Sleep and move

It starts with the basics. How happy do you usually feel after a sleepless night? As we learned before, chronic insomnia can change your brain for the worse, while adequate sleep will promote neuroplasticity and neurogenesis – the creation of new neurons.

Exercise is just as important as proper sleep. Not only does it make you happier in general, but it is also associated with increased neurogenesis and can protect the elderly against cognitive losses.

Promoting positive neuroplasticity, sleep, and exercise will keep you healthy and happy. So the next time you’re staying up late for a Netflix marathon, choose sleep instead. The shows will not of anywhere, but your much-needed neurons might.

2. Learning new things

Novelty and challenge are essential for human development and maintaining cognitive functions. Even if you prefer to mostly stay in your comfort zone, you’re still looking for something new and interesting, even if it’s just a new book or show.

Again, think about the last time you learned something new. While it might have felt uncomfortable at first, getting the hang of it probably felt pretty good. The more you practice, the better you get at it and the novelty wears off, but the satisfaction of having mastered it stays.

For example, I have recently started to learn how to solve the Rubik’s cube. I’m a long way from speedcubing, but I’ve cracked the basic algorithms and can solve the first two levels of the cube on my own. Understanding the algorithms was a real breakthrough for me; I’m no longer randomly twisting the sides around or following an online tutorial.

I couldn’t have acquired this new skill without neuroplasticity.

Will knowing how to solve a Rubik’s cube make me happy? No. But knowing that I can learn anything I set my mind to does. And if I can do it, so can you.

3. You find what you search for

A couple of years ago I read a comparison that went something like this:

Focusing on the negatives and expecting positives is like searching for ABBA and getting angry when all you get is Waterloo and Super Trouper.

It’s almost certainly not the actual quote and I couldn’t find the source – only ABBA songs – but the idea holds up. We get what we search for both online and in our minds.

The effects of neuroplasticity aren’t only limited to new skills. Our neural connections determine how we see the world. If we’re used to focusing on the negatives, we will notice them faster. If we’re used to find problems, we’ll find more problems instead of solutions.

Luckily, rewiring your brain is simple: you have to consciously start focusing on the good and do it until seeing solutions instead of problems becomes an automatic process.

A great way to change your thinking is by keeping a gratitude journal. Over time and with practice, the old neural pathways are replaced by new ones. Trying to find just one positive thing each day may be enough to sway your attention toward the positives in general.

4. Meditation

Studies on Tibetan monks, who spend thousands of hours meditating, have shown physical changes in their brains. Specifically, the monks showed more activation in brain areas related to engaging attention and attentional orienting, and less activation in areas associated with emotional reactivity.

I don’t know about you, but I definitely have days when I wish to be less emotionally reactive and more attentive.

A 2018 study showed increased neuroplasticity and decreased severity of depressive symptoms in people practicing a meditation- and yoga-based lifestyle.

Meditation promotes mindfulness, which in turn promotes calmness and happiness.

By the way: If you want to start feeling better and more productive, I’ve condensed the information of 100’s of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here.

This Cheat Sheet Will Help You Be Happier and More Productive

Thrive under stress and crush your goals with these 10 unique tips for your mental health.

Download The Free Cheat Sheet

By the way: If you want to start feeling better and more productive, I’ve condensed the information of 100’s of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here.

This Cheat Sheet Will Help You Be Happier and More Productive

Thrive under stress and crush your goals with these 10 unique tips for your mental health.

Download The Free Cheat Sheet

Wrapping up

Our brains are marvelous, complex systems that are created for maximum adaptation. Our neurons are constantly making new connections which not only allows us to make full recovery from brain injuries and surgeries, but also helps us be happier. To harness the power of neuroplasticity, make sure you get enough sleep and exercise, find new challenges, change your perspective and try meditation, and you’ll be on your way to a healthy brain and happier life.

What do you think? Do you believe in the power of change through neuroplasticity? Do you believe that you can change the way your brain works to eventually become happier? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Maili Tirel Author

School psychologist, teacher and internet counselor from Estonia. Passionate about coffee, reading, dancing, and singing in the shower, much to the neighbors’ dismay. Counseling catchphrase: “It’s okay!“

The post 4 Examples of Neuroplasticity: Studies Show How it Can Make You Happier appeared first on Tracking Happiness.

If you want to make a difference in the world, here are 7 actionable ways to help make the world a better place. Not just for yourself, but also for those around you. While some of these things may sound small and insignificant, they all have the power to inspire those around you. And that power can snowball into actual change.

Change starts with you. I’m going to show you how your actions can make a real difference to the world and those around you.

Simple ways to make a difference in the world

So you want to make a difference, but you don’t know where to start? Here are 7 ways to ignite change in the world, that will hopefully inspire you to take action today.

1. Clean up your neighborhood

The world is messy, and it’s only going to get worse with the growing population. However, you can make a difference by picking up trash in your free time.

This is probably the most simple, elegant, and actionable way to not just make a difference in your community, but also in the world.

Try to go for a 30-minute walk around the block every week, and bring an empty trash bag with you. Depending on where you live, you can fill it up with trash quite easily. You’d be surprised at the amount of trash there is littered around.

Does this really make a difference? I know it may seem inconsequential, but your simple actions have the power to inspire others as well. Whenever I’ve gone out to pick up trash myself, I’ve had multiple people stop by for a quick chat. They all let me know how much they think that it’s amazing that somebody spends their (free) time picking up trash. As an indirect result, I believe these people are more inclined to think twice before throwing out their garbage on the street.

That’s how you can make a difference.

You won’t be alone, as there is a growing community of people dedicated to cleaning up the planet. Just have a look at this subreddit – with over 117,000 members – that shares experiences of “detrashing” around the world.

2. Challenge yourself to go vegan for a month

Veganism is a delicate subject for most people. But it’s a topic that needs to be discussed.

If you want to make a difference in the world, just being open-minded about a future in which the consumption of animal products is reduced is super important.

Here are just a couple of facts about our current impact on the environment: 

• Animal farming is the leading cause of rainforest deforestation and the single largest driver of habitat loss in general.
• Agriculture, including the farming of fish, is listed as being a threat to 24,000 of the 28,000 species that are currently facing extinction. Every single day, up to 150 animal species go extinct. 
• The fishing method of bottom trawling alone is responsible for producing the same amount of emissions as the entire aviation industry.
• If the world shifted to a plant-based diet, we could feed every mouth on the planet and global farmland could also be reduced by more than 75%.
• Within the next thirty years, our (human) population is expected to increase to 10 billion. However, global trends are showing that animal product consumption is increasing regardless of the growing population.

We also released a study recently that showed that going vegan doesn’t have to negatively affect your life. In fact, we found that vegans are actually happier than carnivores.

So what do you have to lose (except for a future in which the world is actually a better place to live in)?

If you want to make a difference in the world, I want you to challenge yourself to go vegan for a month. This will show you that it’s not as hard as some people want you to believe. Depending on where you live, there are lots of plant-based alternatives that are just as tasty as their non-vegan counterparts.

You don’t have to go all in at once, because success is achieved with small steps. While it may require some sacrifices, rewards like psychological well-being and satisfaction, and the continued existence of natural resources should be reason enough to just try it!

3. Stand up for equality (even if you’re not the one being mistreated)

This is a big one.

The world is currently divided, pretty much in every way you look at it. This can almost all be traced back to inequality. Large groups of people are mistreated every day, be it due to deep-rooted racism or the gender pay gap.

You can make a real difference by standing up for equality whenever you see an opportunity. Unfortunately, these opportunities show up a lot more often than you might realize:

• Whenever your traditional/conservative family member makes a jokey remark about someone from another race.
• Or when your colleague gossips about your LBGTQ colleague.
• Or even when your sports team doesn’t pass the ball to someone in the team that isn’t as good as the rest.

One thing that you can do in these situations is to ask yourself:

Would the world be a better place if everybody acted this way?

If the answer is no, then you can make a difference in the world by voicing your opinion against whatever’s happening.

I’m not saying you should fight fire with fire here, as that would only make things worse. What you should do instead is just stand up for your opinion and let everybody know how you feel about it. Even when you’re not the one being mistreated.

When you show the world that you’re against any form of inequality, you might inspire those around you to change their way of life as well.

By the way: Do you find it hard to be happy and in control of your life? It may not be your fault. To help you feel better, we’ve condensed the information of 100’s of articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet to help you be more in control.

Don’t Miss Out On Happiness

Find happiness with this 10-step mental health cheat sheet.

Download The Free Cheat Sheet

4. Become a volunteer

Just like picking up trash, this is another way for you to make a difference that immediately shows results.

By volunteering in your community, you will directly see the results of your work. Whether that’s because you’re helping animals in the shelter, or you’re tutoring your nephew with his math homework, you’ll directly make a difference to the cause that you’re volunteering for.

That said, many people are reluctant to actually volunteer. Our lives are busy as they are, so why should you spend your time and energy on something that doesn’t pay?

The answer is quite simple, actually. Volunteering not only makes a positive difference to the world and the people around you, it also improves your mental health.

A 2007 study found that people who volunteer consistently report to be healthier both physically and mentally than those who do not.

Another important finding of this study was that those who were less socially integrated benefited the most, meaning that volunteering may be a way to empower groups who are socially excluded otherwise.

For this reason, volunteering is one of the best ways you can make a difference in the world.

5. Spread positivity to others

There’s plenty of proof that shows positivity makes the world a better place. Here’s a simple example from the Medical University of Rochester:

Researchers reviewed the results of over 80 studies to look for common findings. They found optimism had a remarkable impact on physical health. The study examined overall longevity, survival from a disease, heart health, immunity, cancer outcomes, pregnancy outcomes, pain tolerance, and other health topics. It seemed that those who had a more optimistic outlook did better and had better results than those who were pessimistic.

Can Optimism Make a Difference in Your Life?

While this proves the impact that positivity has on an individual, there’s also science that shows how positive behavior can increase happiness in those you interact with.

This study found that your happiness can spread to your friends, which then spreads to their friends, and so on.

This may not result in a feedback loop where you get to see directly how much your actions make a difference in the world. But spreading positivity is arguably the most powerful way to make a difference. Because it not only helps you maintain happiness, it also spreads to the people around you.

These people will then feel happier and, therefore, spread more happiness in the world as well.

By spreading positivity, you can help to make the world a happier and better world to live in.

6. Offer to help someone without expecting anything in return

In high school, my English teacher made the class watch the movie “Pay It Forward”. The main message of the movie has stuck with me ever since.

“Paying it forward” comes down to asking a person you’ve been kind to not return the favor, but instead to repay the kindness to someone else. That way, one simple act of kindness has the power to turn into a larger wave of kindness.

What can you do to implement this idea and make the world a better place?

• Help out a colleague with a project of theirs.
• Do some grocery shopping for an elder.
• Give some of your food to a food bank.
• Provide your support for a good cause at a rally.
• Find opportunities to give compliments.
• Give someone a lift.
• Offer a listening ear to your friend or colleague.
• Give away some of your stuff to a thrift shop.
• Lots more…

This idea applies to everything. Even though your help is not requested, and you don’t stand to profit from giving away your time, you’ll be making the world a better place. And by specifically not asking for anything in return, you may inspire others to do the same.

This way, the positive energy of your act of kindness will not end when the kindness is returned. It will live on as your act of kindness spreads from person to person.

7. Donate money to a cause you believe in

If you’ve been reading this article thinking “man, I simply don’t have the time to go out and do all these things“, then here’s a simple thing you can do:

Donate a part of your money to a good cause. While it’s hard to see any real impact of your actions this way, it will still make a difference in the world.

You are probably reading this from a Western country. This means that you’re already better off than >50% of the world. There are a lot of people in the world that haven’t had as much luck as you. And they could use a bit of your help if only to have the same chances that you had while growing up.

So whether it’s the environment you want to support, animal welfare, refugee care, or hunger in Africa, your help can make a difference.

And if you’d rather spend the money on a vacation or a new watch, you should know that donating money is likely to raise your happiness more than that new watch.

A well-known study once organized around 500 participants to play 10 rounds of a word-puzzle game. In each round, they could win 5 cents. They could either keep it or donate it. Afterward, they had to note down their level of happiness. The outcome revealed that those who donated their winnings were happier compared to those who kept their winnings for themselves.

So if you want to make a difference in the world but are still not sure what to do, think of a good cause you believe in and donate.

You have the power to make a difference

You don’t have the power to single-handedly change the world completely. Even the most powerful people in the world are finding it difficult to make a big lasting difference.

But you do have the power to inspire others.

Your power to inspire others is the key to making a larger difference in the world, far beyond what you can directly measure.

By inspiring those around you, your actions can snowball into something bigger. For example, I personally only started picking up trash because I saw a Reddit post someday about someone detrashing. I thought “hey, that looks quite fun actually”, and continued to find out more about what motivates these people.

If some total stranger across the world hadn’t shared his experiences with detrashing, I would not have come across it on Reddit. Maybe then it would have taken me another year before I found out about it, if at all.

While this may be a silly example, what I’m trying to say here is that your actions can have the power to snowball into something bigger. Even though your actions seem inconsequential and minor, you can make a real difference when you can inspire others to be open-minded.

By the way: If you want to start feeling better and more productive, I’ve condensed the information of 100’s of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here.

This Cheat Sheet Will Help You Be Happier and More Productive

Thrive under stress and crush your goals with these 10 unique tips for your mental health.

Download The Free Cheat Sheet

Wrapping up

Making a difference might seem hard, but I hope that you know by now that it’s completely possible. You can make a positive difference to the world and it doesn’t even have to cost you your own happiness and mental health! By inspiring others through your own actions, you have the power to make the world a better place.

What did I miss? Do you want to share something in particular that you have done to make a difference in the world? I would love to hear about it in the comments below!

Hugo Huijer Author

Founder of Tracking Happiness, with over 100 interviews and a focus on practical advice, our content extends beyond happiness tracking. Hailing from the Netherlands, I’m a skateboarding enthusiast, marathon runner, and a dedicated data junkie, tracking my happiness for over a decade.

The post 7 Powerful Ways to Make a Big Difference in the World appeared first on Tracking Happiness.

Our mood affects the media we consume, and in turn, the content will affect our mood. An uplifting story can make us feel better, but if we’re feeling really down, positive news stories and happy songs can make us feel even worse – and so can sad ones. If you’re really unlucky, you can get stuck in a never-ending cycle of worsening mood that is very difficult to break out of. But since content can affect mood in different ways, you can make the influence work in your favor, if you know which choices to make.

In this article, I’ll take a look at how the media you consume affects your mood and how to make this interaction work in your favor.

Media as a mood management strategy

In general, people will try to improve their mood or at least diminish emotional discomfort. To do so, we manage our surroundings, interactions with other people, and the media we consume. This is known as mood management theory.

While going out for a walk or meeting up with friends while we’re feeling down requires quite a lot of energy, choosing a video or movie to watch is a fairly low-effort way to manage our mood, which makes it the go-to approach for many people.

Mood management theory

According to mood management theory, people always strive to maintain a good mood and improve their low mood. This seems intuitively logical because feeling good is always better than feeling bad or low, right?

But this theory doesn’t explain why we listen to sad ballads after a breakup. A 2010 study found that people tend to consume media that matches their mood.

In the study, sad participants showed a preference for watching a dark comedy or a social drama, whereas happy participants showed a preference for viewing a slapstick comedy or an action adventure.

One explanation behind this is that lonely people receive a mood boost from watching lonely characters because this allows them to engage in self-enhancing downward social comparisons.

Another reason might be that people view negative mood-congruent media as informational – by viewing a character in a similar predicament, they may learn coping skills.

In light of these findings about media consumption as a mood management strategy, let’s take a look at how exactly the content we consume can affect mood.

By the way: Do you find it hard to be happy and in control of your life? It may not be your fault. To help you feel better, we’ve condensed the information of 100’s of articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet to help you be more in control.

Don’t Miss Out On Happiness

Find happiness with this 10-step mental health cheat sheet.

Download The Free Cheat Sheet

Feel-good media

2020 was a nightmare for many people. From a global pandemic to racial justice protests, it’s no wonder that many people turned to uplifting, feel-good media to distract themselves from the grim reality.

Watching a movie with an uplifting story and a positive message can provide hope. According to a 2003 study, good comedy can have an even greater mood-lifting and anxiety-lowering effect than exercise.

In addition, positive media can simply provide a distraction from our day-to-day lives. For example, I have been watching The Big Flower Fight on Netflix, where teams of florists compete in creating flower sculptures. Not only is the craftsmanship amazing, but the flow of the show is so relaxing and positive that it’s fantastic for unwinding at the end of the day.

According to a 2017 study, looking at positive, self-compassion related social media posts can also reduce negative mood, in addition to improving body appreciation and self-compassion.

However, not all social media content is created equal. A 2020 study found that fitspiration-type posts calling people to improve their personal fitness increased negative mood.

Feel-bad media

As the name implies, feel-bad media is the opposite of feel-good media. It’s usually what we try to escape by consuming feel-good content.

The news as feel-bad media

The best example of this is the news media that we consume every day.

Although there are positive and uplifting news stories, an overwhelming amount of news are stories about violence and tragedy.

And because of how connected we are with the rest of the world, the news we see isn’t only limited to our own countries or communities, but we are witnesses to worldwide events.

Secondary traumatic stress

Secondary traumatic stress is well-documented in helping professions, where it’s people’s job to listen to the horrifying stories of others. But a 2015 study shows evidence that simply following the news on social media can trigger secondary traumatic stress in anyone, no matter the profession.

Secondary traumatic stress is usually characterized by increased anxiety or fear, and feelings of helplessness, and it can cause nightmares or other sleep problems. All of these things also affect our general mood.

For me, the height of the Covid-19 pandemic was one of the hardest periods to live through because of the constant reports of new cases and deaths, not only in my country, but all over the world. No one has the mental and emotional capacity to mourn thousands of deaths every day, nor should we be expected to.

How to manage your mood using media

It’s clear that our mood affects the media we consume, and in turn, media affects our mood. While we may not always be able to fully control our mood, there are a few simple tips when it comes to media consumption.

1. Curate your social media

Almost every social media platform offers numerous tools that allow you to fully control what you see on your feed, so use them.

Curate your feeds to only include accounts that give you positive emotions. Mute or block certain keywords and accounts that affect your mood negatively, and stop hate-following people – your curiosity may be satisfied, but you won’t be.

2. Read less news

Choose one or two sites or sources to follow and stick to those. Chances are that you’re already getting at least some of your news from social media, and you can’t reasonably expect yourself to be able to keep up with more sources.

One of the best choices I’ve ever made was to disable the push notifications on my preferred news app. Unless your job requires you to keep up with the news 24/7, I highly recommend it.

3. Find your favorites

You probably have that one movie, song or story that never fails to cheer you up. Whether it’s compiling a positive playlist or even just keeping a few wholesome memes on your phone, it’s important to know what works so that you have it at hand when you need it the most.

By the way: If you want to start feeling better and more productive, I’ve condensed the information of 100’s of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here.

This Cheat Sheet Will Help You Be Happier and More Productive

Thrive under stress and crush your goals with these 10 unique tips for your mental health.

Download The Free Cheat Sheet

Wrapping up

Our mood affects the media we consume and in turn, media affects our mood. Since it’s easily available, it’s no wonder that many people use media as a mood management strategy, but it may not always work in our favor. Both social media and the news can make or break our day when it comes to mood, so it’s important to curate what you consume.

Did I miss anything? Do you have another tip to help manage your mood using media in a smart way? I’d love to hear in the comments below!

Maili Tirel Author

School psychologist, teacher and internet counselor from Estonia. Passionate about coffee, reading, dancing, and singing in the shower, much to the neighbors’ dismay. Counseling catchphrase: “It’s okay!“

The post Psychological Impact of News & Media: How it Impacts Your Mood appeared first on Tracking Happiness.

The answer, as always, depends on what you mean by happiness. Are humans meant to be positive and upbeat all of the time? No. But are humans meant to live meaningful lives? Most likely yes. Research shows that the odds may not be in our favor, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive to live more fulfilled and meaningful lives.

In this article, I will take a look at what it means to be happy and what type of happiness humans are designed for.

What is happiness?

As a psychologist, I think of happiness as subjective well-being. This concept, coined by American psychologist Ed Diener, actually consists of two components: affective balance, which deals with our moods and emotions, and appraisal of life satisfaction, which deals with judgments of our lives.

Different approaches to happiness

A person has higher subjective well-being if they experience frequent positive affect, and infrequent negative affect and are satisfied with most areas of their life (e.g. career, finances, relationships, health).

Diener’s model takes a hedonic, or pleasure-oriented, approach to life and happiness. We are happy when we feel happy.

In contrast, the eudaimonic approach focuses on living a life that is meaningful and fully realized. In other words, you don’t have to feel happy to be happy.

Let’s take a closer look at these two approaches and what they mean for humanity’s search for happiness.

Hedonia: pursuing positive feelings

Hedonia is often characterized by feelings of pleasure and positive affect. Hedonism is the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of suffering, which some theorists and philosophers believe to be the only way to achieve happiness.

Many of us pursue pleasure and try to minimize our own suffering every day.

For example, earlier today, I decided to order take-out instead of cooking myself, because I wanted good food and was feeling lazy. While cooking isn’t some great act of suffering, getting my food delivered did bring me pleasure and make me happier for a little while.

But if happiness means maximizing positive emotions and minimizing negative ones, we are doomed to chase happiness forever, because our brain is working against us.

The human brain is a fascinating piece of design with the ability to process unfathomable amounts of information in a single instance. Despite this, there is just so much information to take in that the brain has to make certain choices when it comes to which information it focuses on. And more often than not, it chooses to focus on the negatives.

In his book The Happiness Trap, Russ Harris writes:

“…evolution has shaped our minds so that we are almost inevitably destined to suffer psychologically: to compare, evaluate and criticise ourselves; to focus on what we’re lacking; to be dissatisfied with what we have; and to imagine all sorts of frightening scenarios, most of which will never happen. No wonder humans find it hard to be happy!”

Russ Harris

It is not possible to only feel positive emotions and neither is it necessary. Feelings like anxiety, anger, fear, and sadness all have a role to fill in our lives, and cutting them out completely can do more harm than good.

For example, a person who doesn’t feel any fear is more likely to get seriously hurt in a dangerous situation, because there is no fear to warn them to stay away.

This clip from the movie Inside Out shows a funny way of how sadness plays a role in our lives. Spoiler alert: it turns out that sad emotions are just as important as happy emotions.

In his book Good Reasons for Bad Feelings, evolutionary physician Randolph M. Nesse argues that negative emotions have been unnecessarily and unjustly vilified and that even mental disorders like depression have an evolutionary purpose. Suffering is just a part of life. He notes:

Our brains were shaped to benefit our genes, not us… Natural selection does not give a fig about our happiness.”

Randolph M. Nesse

Estonian neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp is known for his theory of 7 primal emotions:

1. Anger.
2. Fear.
3. Panic/grief.
4. Maternal care.
5. Lust.
6. Play.
7. Seeking.

Out of these seven, he cites seeking as the most important. The seeking system is driven by dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and reward.

This means that we are constantly seeking new information, plans and goals, and we can never feel like all of our desires have been met, which means that our pursuit of happiness will never be over.

Eudaimonia: pursuing meaning

In contrast to hedonia, eudaimonia is less about feeling good and more about trying to be good.

According to researchers Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan, eudaimonia is concerned with living well or actualizing one’s human potential. In their 2006 paper, they write:

Well-being is not so much an outcome or end state as it is a process of fulfilling or realizing one’s daimon or true nature—that is, of fulfilling one’s virtuous potentials and living as one was inherently intended to live.

This may sound a little scary because most of us do not think about our “virtuous potentials” while on our daily grind. We fulfill our day-to-day potential of getting up and surviving the day and if we can get through the day in a way that aligns with our values, we can count ourselves lucky.

But that is the wonder of a meaningful life – it is a life lived with purpose, and it doesn’t matter too much if you achieve your purpose or not, as long as you really live.

American psychologist David Feldman writes:

The most satisfying forms of meaning may blossom not when we pursue them directly, but when we instead seek beauty, love, justice […] The secret to a meaningful life may be to remind ourselves every day to do the right thing, love fully, pursue fascinating experiences, and undertake important tasks, not because we are trying to increase our sense of meaning in life, but because these pursuits are good in themselves.

David Feldman

Instead of chasing positive feelings, eudaimonia is about chasing positive experiences and learning from the negative ones, and not seeing happiness as a goal, but as a way of life.

You can read more about finding meaning in life here.

Are humans designed for happiness?

From a hedonic standpoint, the answer is no.

We can try to maximize positive feelings and minimize negative ones, but our brains work against us in that regard, by (un)helpfully pointing out the negatives about ourselves and others.

A happy person isn’t one who never feels negative emotions, but rather one who learns to accept that negative emotions are a part of life and finds happiness and meaning regardless of them.

The eudaimonic approach to happiness is, in some ways, more achievable. If you find meaning, you can find the little things in life that bring you happiness every day.

To conclude, I’m going to borrow the words of Eloise Stark and her colleagues from The Cambridge Handbook of Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Behavior:

Evolution has shaped biological brains to be able to survive as individuals and as a species. Hedonia is a key driver in the underlying brain processing, constantly helping to make decisions that optimize the possibility of survival through wanting and seeking out food, sex, and conspecifics.[…] It has become clear, however, that while evolution has clearly designed us to survive – for which pleasure is a necessary requirement – eudaimonia is what allows for moments of meaningful bliss.

So humans aren’t meant to feel happy, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find happiness in our lives.

By the way: If you want to start feeling better and more productive, I’ve condensed the information of 100’s of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here.

This Cheat Sheet Will Help You Be Happier and More Productive

Thrive under stress and crush your goals with these 10 unique tips for your mental health.

Download The Free Cheat Sheet

Wrapping up

It’s unrealistic to hope to only feel positive emotions because our brains just don’t work like that. It’s evolutionarily useful to sometimes have uncomfortable and negative emotions. However, we can find happiness in our lives by finding meaning and purpose and accepting life and all of its parts – both the good and the bad. By finding meaning in life, we can create our own happiness.

Do you believe that humans are meant to be happy all the time? Want to share your own story on how you pursue happiness despite your brain working against you? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Maili Tirel Author

School psychologist, teacher and internet counselor from Estonia. Passionate about coffee, reading, dancing, and singing in the shower, much to the neighbors’ dismay. Counseling catchphrase: “It’s okay!“

The post Here’s why Humans Aren’t Meant to be Happy (According to Science) appeared first on Tracking Happiness.

We run after bigger television sets, newer smartphones, and better cars. We run after job promotions and luxurious holidays. We tend to think that more money in our bank accounts will translate into happier lives. While offline and online shopping can bring us short-term satisfaction, it rarely matters in the long run. There are all examples of things that don’t matter in the end.

Well then, what really matters in life? This article shows you what matters in life and how to find the things that matter most.

What really matters in life

The wise do not chase after materialistic items. More clothes, smarter gadgets, bigger cars, and luxurious houses can make our lives more convenient, but do these things bring us long-lasting happiness?

They don’t.

What really matters in life is happiness itself. Happiness comes from having a purpose in life, loving and accepting yourself and others, and maintaining good health. Without these, you will always end up feeling unfulfilled and unhappy.

Research on the impact of relationships on life

An adult development study by Harvard on the lives of more than 700 people was conducted for over 75 years. The participants were divided into two groups – one group with participants who finished college and the other with participants from poor neighborhoods. Their personal and professional lives were studied, as well as their health and relationships.

While most people thought that money and fame made for a happier life, the research showed something different. It was good relationships that had a more positive impact on life. It’s not about having a big circle of friends or several relationships. It’s about having meaningful relationships. Quality over quantity.

In the words of Professor Robert Waldinger, the director of the study:

The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier.

Robert Waldinger

Psychiatrist George Vaillant, one of the earlier researchers of the study, came to the same conclusion in his own words:

The key to healthy aging is relationships, relationships, relationships.

George Vaillant

Research on the purpose of life

A study by the researchers of the Harvard School of Public Health found that when people have a high sense of purpose or direction in life, they tend to remain healthier in life.

The researchers tracked data from 2006 and 2010 from a national study of participants over 50 years old. Physical and psychological examinations of their health were conducted, including walking speed, grip test, and a questionnaire to measure their sense of purpose.

The results showed that the participants with a higher sense of purpose had a reduced risk of developing weaker grip and slower speed.

Deathbed regrets

One of my favorite articles online is called “Regrets of the Dying”, which covers the most frequently quoted regrets of people on their deathbed. It’s a fascinating story that uncovers what most people regret the most as they are near the end of their lives. Here’s the gist of it:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

Notice how none of the deathbed regrets are “I wish I had bought a bigger TV”?

What matters in life and why

For anyone struggling to find what really matters in life, here are some clues.

1. Purpose in life

A sense of purpose gives us the “why” of our life. It is the reason why we do what we do. It is the reason for our actions, our work and our relationships. Our lives revolve around this purpose. It gives our life meaning – a meaning which matters in life.

However, do not panic if you struggle to find your purpose. We have all been in that place. I remember when I did, I asked myself three questions:

• Why do I get up?
• What do I want?
• What do I not want?

These questions have helped me find my purpose in life. It helped me discover what really matters to me. Whenever you feel like you are losing track of your life and yourself, you can always go back to these questions. Just remember to be honest with yourself.

2. Good relationships

Relationships are important. The positive kind, of course. In a busy world like ours, we often think that we don’t have a lot of time to give to our family or friends.

Even worse, we take it all for granted and postpone it for later, while we prioritize our work.

However, your family, friends, and loved ones are part of what makes your life happier.

I remember the happiest memories of my life revolve around spending time with my family and friends.

Good relationships really matter. You need to nurture these relationships with the attention, love, and care that they deserve.

Here are a few ways to do that:

• Spend time with people who support and encourage you.
• Replace the time you spend on your phone or TV with real people.
• Do things with your loved ones to strengthen your relationship with them.
• Reach out to old friends and relatives and connect with your colleagues.

Spend time with positive people and watch how it changes your life for the better.

3. Good health

Health is probably one of the most important things that we take for granted. We don’t eat healthily, we sleep poorly, and we don’t treasure our bodies. But health matters – both our physical health and mental health.

Be kind to yourself, your mind, and your body. A lot of people are not so lucky to have a healthy body, so keep it nourished and nurtured.

Here are some interesting articles filled with tips on how to focus on your health:

• How Much Does Exercising Make You Happier? (Research + Tips)
• Mental Benefits Of Walking: Here’s Why It Makes You Happier!
• 4 Ways To Find Happiness Through Yoga (From A Yoga Teacher)

Always prioritize your health. Improve your lifestyle. Eat healthily and drink plenty of water. Get out and talk to people. Visit the doctor for regular check-ups. Treat your health as if it is crucial because it really is.

4. Love and accept yourself

Accepting and loving yourself matters. When you completely embrace yourself and nurture your well-being and growth, you’ll start to see the positive effect it has on your life. A positive view of yourself leads to a positive view of the world.

If you are unable to love yourself, you will be unable to love others too. There was a time in my life when I criticized everything I did and thought that my life fell apart because of how I am. I disliked myself. Not long after, I started distancing myself from people. It was after I learned how to love myself that I could love and care for others.

How did I do that?

• I accepted my flaws and recognized my strengths.
• I forgave myself when I made a mistake, but I also held myself accountable.
• I spent time with those I loved and asked for help when I needed it.
• I stayed positive as much as I could and let go of resentment.
• I made healthier choices and tracked my growth and progress.

 In short, I started to love myself again, and so can you. Take time to discover your true self and embrace it.

By the way: If you want to start feeling better and more productive, I’ve condensed the information of 100’s of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here.

This Cheat Sheet Will Help You Be Happier and More Productive

Thrive under stress and crush your goals with these 10 unique tips for your mental health.

Download The Free Cheat Sheet

Closing words

So, what really matters in life? A healthy balance of purpose, relationships, health, and love really matters. These continue to be the most precious elements of our lives.

Do you agree? Or do you think I missed something important? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Hugo Huijer Author

Founder of Tracking Happiness, with over 100 interviews and a focus on practical advice, our content extends beyond happiness tracking. Hailing from the Netherlands, I’m a skateboarding enthusiast, marathon runner, and a dedicated data junkie, tracking my happiness for over a decade.

The post What Really Matters in Life? (How to Find out What Matters Most) appeared first on Tracking Happiness.

The answer depends on the person and their circumstances, but a very simplistic approach allows us to divide those motivations into two categories: negative and positive. Some people act out of guilt, while others act out of responsibility. Some people focus on long-term rewards while others only see the immediate inconvenience.

In this article, I will take a look at the psychological antecedents and consequences, both positive and negative, of sustainable behavior. How does sustainable behavior influence your mental health?

Sustainable behavior

Both people and businesses alike are encouraged to make sustainable choices. Sustainable behavior can be as simple as turning off the tap while you brush your teeth, or bringing your own coffee cup to get coffee to avoid using a single-use one.

At the other end, sustainable behaviors can be much more complex, like living a zero-waste lifestyle.

Most people partake in some sustainable behaviors like bringing a reusable shopping bag to the supermarket, or shopping second-hand to avoid buying fast fashion. Often, these behaviors aren’t only saving the environment, but also help to save money. Yet few people manage to live a zero-waste life and give up the convenience of having a car. At some point, living a sustainable life starts to impact the rest of your life.

To understand what makes people behave in one way or another, let’s take a look at the psychology behind sustainable behavior.

The “negative” psychology of sustainability

A lot of psychological research is focused on the negatives. One reason often cited for this negative bias is that our brains are wired to pay more attention to danger and other unpleasant sensations and experiences in order to ensure our survival.

This makes sense, in a way. For example, failing to notice a friend on the street will probably only result in something to laugh about later. But failing to notice someone following you late at night can have much more serious consequences.

This negative bias affects almost every area of life and a sizable part of our lives is spent on avoiding and alleviating negative emotions and experiences. As such, it makes sense that sustainable behavior is also often negatively motivated.

Guilt and fear vs sustainability

For example, Western Michigan University psychology professor Richard Malott writes that guilt and fear are often stronger motivators to make environment-saving changes in our behavior than feel-good incentives, “because we can always wait until tomorrow to feel good, whereas we’re feeling guilty or fearful right now”.

Jacob Keller, who undertook a recycling-themed project for his elementary school science fair in 1991, commented on his project and recycling behavior in 2010: “Those depressing images of the seemingly infinite oceans of trash inspired me more than anything to want to be proactive about recycling and get more people involved.”

Chances are that you, too, have seen footage of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or marine wildlife getting caught plastic, or statistics about the detrimental environmental impact of fast fashion. These images and facts tend to shock most people into some sort of action, because they often imply that by buying $5 t-shirts or not recycling water bottles, the consumer is directly responsible for these environmental crises.

Of course, the situation is far more nuanced than that. If guilt, fear and depressing statistics were enough to push people into action, no more calls to action would be needed.

The sacrifices of living sustainable

The key is in the immediate, personal consequences of our actions. A 2007 article suggests that discomfort and sacrifice are more likely to occur as a consequence of sustainable behavior than rewards.

Despite our ideals and intentions, humans are creatures of habit and convenience, and most of us are used to certain conveniences that are difficult to give up. For example, why should I spend $40 on a sustainably made t-shirt, when I can save money by shopping at a fast-fashion chain? Or why go to a market or dedicated packaging-free store for groceries when I can buy the same things more conveniently at a regular supermarket?

Sustainable behavior may require people to stop consuming animal products which, while increasingly easier, still requires sacrifice, like limited options while eating out. Although seemingly small, these perceived sacrifices can make sustainable behavior much more difficult than non-sustainable behavior.

The positive psychology of sustainability

It may seem that there is no happiness to be found in sustainable behavior, only depressing statistics and personal sacrifices. But fortunately, a positive approach exists, too.

According to psychologist Martin Seligman, positive psychology focuses on well-being and the positive elements of the human experience. This positive focus was intended as a direct answer to the widespread negative focus in psychology.

A 2012 article by Victor Corral-Verdugo, fittingly entitled The Positive Psychology of Sustainability, argues that the main values of sustainable behavior and positive psychology are quite similar. For example, both stress the importance of altruism and humanity, equity and fairness, responsibility, future orientation, and intrinsic motivation to name a few.

Based on previous research, Corral-Verdugo outlines some positive variables that cause people to engage in sustainable behavior:

• happiness is related to decreased consumption of resources and pro-ecological behaviors;
• positive attitudes towards other people and nature motivate people to preserve the biosphere;
• personality traits like responsibility, extroversion and consciousness are predictors of pro-environmental behavior;
• psychological capabilities, like ability to adapt allow people to develop pro-environmental competency, which in turn helps them behave sustainably.

Positive consequences of living a sustainable life

Actions always have consequences, but they do not always have to be negative. According to Corral-Verdugo, some positive consequences of sustainable behavior include:

• satisfaction of having behaved in a pro-ecological manner, which in turn can promote feelings of self-efficacy;
• competence motivation, produced by the fact that you have acted pro-environmentally, which leads to more sustainable behavior;
• happiness and psychological well-being – although the link between pro-ecological behavior and happiness is not yet clear, one possible explanation is that sustainable behavior makes people take greater control over their life, understanding that they can make conscious choices that contribute to their own well-being, the well-being of others, and the natural environment;
• psychological restoration.

Most of these consequences of sustainable behavior – like satisfaction, happiness and competence motivation – become antecedents of more sustainable behavior. For example, if I set a goal of not buying any fast fashion for a month and succeed, the satisfaction of meeting my goal will motivate me to set new sustainable goals.

Study links sustainability with happiness

This recent study from 2021 found a link between a country’s happiness and its sustainability rankings. While this doesn’t prove a causal relationship between recycling plastic and a better mood, it does prove that you don’t have to “sacrifice” your happiness in order to live a sustainable lifestyle.

Lead researcher Yomna Sameer says:

In happier countries, people enjoy their lives and consume things, but they consume in a more responsible way. It’s not an either/or. Happiness can go hand in hand with sustainability.

Yomna Sameer

This shows that sustainability is not necessarily a barrier to your happiness. They can go hand in hand, and perhaps you can improve your happiness by finding ways to be more sustainable in life.

The psychology of sustainability

It seems that paradoxically, sustainable behavior seems to cause both sacrifice and discomfort, and happiness and satisfaction.

But it’s not quite as paradoxical as it seems, because like with most things, the effects of sustainable behavior are entirely dependent on the individual.

Just like extreme sports cause fear in some and excitement in others, pro-environmental behaviors can also have very different effects on people.

What makes you want to live a sustainable life?

According to a 2017 article, personality is an important predictor of sustainable behavior, with people with more adaptive personalities being more environmentally friendly. Another study from the same year reports that higher compassion is positively related to sustainable shopping behavior.

Another important factor in sustainability is a person’s values. A person who values the environment and sustainable and ethical production and consumption is willing to bear the sacrifice of convenience in order to behave according to their values, while someone who mainly values their time and personal comfort may be unwilling to make the same sacrifices.

In addition to personal factors like personality and values, our situation and environment play an important role. For example, the presence of sustainable options is a must, as are the material means to choose them.

It is also easier to behave sustainably if you are surrounded by people who do the same or share the same values. This is especially important when you live with someone, and the ecological footprint of your household isn’t solely dependent on you.

Your mileage may vary, but I would argue that sustainable behavior is a fairly safe gamble. You don’t have to go all-in at once, because success is achieved with small steps. While it may require some sacrifices, rewards like psychological well-being and satisfaction, and the continued existence of natural resources, make at least trying worth it.

And what’s best, the psychological rewards will create a positive feedback cycle of more sustainable behavior and more positive emotions.

By the way: If you want to start feeling better and more productive, I’ve condensed the information of 100’s of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here.

This Cheat Sheet Will Help You Be Happier and More Productive

Thrive under stress and crush your goals with these 10 unique tips for your mental health.

Download The Free Cheat Sheet

Wrapping up

Sustainable behavior can be motivated by negative feelings like guilt or fear, or positive factors like happiness or responsibility. Similarly, depending on your situation and values, sustainable behavior can either feel like a success or a sacrifice. It’s a complicated concept, but with rewards like psychological well-being on the line, sustainable behavior is worth trying.

What do you think? Have you tried to make your life more sustainable in a way recently? And how did this decision affect your mental health? I would love to hear all about it in the comments below!

Maili Tirel Author

School psychologist, teacher and internet counselor from Estonia. Passionate about coffee, reading, dancing, and singing in the shower, much to the neighbors’ dismay. Counseling catchphrase: “It’s okay!“

The post Does Sustainable Behavior Improve our Mental Health? appeared first on Tracking Happiness.

This article discusses why we find it so difficult to choose kindness and explains the biases to cause our negative behavior. I’m going to show you why it’s so difficult to choose kindness, and explain how you can change your actions to be more kind, compassionate, forgiving, and positive. There are 3 huge benefits to choosing kindness, that will convince you why it’s better to always be kind to those around you.

If you want to learn more about this, then you’re in the right place. After reading this article, you’ll know when and how to be more kind to others, whenever you have the chance.

When is choosing kindness a choice?

There are many times when you can choose to be kind. What you decide to do depends on who you are, and how aware you are of those situations.

It also can depend on how you woke up, or how you’re personally feeling. Depending on how you feel, you could choose to be a jackass or you can choose to be kind.

These situations pop up multiple times per day, often without us being aware of them. If you commuted to work today, there’s a chance that some person cut you off, or did something stupid in traffic that you had to correct.

What would you do? Show him the middle finger? Scream at him and call him an asshole? Or would you just wave at him with a smile?

It’s easy to choose the opposite of kindness

Most humans want justice to be served in the world. It makes sense, right? If someone does something immoral or unlawful, that person needs to be corrected. Right?

If someone cuts me off in traffic, then it’s my duty to open my window and call him an asshole as loud as I can. Right? I can’t let this reckless driver get away with nearly pushing me off my lane?

This would make total sense in a world where humans act like robots.

But that’s not the case. In fact, the minds of humans – all of us, including me and you – are flawed.

One of these flaws in particular is called the fundamental attribution error. This website has a great explanation of what it is (and covers most other flawed human biases as well).

Basically, the fundamental attribution error means that we judge others on their character, but yourselves on the situation.

Let’s put it this way: if you’ve ever done something stupid in traffic, you’ve likely shrugged it off and explained to yourself that it was because of the busy traffic. It wasn’t your fault, and even then, what’s the big deal? No one died.

But when it’s someone else that does it, we are quick to get out our hypothetical pitchforks and torches.

This bias explains a lot about why humans are so often deciding to be the opposite of kind.

When can you actually choose kindness over negativity?

We often choose the opposite of kindness, whether that’s in the form of hate, envy, or negativity.

Here’s an example of what I mean, which I used in another article as well.

I recently saw an overweight man riding a bicycle. The shirt he was wearing was undersized and his pants were a little down. As a result, he showed a massive buttcrack to everyone he passed on the street. According to most standards, this was not a pretty sight.

I was quick to make a jokey comment about it to my girlfriend. “Hey look, he’s probably on his way to the nearest McDrive”, I laughed while sneakily pointing to the man.

My girlfriend quickly pointed out that I have no idea what shit he may be dealing with. And she was 100% right. She reminded me that it’s so easy to judge others for the way they look, dress, behave or appear. But was I really in a position to judge? Hell no, I had no idea what that man might have been dealing with.

Why we need to be aware

Consider the previous example I used: If my girlfriend hadn’t made me aware of my negativity, I would have forgotten about it in a heartbeat and moved on.

But if the whole world chooses negativity over kindness, the world would certainly be a worse place. That’s why it’s incredibly important to become aware of the situations where we have the choice to be kind or not.

As I’ve said, the fundamental attribution error affects us all. If we don’t actively seek out opportunities to be kind, compassionate, or forgiving, we will unconsciously choose to be the opposite of kind.

And that’s how the world becomes a worse place to live in.

Benefits of choosing kindness

There are luckily some strong and significant benefits to choosing kindness, which I will cover here. I hope that these benefits will help you realize how important it is to always choose kindness, whenever we get the chance.

1. Choosing kindness will result in more personal happiness.

Choosing kindness will increase your happiness, and it has been proven by plenty of studies.

For example, this study involved around a hundred participants that were given 5 dollars every day for five days. They were asked to either spend it on themselves or others. But the condition was – they had to spend it on the same thing every day. What would you have done?

Different participants spent the money in different ways. The result showed that the participants who spent it on others instead of themselves experienced more happiness.

There are many more ways to spread happiness, ranging from giving someone a compliment to just providing a listening ear to a friend in need. Funnily enough, all these things have been studied before and the results have shown that spreading happiness like this increases your own happiness as well.

(This phenomenon is often referred to as the “helper’s high”, and it’s one of the strongest reasons why choosing kindness is the best thing to do.)

This benefit should give you enough reason to always choose kindness, but there are more benefits so let’s continue!

2. Your kindness can inspire others to be kind

In high school, my English teacher made the class watch the movie “Pay It Forward”. I didn’t find the movie itself great (it didn’t involve as many explosions or car chases as I liked). But the main message of the movie has stuck with me ever since.

“Paying it forward” comes down to asking a person you’ve been kind to not to return the favor, but instead to repay the kindness to someone else. That way, one simple act of kindness has the power to turn into a larger wave of kindness.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to shout “PAY IT FORWARD” to everyone you share some kindness with. Instead, by not asking for anything in return, the message of “pay it forward” is implied.

That’s the second big benefit of always choosing kindness: your acts of kindness can inspire others to be kind as well. This way, the positive energy of your act of kindness will not end when the kindness is returned. It will live on as your act of kindness spreads from person to person.

There are many studies that show how being around happy people positively influences your own happiness as well. So by inspiring those around you to be more kind as well, you’ll set yourself up for more future happiness!

3. Your kindness can make the world a better and happier place

The last benefit of choosing kindness is a big one.

I recently wrote an article that focused on how to make the world a better place. Many of the things discussed in this article are all about being a kind person. Choosing kindness is one of the best ways to make the world a better place.

But how much influence can you really have, as an individual?

Even though you don’t have the power to single-handedly turn this world into a happy place where we all get along, you do have the power to inspire others.

And your power to inspire others is the key to making the world a better place. Your small acts of kindness are able to inspire others, who will then spread those actions to their friends and family. This snowball will continue to grow, and can eventually have a big impact on the world (with or without your awareness of it).

Don’t forget to be kind to yourself too

With all this said, I want to mention something very important.

You shouldn’t spend all your energy being kind to others when it comes at the cost of your own mental health. Even though I just listed all these benefits of being kind to others, the most important person you should be kind to is yourself.

You can’t pour from an empty cup.

Being too compassionate to others is not good. Spending too much of your own energy on others can result in stress, according to this study.

You don’t want to turn into a people-pleaser.

Instead, here are some tips with links to articles that will help you to be more kind to yourself:

• Respect yourself
• Forgive others but don’t forget to forgive yourself
• Focus on yourself
• Keep a self-care journal

By the way: If you want to start feeling better and more productive, I’ve condensed the information of 100’s of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here.

This Cheat Sheet Will Help You Be Happier and More Productive

Thrive under stress and crush your goals with these 10 unique tips for your mental health.

Download The Free Cheat Sheet

I hope this article has helped you realize just how powerful it is to choose kindness. The real difficulty here is to recognize the situations when we can choose the way we act. By being more self-aware about these situations, we can choose kindness every time and turn the world around us into a more positive place.

What do you think? Are you ready to show the world a kinder version of yourself? Do you want to add another benefit to always being kind? Or a little act of kindness that you love? Let me know in the comments below!

Hugo Huijer Author

Founder of Tracking Happiness, with over 100 interviews and a focus on practical advice, our content extends beyond happiness tracking. Hailing from the Netherlands, I’m a skateboarding enthusiast, marathon runner, and a dedicated data junkie, tracking my happiness for over a decade.

The post Always Choose Kindness: 3 Life-Changing Benefits Of Being Kind appeared first on Tracking Happiness.

The answer obviously depends on who you ask. If you ask me, I would love to say that everyone deserves to be happy. That’s the most ideological answer to this question, right? But upon further thought, I have to say that I actually don’t believe that everybody deserves to be happy. Why? Because some people’s happiness depends on the unhappiness of others. I believe that people who don’t believe everybody deserves to be happy are the ones who don’t deserve to be happy.

Wait…. what? Isn’t that a paradoxical answer? Well, yes and no. In this article, I am going to show you different points of view on whether or not everyone deserves to be happy. I’ve included different examples that will help you answer this question for yourself as good as possible.

This article will be different compared to what’s usually posted here on the Happy Blog. The question of whether everyone deserves happiness is a very difficult question to answer from a philosophical point of view. For that reason, I’m going to try to include as many points of view as I can here before I add my own.

Why everybody deserves to be happy

Why does everyone deserve to be happy?

It’s simple because the world would be a better place if everybody would be happy. Think about it: when every single person on this planet would suffer from depression, the world would be a sad place, right? It’s the happy people around us that provide happy situations in which other people can be happy as well. In fact, I’ve published an entire article about how happiness is contagious like this.

Is the answer really this simple though? Would the world really be a better place? Does that depend on how you define “better”? Is the world a better place if everybody would be happy? Maybe, yes, but there are also reasons to believe that the world would simply not be a better place. And those reasons often involve the negative influence that mankind as a whole is having on this planet.

If everybody on this planet would be happy, then everybody would also live longer and be more productive. Wouldn’t that just accelerate the world’s population, and therefore pollution, global warming, and eventually perhaps the downfall of our planet?

To be honest, this enters a whole different topic which is not within the context of this article. However, it’s good to know that happy humans will not necessarily make the planet “a better place”.

Crime, violence and humanitarian disasters are often caused by unhappiness

Whenever something bad happens on our planet that isn’t caused by something natural (say, an earthquake or a hurricane), it’s most often caused by an unhappy group of people.

What makes me say this?

Well, I’m going to use an extreme example here, but I think they’ll get the point across:

• Adolf Hitler’s goal in life was to pretty much conquer Europe and Russia entirely. I think it’s safe to assume that he was not happy until he reached his goals.

Whenever you hear about a terrorist attack, a shooting, or some other terrible thing, it’s often caused by somebody who is unhappy in his or her current situation.

I think it’s safe to assume that a lot of terrible things would not happen if everybody on this planet would be happy.

When people spread unhappiness, are they doing it on purpose?

Whenever something happens that makes me unhappy, it almost never happens because of somebody willfully trying to hurt me. Here are some examples:

• When a person stresses me out at work, it’s usually because that person has a huge deadline to reach and is even more stressed out than I am.
• When somebody cuts me off in traffic, that’s pretty much always because he or she wasn’t even paying attention.
• Back when I still played soccer, if someone fouled me and kicked me in the face, it was just because they were trying to get to the ball.

These may be silly examples, but they all share a similar truth: whenever I’m hurt by somebody, they usually never have bad intentions. These people are not actively trying to hurt me.

And I believe that’s the case for 99% of the unhappiness that is spread around the world.

Here’s a better example: If my government decided to tax my income more next year, they are not doing so because they are trying to hurt me. They only do it because they believe that these new tax rules are for the greater good. Sure, I may be negatively affected by these new rules, but that was not the intention.

People rarely try to actively spread unhappiness around the world.

Unfortunately, there are always people that are different.

Psychopaths and unhappiness

Osama bin Laden said that his goal (or duty) in life was to let everyone experience happiness in Islam, as found on Wikiquote.

I am one of the servants of Allah. We do our duty of fighting for the sake of the religion of Allah. It is also our duty to send a call to all the people of the world to enjoy this great light and to embrace Islam and experience the happiness in Islam. Our primary mission is nothing but the furthering of this religion.

Now, what I’m going to say might seem controversial, and hey, it probably is. But this quote shows to me that Osama truly believed that his actions were making the world a better place.

In his eyes.

Now, Osama bin Laden was not an idiot. In fact, he was intelligent. Unfortunately, this character trait is often found in psychopaths. What I’m trying to say is that Osama bin Laden surely knew how his intentions were crushing the lives (and the happiness) of literally millions of people. Even if he believed he was making the world a better place, he was only trying to provide happiness for the people that supported him. Adolf Hitler probably thought he was making the world a better place as well.

Bin Laden’s goal in life was to destroy the lives of everyone who opposed him and his views. Again, he may have believed he was a good person himself, but this cannot be supported from an objective point of view. That’s why he’s regarded as one of the worst people in the history of mankind.

For the people on that list, happiness is a zero-sum game. This means that someone’s gains are at least equal to somebody else’s losses.

Can everyone deserve happiness?

Let’s go back to the start of this article. Does everyone deserve to be happy? The most ideological answer would be a resounding YES. But since we are all human beings (not robots) from different backgrounds, religions, and cultures, I think it’s literally impossible for everyone to be happy.

No matter where you are in the world, there will always be groups of people that are fanatic and extreme enough to actively cause unhappiness for others. I don’t think there will ever be a time where this is different.

So does everyone deserve happiness? Yes, maybe, but it’s certainly not possible in my opinion.

My humble opinion: does everyone deserve to be happy?

No.

Wait. What?

How can the author of a website called Tracking Happiness possibly disagree with the statement that everybody deserves to be happy? Isn’t the entire goal of this website to spread happiness?

Well, yes, but after giving this a lot of thought, I think that there are definitely people who I think don’t deserve happiness.

Specifically, the people that don’t want others to be happy.

Osama bin Laden actively and consciously caused unhappiness for a lot of other people. Adolf Hitler did the same thing. Hell, there are a lot of people still alive today that would desperately want to see other people live an unhappy life. And the people that I’m talking about are working every day towards their goals, which are to make life as difficult as possible for certain other people.

Live and let live

I want to wish for happiness for everybody out there who is able to live and let live. With that, I mean the people who don’t give a damn whether you are a Muslim, a Christian, an atheist or a Scientologist. You can be whatever you want, as long as you’re not actively trying to make the lives of other people worse.

In short, if you just want to be as happy as possible and want others to be happy as well, then I sincerely think you deserve happiness.

Why is this a paradox?

According to my own answer, I do not deserve to be happy.

I only think people who believe that everyone should be happy deserve to be happy themselves. By saying that, I indirectly mean that some people do not deserve to be happy. There are some people (mostly extremists/terrorists) that I simply think do not deserve to be happy. Because their definition of happiness is literally based on the unhappiness of someone else.

In my opinion, those people do not deserve to be happy.

Let’s go back to my original answer to the question “does everyone deserve to be happy?” My answer is that I only think people who believe that everyone should be happy deserve to be happy themselves.

I would only deserve to be happy according to my own rules if every person on this planet would not consciously spread unhappiness. If nobody on this planet would want to harm or hurt others, then yes, I believe everybody deserves to be happy. Is this possible? I don’t think so.

But it doesn’t hurt to dream a little, though.

Tracking my happiness

I want to mention here that I’ve been running this website (Tracking Happiness) for over 2 years now. Why? Because I honestly believe the world would already be a “better” place if everybody at least understood their own happiness a little better. I am therefore working every day on spreading the idea of Tracking Happiness. What does this mean? It means I spend 2 minutes every day reflecting on my day:

• How happy was I on a scale from 1 to 10?
• What factors had a significant effect on my rating?
• I clear my head by jotting down all my thoughts in my happiness journal.

This allows me to constantly learn from my evolving life. It’s how I purposefully steer my life in the best direction possible. And I believe you can do the same. In fact, I believe the world would become a slightly better place if you started right now.

By the way: If you want to start feeling better and more productive, I’ve condensed the information of 100’s of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here.

This Cheat Sheet Will Help You Be Happier and More Productive

Thrive under stress and crush your goals with these 10 unique tips for your mental health.

Download The Free Cheat Sheet

Closing words

Let’s summarize: I would love to say that everyone deserves to be happy. That’s the most ideological answer to this question, right? But after really thinking this through, I have to admit that I don’t really believe that everybody deserves to be happy. Why? Because some people’s happiness depends on the unhappiness of others. I believe that people who don’t believe everybody deserves to be happy are the ones who don’t deserve to be happy.

It’s time to share your opinion! What do you think? Does everyone deserve to be happy? If not, why? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this exciting topic in the comments below!

Hugo Huijer Author

Founder of Tracking Happiness, with over 100 interviews and a focus on practical advice, our content extends beyond happiness tracking. Hailing from the Netherlands, I’m a skateboarding enthusiast, marathon runner, and a dedicated data junkie, tracking my happiness for over a decade.

The post Does Everyone Deserve To Be Happy? Actually, No (Unfortunately) appeared first on Tracking Happiness.