Sure, stuff is nice, but even the sparkliest of diamonds can lose its shine. The trick is to create joy internally instead of relying on external factors to provide joy. Sounds simple, but it’s easier said than done. In fact, in this digital era of instant gratification, I’d suggest that we are becoming less and less able to create our own joy.

Join me in exploring what we mean by the little things in the context of joy. Once we have a solid understanding of this, we will discuss five tips for finding joy in the little things. 

What do we mean by the little things? 

There’s a song about how important the little things are. All the Small Things by Blink182 may not be lyrically genius, but it does touch on the tiny little gestures that bring joy to a relationship. 

I think of the little things as glimmers. Glimmers are the opposite of triggers. They are different for all of us. 

I’m not a showy person. Materialism gives me the heebie-jeebies. Just as well, really, as my husband doesn’t do grand gestures. There are no flowers or surprise dates. But what he does do is kiss me every morning. He listens to what I say. He is quick to apologize and slow to blame. He notices if I’m weary and steps up to relieve my burden. 

Each little thing my husband does adds a glimmer of love and positivity to my life. These glimmers make me feel loved and safe; no grand gesture could ever do that. 

How do we discern joy? 

Ah, joy. That wonderful feeling of weightless exuberance. Like we are floating in the wind. Sunrays in our stomachs and rainbows in our hearts. Is joy the most desired but often the most elusive of emotions? 

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines joy as “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.” 

I summarise joy as having the combination of the absence of negative emotions and having good health, purpose, and having our needs met. 

Remember, joy is not a constant state. Our emotions are in regular flux. But if we pay close attention to life, we will find the little speckles of joy interspersed in all the stress and mayhem. 

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

5 ways to find joy in the little things  

If you are feeling a little stuck and struggling to find any joy in your life, here are a few easy ways to help you uncover the joy in your life. I promise it is there, we just need to learn how to look for it. 

1. Seek perspective  

I’ve heard it said before that the happiest people in the world are those who have the least, certainly in terms of material wealth. 

Happiness is not found in the car we drive or the fancy gadgets we constantly upgrade. Yet the capitalist world will try to convince you otherwise. So don’t look for sustainable joy in luxury possessions. 

The truth is real joy is already within you. You just need to find a way to tap into it. A great way is to find perspective. 

Yesterday, I received a passive-aggressive text from a colleague. I started catastrophizing, and I was all set to let it ruin my day. Then I sat down, had an herbal tea, and breathed. 

That herbal tea was the catalyst for tapping into joy. A stark reminder of my privilege. I have my health and my freedom, and sadly, in this current climate, these riches aren’t guaranteed. 

When you find your mind spiraling, seek perspective. 

2. Be more dog  

As I type this, I am watching my dog snoozing in his bed. He’s a rescue and came to me with a few quirks. And yet, he does not dwell on his past. 

My dog doesn’t care how much money I have, who I associate with, or what my education level is. My dog simply wants to spend time with me. He wants cuddles and food and trips to the beach. 

Have you seen our article about how dogs make us happy? And the truth is, this extends to all pets. According to science, bonding with a pet releases oxytocin (the happiness hormone) in our brains. 

Dogs are truly in-the-moment animals. They don’t dwell on the past or dread the future. While experts suggest they see the world in limited colors, I’d say they figuratively see the world in more hues than we do. 

Take a cue from the great dogs of this world, learn to live in the moment, and take comfort in the simple necessities of life. 

3. Slow down   

I’m a recovering busy person. I look back on my previous life, and I can’t believe I fit as much into it as I did. But I wasn’t happy. I was so preoccupied with being productive that I didn’t notice the world around me. 

Remember that wonderfully poignant quote from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and take a look around once in a while, you could miss it!” 

It’s cliche to suggest we take time to smell the flowers. But I am going to embrace this cliche. Please, walk through the woods and smell the earth. Ground yourself by touching the bark of the trees and pay attention to how the trunks of the different types of trees feel. Watch a river flow and listen to the constant, reassuring noise of the water. 

Look at your environment with new eyes. Pay attention. When we start to do this, we notice things we may have never seen before. And slowly but surely we feel little bubbles of joy arise within us. 

4. It shouldn’t take a near miss  

They say people who have skirted with death have a greater appreciation for life. In fact, many people who have experienced near-death experiences describe them as transformational.  

My brother almost died in a car crash. It changed him. For a man who was once so career-driven, suddenly, his job was not the showpiece of his life. 

The world is riddled with war and social unrest. Natural disasters are happening more frequently, and COVID-19 touched every corner of the earth. 

When we understand the impermanence of life, we often lose patience for irrelevance. 

I had a terrifying ordeal at the top of a cold, wet Irish mountain. I’ve never enjoyed a hot shower, steaming mug of coffee, and dry clothes quite so much as I did immediately after that experience. 

If everything was taken away from you, what would you miss the most? That’s a great place to recognize your joy. 

5. Practice loving-kindness meditation 

You knew this one was going to feature. We can’t talk about finding joy in the little things and not mention meditation, specifically loving kindness. 

Think of negative thoughts as a thick layer of dust all over your house. Loving-kindness meditation effectively cleans up all the dust and adds sparkle and shine to the everyday. If we can’t see the little things, how can we find joy in them? 

Loving-kindness meditation helps clear the way for us to see and appreciate the little things. 

One of my writing friends is an expert on meditation and a qualified mindfulness coach. I follow her guidance for loving-kindness meditation. You can find her on substack if you are interested. 

With her encouragement, I focus on the following mantra. 

May I be well

May I be healthy

May I be happy 

I then use this mantra in relation to someone I’m close to, and then eventually, we can use this mantra on someone we harbor hostility toward. 

Spending 10 minutes a day on loving-kindness meditation helps me clear out my mind cobwebs. 

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 we are so busy looking around to see what everyone else has, we will miss what’s right under our noses. Tap into your soul and carve out your own happiness by learning to find joy in the little things. 

Don’t forget our five tips. 

• Seek perspective. 
• Be more dog. 
• Slow down. 
• It shouldn’t take a near miss. 
• Practice loving-kindness meditation. 

Have you got any tips to help others find joy in the little things? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Ali Hall Author

Kindness is my superpower. Dogs and nature are my oxygen. Psychology with Sports science graduate. Scottish born and bred. I’ve worked and traveled all over the world. Find me running long distances on the hills and trails.

The post 5 Tips to Find Joy in the Little Things (With Examples)! appeared first on Tracking Happiness.

It’s true that being too focused on pursuing happiness can actually make you unhappy sometimes. Actively seeking our own happiness can make us lonely and it may make it seem like we’re running out of time. But when happiness is within reach, taking a conscious extra step does no harm. In fact, if you do it right, pursuing happiness can be worth your while!

In this article, I’ll take a look at what science says about the pursuit of happiness, as well as some tips on how to make the pursuit of happiness as painless as possible.

Is pursuing happiness a good idea?

Most people have heard the old adage “seek and you shall find” at least once in their lives, and it seems to be true for most things.

Happiness, however, may be different. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be happy or trying to live a happier life. Conscious choices usually help you live more meaningfully and happily.

But there is a difference between making good choices and actively and persistently pursuing happiness. Just like you can’t fake happiness, you can’t force it.

To quote the English philosopher John Stuart Mill:

Those only are happy (I thought) who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness; on the happiness of others, on the improvement of mankind, even on some art or pursuit, followed not as a means, but as itself an ideal end.

In other words, those that focus on the journey – and not on the destination – are the happiest.

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

What science says about the pursuit of happiness

You don’t just have to take my word for it – science seems to say so, too.

A 2011 study reports that under certain circumstances, pursuing happiness can actually be detrimental.

In the experiments, leading people to value happiness more made them feel less happy, but only in a positive emotional context. When we are experiencing positive emotions, expectations for happiness are high and it is difficult to attribute the failure to be happy to one’s circumstances.

People are more likely to feel disappointed in their level of happiness, and therefore, valuing happiness may lead people to be less happy.

When the pursuit of happiness makes you miserable

Sometimes, pursuing happiness may not just make you less happy, but can also be a risk factor for depression.

A 2014 study found that highly valuing happiness is associated with elevated symptoms and diagnosis of major depressive disorder. The authors propose that this is due to two things: valuing happiness decreases positive emotion, and extreme and inflexible emotional values may lead to disordered emotional regulation.

Both of these are risk factors and a symptom of depression. Basically, if you’re too fixated on wanting to be happy, you’re inadvertently decreasing your current happiness level.

One of the ways in which pursuing happiness can backfire is by making people lonely, as reported by another study from 2011. In western contexts, happiness is usually defined in terms of personal positive feelings, and striving for personal gains can damage connections with others, which makes people lonely. Loneliness is one of the most robust causes of unhappiness and well-being.

Another way the pursuit of happiness can make you a little less happy is by altering your perception of how much time you have.

A widely reported study from 2018 found that happiness seeking reduces the time we think is available, but only when we think that our goal will take a long time to achieve. This feeling does not occur when we have already achieved our goal or when we sense that it’s within reach and will take little time to achieve.

Why happiness can feel elusive

Happiness is often an elusive goal that is never fully realized. People may feel like they have to dedicate a lot of time to pursuing future happiness, which leaves less time for enjoying and appreciating the present.

When we are pressed for time, we gravitate towards material possessions instead of experiences, and we are less willing to spend time helping others and volunteering, which can make us less happy.

Happiness is a very individual concept. My happiness may not be your happiness, and this is true for cultures as well. American happiness is not the same as Russian or Malaysian happiness, and the pursuit of happiness has different outcomes in different cultures, as demonstrated by a 2015 study.

The researchers studied the U.S., Germany, Russia, and East Asia to see how culture influences happiness. According to the results, motivation to pursue happiness predicted lower well-being in the U.S., and predicted higher well-being in Russia and in East Asia, while no correlation was found in Germany. This can be explained by the differences in how people pursue happiness in different countries.

In the U.S. and other individualistic cultures, the pursuit of happiness is very personal, while in East Asia and Russia, it is a more social endeavor.

3 better ways to pursue happiness without it backfiring

Science may not be very encouraging, but there are ways to make sure that your pursuit of happiness doesn’t backfire.

1. Stay in the moment and enjoy the journey

Instead of worrying about future happiness that you don’t know how to achieve, try staying in the present.

If you’re constantly worrying about what’s to come, especially over things that you may not have control over, you’re lowering your chances of being happy right now.

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t take any steps with your future in mind. But you live here and now, and feeling good in the moment is important for your well-being.

A good way to both reduce worrying and make sure you stay in the moment is to practice mindfulness.

2. Focus on relationships

Research shows that the pursuit of happiness can make us lonely. To avoid that, prioritize relationships to keep them flourishing. Not only will you be less lonely, but friendships can also make you happier.

We might sometimes feel like we have to be happy (or at least seem happy) to have good relationships, but it really works the other way around – good relationships make us happy. If you want more tips on how to be a good friend, we’ve got you covered.

3. Be flexible

So you have a plan and a list of goals to reach. You know what happiness is to you and you know how to get there. But then life throws a curveball at you, and suddenly, your plan doesn’t work.

If you’re too fixated on your goals and happiness, it may be hard to move on after a setback. But a more flexible approach allows you to regroup and move on much more easily. Be ready to spend more time than you planned or to set your happiness goal on the backburner if something more pressing comes up.

Think of the following:

Happiness = reality – expectations

You have probably seen this equation before. If you want to enjoy the journey of happiness more without focusing on getting to the destination, it helps to let go of expectations.

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

Pursuing happiness can make you unhappy when you’re not also enjoying the journey. But it doesn’t have to be that way – the pursuit of happiness can be a meaningful journey if you remember to stay in the present and value your relationships.

What’s your take on the pursuit of happiness? Do you try to chase happiness or do you wait and let it come to 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 3 Ways to Pursue Happiness Without it Backfiring appeared first on Tracking Happiness.

But though love is still a mystery, a happy job doesn’t have to be. You can indeed find a position meeting all the criteria above where you can work happily ever after. Science points out nearly a dozen aspects that work together to create this dream job. These include more obvious things like a high salary and a good boss, but also more abstract concepts like autonomy, variety, and meaning. 

In this article, we’ll lay all these factors out for you one by one. You’ll have practical examples as well as concrete tips for how to figure out if the job you have your eye on fits the bill. 

11 tips to find a job that makes you happy

So how can you increase your chances of finding a job that makes you happy? Without any further delay, let’s get right started and dive into the 11 tips.

1. Humanity over perks

Aside from the rise of teleworking, the Covid era has brought another radical change to the work environment. Namely, it has torn down the façade of perks many companies put up to convince workers they prioritize their happiness. 

Without office spaces, companies are no longer able to entice workers with things such as free lunches, ping-pong tables, or gym memberships. 

It’s just as well according to CEO Jenn Lim of Delivering Happiness, a business consultancy for workplace happiness. 

Lim explains that these perks can indeed make the work environment more enjoyable, but only on a surface level. What workers should look for instead – and what employers should offer – is being treated as a human being:

If we think about retention, we think about people wanting to be productive and engaged. The more they’re treated as a human being, the more they’ll show up. Look at treating people as a holistic person – not just their skill set or their role and responsibility.

Jenn Lim, CEO of Delivering Happiness

This, more than any amount of free lattes or coupons, is the very foundation of being happy at work. 

What exactly to look for

It can be difficult to gauge something as abstract as a company mindset. Don’t focus on trying to calculate anything specific, but try to get a general sense from the company’s marketing, offices, and employees. During the interview, you might also get an idea of underlying attitudes. 

In particular, look for hints that the company views its employees as assets and builds strategies to support them. If they want to know more about where you are mentally, physically, and relationally, it’s a sign they are considering your bigger picture. 

It’s also good if they want to know how you relate to the values and purpose of the company and put in an effort to help you build that connection. 

2. Find some form of meaning in your work

One of the most crucial aspects of finding a job that makes you happy is meaning. 

This is the degree to which you see your job as a calling. If your job has meaning, it serves a bigger cause and provides a benefit to others. 

Jobs like alleviating poverty and curing cancer might pop into mind first – but they aren’t the only ones that matter. As long as you’re contributing something of value to something that’s important to you, your work has meaning. Here are some examples by Harvard Business Review:

• Making a useful and high-quality product for a customer.
• Providing a genuine service to a community.
• Supporting a colleague.
• Boosting an organization’s profits by reducing inefficiencies in the production process.

Will meaning make you happy?

Research shows that finding meaning brings many powerful benefits:

• Life satisfaction.
• Happiness.
• Positive emotions.
• A sense of coherence.
• Gratitude.

But even without all these benefits, pursuing meaning at work would still be worth it for its own sake. As Jim Collins said, “It is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life. And it is very difficult to have a meaningful life without meaningful work.”

What exactly to look for

Finding work that has meaning has to start from within, with an examination of what really matters to you. Consider the impact you’d like to have on the world and the society around you.

Afterward, it’s simply a matter of finding work whose goals align with your own. Do research on the company, its vision, and its mission. Don’t forget to prepare some questions to clarify anything during the interview. 

3. A high (enough) salary

We’ve all heard by now that money doesn’t buy happiness. Or does it?

In its work section, the World Happiness Report found that people “in well-paying jobs are happier and more satisfied with their lives and jobs than those in the lower-income brackets.” 

But this is only true up to a certain point. It’s been shown that money only makes people happier up to an income of $75,000 per year. Earning more than that doesn’t increase happiness further. 

What exactly to look for

Calculate the minimum you would need to earn in order to make a good living where you live. Look for work that offers at least this amount – but keep in mind going significantly higher won’t make you that much happier.

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. A competent boss

You’ve surely already thought carefully about what kind of boss you want in your new job. 

You might have thought about communication skills, leadership style, or personality type. But if you want to find a job to make you happy, you should also take a peek at their resume.  

A study found that “having a highly competent boss is easily the largest positive influence on a typical worker’s level of job satisfaction.”

The key here is technical competence – do they have deep knowledge and expertise in the organization’s field? 

This is in part what lets your boss be a resource to the team. But of course, they also need managerial skills. A Harvard Business Review article highlights these components of good managers:

• They give clear strategic goals but respect members’ ideas about how to meet them.
• They don’t assign personal blame when problems arise.
• They help analyze problems and even help get things back on track.
• They don’t hoard information as a secret weapon but share it readily with the team.

What exactly to look for

Ideally, your boss should be someone with direct experience in the field and not just someone with a title. Consider their history in previous jobs and the company at hand, and what kind of tasks they do as part of it.

It’s probably not a good idea to ask them about their qualifications directly. But you may be able to get an idea of their managerial style by asking about the dynamic and workflow between them and their team. 

5. A sufficient level of autonomy

We all crave freedom. So it’ll come as no surprise that another part of finding work that makes you happy is autonomy. 

Many studies, including the World Happiness Report, have shown that it’s one of the main drivers of a happy workplace environment. In particular, employees with autonomy are shown to be: 

• More satisfied with their jobs.
• Less likely to quit.
• Healthier.

So what exactly does autonomy at work look like?

You can think of it as the flipside of micromanagement. In other words, having the power to make your own decisions. In practical terms, this means:

• Making decisions without having to run them by someone else.
• Being trusted to accomplish your tasks without being constantly supervised.
• Choosing your own schedule, such as deadlines and breaks.
• Having some choice over your responsibilities, such as delegating or prioritizing.

What exactly to look for

Keep in mind that autonomy can mean different things to different people. A study found that generally speaking, women appreciate scheduling and location flexibility, while men look more to task allocation and pace of work. There are also big differences in preference across professions.

Take a moment to consider what kind of autonomy is most important to you. If you don’t know where to start, think about what you appreciated most in your previous jobs. 

6. Enough variety (but in moderation)

How happy would you be in a job where you do the same mundane task over and over again, day in and day out?

Probably not very much. But I bet you wouldn’t be any happier in a job where your tasks are constantly changing.

As a study shows, happiness at work means having variety – but more important is the type of variety. Switching too quickly between tasks over a short period of time can undo the increased happiness and cause stress. 

The happy middle is to do a variety of tasks over a longer period. This is the kind of variety that leads to happiness and satisfaction. 

The study authors believe the different effects come down to a feeling of productivity. Multitasking doesn’t let you feel like you’re accomplishing much, because you’re constantly jumping back and forth on your to-do list. But sticking to the same task for too long leads to boredom. 

Work that has both focus and variety gives you the best of both worlds. 

What exactly to look for

Understanding the company’s workflow is key to gauging variety. Ask how frequently new tasks are allocated and how often they change. 

7. Not having to fake happiness

They say fake it till you make it but this definitely doesn’t go for happiness at work. At work, you shouldn’t have to fake your happiness.

Being forced to look happy at work can cause a whole host of health problems, ranging from depression to cardiovascular conditions. 

In an experiment, students acted as staff at a fake customer complaints call center. Half were told they could verbally defend themselves against rude customers, and the other half to stay friendly and polite at all times. 

The group that could defend themselves had only slightly raised heart rates after the unpleasant interactions. But the group who had to stay polite had extremely elevated heart rates even long after the phone calls ended. 

Many of us would agree with the study author’s comments on these results:

It’s about time we did away with the concept that the customer is always right and showed more respect for those in customer service jobs.

Of course, very few jobs will give you the green light to openly be a grouch. The study found that short bursts of “faking it” are manageable for most people – the biggest problem is having to sustain it over a long time, such as being a flight steward. 

What exactly to look for

Avoid work where you have to constantly spend time with customers – especially if you are forced to look like the star of a toothpaste commercial. 

If the job has a customer service component, having the choice to take a short break when you need one can help offset the negative effects.

8. A steady sense of progress

Look for a job where you can have a steady sense of progress.

Research has found that good days at work are characterized by 3 things:

• Progress (by you or your team).
• Catalysts – actions that directly support work, including help from someone else.
• Nourishers – shows of respect or words of encouragement.

On the other hand, bad days are almost a mirror image, characterized by:

• Setbacks.
• Inhibitors – actions that fail to support or actively hinder work.
• Toxins – discouraging or undermining events.

This shows a clear relationship between progress and happiness. However, the study also points out that progress must go hand in hand with meaning. If you have a project you feel is useless or irrelevant, you can make all the progress in the world. You still won’t feel very fulfilled, or happy. 

Of course, “constant progress” or “no setbacks” is not something you can reasonably expect to be promised in any job. Issues will arise, no matter what your field, position, or experience may be. 

What you can have, though, is a team that works together to foster and celebrate progress. In particular, the last two items on both lists above are key tools. They have an enormous impact on your perception of your job and even yourself. 

For example, if your manager makes sure you have the resources you need (a catalyst), they’re signaling to you that what you’re doing is important and valuable. When they recognize your work (a nourisher), they’re signaling that you’re important to the organization. 

In this way, a manager both helps you make progress and also supports the meaningfulness of your work – two important aspects of being happy at work.

What exactly to look for

Ideally, your work should be divided into small milestones. This lets you take frequent steps forward and gain motivation through momentum. 

Second, it is important for your manager and team to help minimize hassles. Try to find out how the dynamic works – does everyone pull together to find solutions? If a problem arises, can you turn to someone for help or are you expected to deal with it all alone? 

9. Good relationships with colleagues

One of the absolute most important things to look for in a new job is good coworkers. 

A three-year study found that relationships are the leading contributor to workplace well-being – even more than meaning, accomplishments, and engagement. A massive survey by the Society for Human Resource Management confirms the same findings. 

More specifically, lots of research shows that helping people, be it close friends or strangers, increases happiness. Naturally, this goes for work environments as well. In particular, people who believe helping their coworkers is important are much happier with their lives 30 years later. 

The key is to make this part of your regular routine. Once you get started, it’ll probably be easy to keep it going: happier people help their coworkers 33% more.

What exactly to look for

You often don’t get a say in who you’ll be working alongside, or even the chance to meet them before your first day. But if you find work where people share similar core values, your chances of getting along with them will be significantly higher. 

Also, look for environments where you can collaborate with a team. This will offer you the chance to build a bond and give a happiness-boosting hand on a regular basis.

10. Effective feedback

Feedback is one of the most hated aspects of work. Too often, it seems unfair, off base, or poorly delivered. But when done correctly, it’s a powerful happiness booster.

You probably don’t need a study to tell you workers feel happier after they receive positive feedback. 

It also creates a sense of accomplishment and motivation. IBM’s WorkTrends survey found that employees who receive recognition are:

• Much less likely to quit.
• Happier at work overall.
• More productive.

It’s important for managers to leverage this and regularly give positive feedback. At the same time, they need to give constructive criticism too.

This is what motivates employees by giving essential information on where they stand and how they can improve. 

What exactly to look for

This is one of the aspects of work you do have some level of control over. If you don’t receive feedback in your job, you can simply ask for it!

But it’s also good to find work where managers are both used to and skilled at giving feedback. Studies show that the way feedback is given does matter – in particular, positive feedback must come before constructive criticism, and it should be delivered face-to-face with positive emotional signals like smiles and nods. 

So, unfortunately, your run-of-the-mill 360-report doesn’t count for very much. Try to find out more about how and how often employees can expect to receive feedback, and from who. 

11. A healthy work-life balance

As explained above, finding work that has meaning, a competent boss, autonomy, variety, and a collaborative team will make you happy. But nothing beats having a job that lets you shut your laptop and stop working. 

The World Happiness Report found that work-life balance is possibly the biggest factor contributing to employee happiness. This has been confirmed from nearly every possible angle.

The world’s happiest countries are also the ones who work the least amount of hours – and the unhappiest, the most. The American Psychological Association found that overworking negatively impacts both emotional and physical health, and many other studies confirm this too. 

Add to that the findings of another researcher, and the notion of overtime starts to lose all meaning. She conducted a study at a top consulting firm and found that some employees were reporting 80-hour workweeks. She also found that there was very little difference in productivity between those who actually worked 80 hours and those who only said they did. 

The bottom line? Nobody can be productive for that long, and trying will only make you miserable. 

What exactly to look for

It’s important to find out the company’s work-hour expectations and how rigidly they adhere to them. Check how work time is tracked and compensated, and if overtime is a regular occurrence. See if you can also find out if workers are still expected to do work tasks, such as answering emails, outside of work hours. 

Good teams help each other out, so it’s not a problem if you jump in to give a hand outside work hours once in a while. But there needs to be a system to keep track of your time and limits on how much of it you can give. 

How to check if a job fits the bill?

You may be able to guess many of these factors about a job just based on its location and industry. But don’t forget you have a powerful tool at your disposal: the interview. 

This may sometimes feel like an unpleasant cross-examination, but in fact, it’s a useful tool for both employee and employer to determine if they’d be a good fit. Use it to your advantage!

What to ask about during the interview to make sure your job will make you happy

Based on the tips I just laid out for you, here are some questions you can ask during an interview. These questions will help you determine whether or not your potential job will make you happy or not.

• What are the company’s goals? Do they align with your own?
• Who you would be working with? Do team members act autonomously or support each other?
• How feedback works between employer and employee. How often does it happen and how?
• How check-ins are done between employees and managers. How do employees communicate progress and setbacks to employers? How do employers react? (remember it’s not always a bad thing to have employers checking in, as long as they react the right way)
• What the workflow is like. How long do you work on the same task? How many tasks are you given at a certain time?
• How are work hours and breaks considered? Are they strict or is there a degree of flexibility?
• How tasks are divided and communicated. Do employees have a choice in what to do and prioritize?
• What portion of the day is spent with customers, and what is the company’s attitude towards dealing with rude customers? 

You might consider arranging a coffee with someone already on the team and having a chat about how it all works. Just be careful not to ask pointed questions to make them feel uncomfortable or like you’re criticizing the company.

Focus first and foremost on understanding the office dynamic and seeing if you could get along with this potential colleague.  

If you’re really having trouble assessing a job’s happiness potential, consider how it works with your idea of meaning and base your decision on that. Worst case scenario, you could always change your mind and quit down the line if it doesn’t turn out to be a good fit.

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

Hopefully, these tips will help you choose a job to maximize your happiness at work. If you follow the tips above, you’ll be sure to find a job that will fill you up with workplace bliss. But don’t consider the matter settled when you sign that contract! There are plenty of things you can continue to do right from your very first day at work to be happier at work.

Are you happy at work? Did you find it hard to find a job that made you happy? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Silvia Adamyova Author

Born in Slovakia, raised in Canada. Online English teacher, editor, copywriter, and translator. You’ll find me holed up in a bookstore, typing in a cafe, or immersed in a philosophical debate.

The post 11 Tips to Find a Job That Makes You Happy (and Fulfilled) appeared first on Tracking Happiness.

Developing intentional habits is at the root of feeling happy in life. By crafting a routine of daily happiness practices, you begin to realize that happiness genuinely stems from within.

This article will help you carefully craft habits to design a life full of happiness. By the end, you’ll have an arsenal of habits to use to help you find joy.

What is happiness?

Have you ever had to define happiness? It’s harder than it sounds.

Most of us default to some definition that indicates a state of feeling positive emotions. In other words, happiness means feeling good.

Research suggests that our definition of happiness is influenced by our cultural background.

In one country, happiness might be synonymous with success in your career. While in another country, happiness might mean spending time with your community.

Ultimately, I think the definition of happiness is personal. You have to decide what happiness means to you.

To me, happiness is utter peace and contentment with my life.

Take some time and figure out what happiness is to you. Because this will better help you determine the best way to find it.

What makes us happy or unhappy?

Now that you know what happiness means to you, what will make you happy? This is a question that research has been trying to answer for decades.

Research indicates that your happiness is determined partially by your genetics and partially by external sources. These external sources include things like behavior, societal expectations, and life events.

We can’t change our genetics or control unexpected life events. But what we can control is our behavior.

And our behavior consists of our daily habits. This is why if you want to be happy, you need to carefully select your habits.

Not long ago, I went through a yucky bout of depression. And I can attest that it was shifting the simple daily habits that helped me overcome depression.

It’s not a “sexy” get-happy-fast method. But focusing on your daily habits is the ultimate solution to finding joy.

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

15 habits of happiness

If you’re ready to develop habits for lasting happiness, then buckle up. This list of 15 habits will point you toward a life full of smiles.

1. Gratitude

If you’re only going to focus on one habit for happiness, let it be this one. Gratitude is so simple yet so powerful when it comes to finding happiness.

For most of us, gratitude doesn’t come naturally. It’s so much easier to focus on what’s going wrong or on what we don’t have.

When I first wake up, it’s instinctual for me to focus on the stressors of the day. It’s clear this isn’t a recipe for happiness.

This is why you have to make gratitude a habit. And the research indicates gratitude practices are worth our time.

A study found that shifting towards an attitude of gratitude will activate areas of your brain that help to produce dopamine. Dopamine is one of the main neurotransmitters that help us feel happy.

I make gratitude a habit by listing 3 things I’m grateful for first thing when I wake up. I do this before I even step out of my bed.

This trains my brain to focus on the good instead of the stressors.

If you want to make it more formal, you can make a gratitude list in a journal. Or better yet, make a list with your partner in the morning.

2. Eating well

You might be tempted to skip over this tip. But hear me out before you write me off as another person telling you to eat healthy.

It’s obvious your diet impacts your overall health. By itself, this will have an impact on your joy because it can be the reason you do or do not experience life-altering diseases.

But on a more interesting note, diet is correlated with your risk for developing depression.  

If you are deficient in particular nutrients, your brain may not be able to produce the “happy” chemicals in your brain as easily.

You don’t have to be perfect. But shifting your diet to be richer in nutrient-dense foods will positively affect your mood.

I think it’s easy to see this firsthand. Think about how you feel after you eat a bunch of junk food. You may get that quick temporary dopamine hit.

But a few hours later, you tend to feel bloated and mentally fatigued.

On the other hand, think about how you feel after eating a fresh fruit smoothie. Odds are you feel energized and vibrant.

If you want to be happy, pay attention to what you eat. Consciously choose foods that are good for your body and your mind will thank you.

3. Movement

This tip goes hand in hand with eating well. I know you’re probably thinking this all sounds like typical health advice.

But trust me and the research when we say movement is a powerful drug.

Research shows that exercise can be as effective as antidepressants.

You read that right. Movement has the potential to shift your mood just as effectively as a serotonin-boosting drug.

And it appears it only takes a minimum of about 30 minutes a day to achieve these effects.

So why not take advantage of your own powerful physiology daily?

Any time I’m having a rough day, I lace up my running shoes. You can bet by the end of my run my frown has flipped upside down.

And if you choose an exercise class like spin or yoga, it gives you something to look forward to each day.

Find your favorite form of movement and do it consistently. It’s a simple recipe for happiness.

4. Finding the good

I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase happiness is a choice. And I hate to admit it, but it’s true.

You have to make an active effort each day to work on your attitude.

All of us have days where our attitude is not so hot. But you can’t choose to live in that headspace if you want to experience happiness.

Working on your attitude means choosing to see the good in your life. This means even when things aren’t going your way.

Recently, my husband and I found out one of our cars has repairs that cost more than the car is worth. We’re not in a place to buy another car right now.

My immediate reaction was one of anxiety and frustration. But in the middle of my reaction, I remembered that I had a choice.

I slowly flipped the switch on how I was thinking.

I chose to focus on how we still had one car. And then we were able to come up with an alternating bike or carpool routine.

And then I started thinking about how this will be great cross-training for my running.

I know that’s a relatively small problem in the scheme of life. But no matter how dark things may seem, there is always a bright side.

All it takes is cultivating an attitude that focuses on the good.

5. Working towards goals

Have you ever considered who the happiest people are in your immediate circle? When I stop and take a look at these people, they all tend to have one thing in common.

They’re working towards a goal or multiple goals. My happiest friends are ambitious and driven toward their passions.

And this relentless pursuit of working towards something brings joy to the mundane days.

I find this concept to hold true for me as well. Whenever I have a specific training plan for running a race, it adds a sense of spark to my day.

My running feels like it has a purpose. And I feel motivated to get out there and push myself.

And few things in life compare to the joy that comes after achieving a big and lofty goal.

Goals help us explore our own potential. And through exploring our own potential, we often stumble upon happiness.

So set some goals. Your goals can be massively ambitious or simple ones that can be accomplished in a week.

Once you have your goals in mind, make them easily visible. This will encourage you to continue working towards them so this goal-inspired happiness can become a habit.

6. Giving

If you’re familiar with Tony Robbins, you may know one of his favorite sayings. It goes like this, “Living is giving.”

As much as the man’s strong personality annoys me at times, I have to agree with him. I feel most alive and happy when I’m giving to others.

It doesn’t matter what country you’re in or if you’re old or young, giving a sure way to make you happy.

Giving can take any form you want. You can donate to charity or you can give of your time.

There are two places that I default to when it comes to this habit. I enjoy volunteering at the animal shelter and the food shelter.

Both of these locations give me the opportunity to stop focusing on me for a bit. And I think that’s the real magic of giving that helps to create happiness.

I personally find that focusing my giving resources in my local community brings me the most joy. It simply feels good to give back to the place you call home.

Incorporate volunteering into your weekly or monthly schedule. You’ll walk away with a smile on your face and your community will reap the benefits.

7. Learn new things

One of the least happy times in my life was directly correlated with feeling like I was stagnant. I wasn’t pursuing growth in any form.

This was particularly true in my career. When I was burnt out, I just wanted to get through the workday.

But one key to bringing back my happiness was getting excited to learn again. It took taking continuing education courses and testing out new hobbies to find my zest for life.

As humans, we’re designed to want to learn. Our brains crave new stimuli.

So if you find yourself going through the motions, your brain may be telling you it needs new input.

Something as simple as learning a new hobby brings you happiness. It will also probably introduce you to new people, which is a bonus.

Finally, go and take that painting class. Or learn to play the instrument that’s collecting dust in your closet.

Sometimes learning new things for your happiness may require a career change. Don’t be afraid to make the leap if you find yourself unhappy.

But whatever you do, never stop learning. Because your happiness is tied up in your ability to continually challenge your brain.

8. Get outside your comfort zone

Few of us are naturally drawn to push ourselves outside of our comfort zone. But outside of your comfort zone is often where you find happiness.

When we stay in our comfort zone, life becomes too routine. You can start to feel like you’re living your life on repeat.

You always talk to the same people. You always do the same activities. You always work the same job.

And it is comfortable because you know what to expect. But it often goes hand in hand with a sense of dissatisfaction if we never push our limits.

Getting outside of your comfort zone helps you explore new perspectives and your potential.

When I find myself feeling a sense of existential dread, I know I need to expand my little bubble.

Getting outside of your comfort zone can come in many forms including:

• Making new friends.
• Starting a new job.
• Exploring a new hobby or interest.
• Going on the dream trip you’ve been afraid to book.
• Creating a completely new daily routine.

By no means is this a comprehensive list. Get creative and find ways to meaningfully burst your own comfort bubble.  

9. Forgive often

Do you forgive others easily? If you find yourself answering no to this question, I feel you.

But this might be standing in the way of your happiness.

When we hold grudges and anger towards someone, it only fosters negative emotions.

Sometimes we hold onto these grudges and negative emotions for years on end. You can free yourself and make room for happiness by being willing to forgive.

I promise you that after you forgive someone you will feel an immense sense of relief. And your mind will have more time and energy to focus on things that bring you joy.

This forgiveness should also apply to yourself. This is personally where I struggle even more.

I find it easy to beat myself up over my own mistakes.

The other day I forgot my next-door neighbor’s birthday. I was so upset with myself that it ruined my mood and interactions with others for the better part of the day.

It wasn’t until my husband told me that I needed to give myself a break that I finally let it go.

Come to terms with the fact that you are human. It’s inevitable that you will mess up.

Choose to learn from your mistakes and give yourself grace. You will be happier for it.

10. Foster your yelationships

What often makes us happiest in life is our relationships. So it makes sense that to be continually happy, you should invest in your relationships.

Taking the time each day to foster your relationships will leave you with a sense of satisfaction.

But how do you intentionally foster your relationships each day? It doesn’t have to be complicated.

Some easy ways to improve your relationships include:

• Active listening to your partner and friends.
•  Asking questions and sharing with your loved ones.
• Eating a meal together with no cell phones.
• Spending time doing an activity together.
• Helping a loved one out with a favor.

These things probably sound simple. But simple things go a long way in showing someone that you care.

I know the days when I have dinner with my husband and we have genuine conversations, those are some of my favorites.

And all of my happiest memories involve experiences with my loved ones. This is why developing the habit of nurturing your relationships is critical to your happiness.

11. Let go of perfection

This habit may be one of the most challenging for many of us.

For the better part of my life, I’ve strived for perfection. I thought that when I achieved perfection in any area, then I’d feel happy.

But this notion is silly. As humans, we’re wonderfully imperfect and this is part of what makes life interesting.

If you continually strive for perfection and fall short, you’re setting yourself up for a cycle of unhappiness.

As a physical therapist, I used to think that if the patient didn’t leave feeling amazing by the end of a session I had failed.

This completely ignores the concept of human physiology that nothing is immediately fixed. So I should have known better.

Yet the human and people-pleasing side of me wanted “perfect” sessions with “perfect” results.

Remember that burnout I was describing earlier? Well, you can bet that this ridiculous striving for perfection in my job was a key component of what led me there.

When I finally let go of the notion that each session should be perfect, I felt less pressure. And I started to enjoy my job more.

I started to spend less time beating myself up for my imperfections. And I was better able to celebrate the little wins that accompany a patient making subtle progress.

Stop being a perfectionist and you will find more happiness each day.

12. Slow down

Does your life feel rushed? I can tell you mine often does.

From the moment I wake up until the moment I go to bed, I feel like I’m constantly trying to make my way through a to-do list. Sometimes I feel like I can’t even stop to breathe.

Does reading those sentences give you anxiety? Yeah, me too.

So why are we surprised when we live in this pace of life that we feel unsatisfied?

The antidote habit to a life of hustle and grind is one of slow intentional living. And it’s darn hard to do in today’s society.

But you can build habits into your day that cause you to slow down. And as a result, you’ll appreciate and enjoy your day-to-day life more.

A few tangible ways you can habitually slow down are:

•  Not looking at your phone first thing in the morning or right before bed.
• Cut down on total social media time.
• Take a morning walk or after-dinner walk with no phone.
• Practicing meditation.
• Create a strict cut-off time for answering emails each day.
• Say no to at least one unnecessary activity.
• Stop multitasking.

When you slow down, you feel a greater sense of peace. And this peace inevitably leads to a better mood and a happier life.

13. Prioritize Sleep

You may think sleep and happiness are unrelated. But just think about how you feel after a poor night of sleep.

If you’re anything like me, it feels like it ruins the day. I get extra grumpy and my motivation tanks.

This is why sleep hygiene is critical for mood regulation.

The National Sleep Foundation indicates that the average amount of sleep for an adult is 7.31 hours. And this is an amount that seems appropriate for overall well-being.

Most sources indicate somewhere between 6 to 8 hours will do the trick. Although I have to admit, I function best on somewhere between 8 to 9 hours.

This is where it’s important to know yourself. Become familiar with your personal sleep preferences.

For a week, track how much sleep you’re getting. Take that data and compare it to your mood the following day. This will help you determine the right amount of sleep for you.

While it may sound simple, making sleep a priority will do wonders for your overall happiness. Because sometimes all it takes is a good night’s sleep to positively shift your perspective.

14. Take an intentional vacation

Based on the title, this is bound to be your favorite tip. Don’t underestimate the power of regular vacations.

Just the idea and anticipation of a vacation is enough to make many of us happy.

But the habit part for this one comes in scheduling your vacation intentionally throughout the year.

I used to have a tendency of working upwards of 6 to 8 months in a row without taking a vacation. And then I was surprised when I felt run down and burnt out.

But many of us live this way. We hustle and grind without end hoping that at some point we’ll have time for a vacation.

We’re not designed to work relentlessly without time off. Time off helps you recharge and stoke your fire for life again.

So instead of randomly planning a vacation here and there, get intentional about it. Try to roughly plan 2 to 3 big vacations a year.

Better yet, schedule mini-weekend getaways throughout the year as well.

Having these big and mini trips to look forward to throughout the year will inevitably help you experience more happiness.

15. Don’t expect to be happy all the time

Last but not least, it’s important to not expect to be happy all the time. It may seem like this tip is counterintuitive for an article about happiness.

But it’s important to realize that no one is happy all the time. And it’s healthy to not be happy all the time.

How would we know what happiness meant if we never experienced the opposite emotions?

As humans, our emotions ebb and flow. And it’s important to let yourself feel sad, frustrated, or angry from time to time.

But aiming to be happy more times than not is a more reasonable goal.

I used to put immense pressure on myself to be happy and go-lucky all the time. This made me feel like I couldn’t let myself feel my low moments.

When you allow yourself to feel the “low moments”, you’re better able to process them. And then you can take steps towards returning to a state of happiness.

Take the pressure off of yourself to be happy all the time. You may just find that in and of itself makes you happier.

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

Happiness is not easily defined, yet we all want it. And we tend to want a clear road map to get there. But the real path to happiness is built through your daily habits. This article will give you a starting point on which to build habits for lasting joy. By prioritizing your daily habits, you will discover happiness is something you can find in each day.

What is your main takeaway from this article? What’s your favorite tip to maintain your happiness? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Ashley Kaiser Author

Physical therapist, writer, and outdoor enthusiast from Arizona. Self-proclaimed dark chocolate addict and full-time adrenaline junkie. Obsessed with my dog and depending on the day my husband, too.

The post How to Be Happy: 15 Habits to Make You Happy in Life appeared first on Tracking Happiness.

This can very well be the case, and there’s no denying there’s more to life than work. But with 90,000 hours of our lives spent working, it would be nice if we could derive happiness from making a living too. 

Even if the idea feels like mixing ice cream with ketchup, there are scientifically proven ways you can be happier at work. Some are as simple as sitting up straighter, and others can be likened to a soul-searching introspective journey. One thing is for sure: no matter what kind of work you do, at least one of them is bound to make an enormous difference in your professional life. 

Ready to find out what that could be? Read on for a dozen ways to increase your happiness at work.

12 tips to be happier at work

Now let’s get right to it – here are 12 scientifically proven ways to be happier at work. 

1. Start the day off on a good note

The expression “get off on the wrong foot” is especially relevant when it comes to happiness at work. 

In one study, researchers examined the moods and performance of call center workers. Their moods at the start of the shift “primed” the rest of their day, including:

• How positively or negatively they perceived client interactions.
• How they felt after these interactions.
• How productive they were throughout the day.

So how you start your workday really matters! First, carve out some time before you start working for one of our mood-enhancing tips:

• Get in a few minutes early to chat and savor your morning coffee.
• Walk to work and take a nature route (which is beneficial in more than one way).
• Listen to your favorite music on your way to work.

(Find dozens more science-backed tips in our article on how to cheer up!)

Once your workday begins, choose your first tasks mindfully:

• Start with tasks that make you feel good.
• Don’t schedule meetings you hate first thing.
• Have some positive interactions with your colleagues.

2. Connect with your colleagues 

If you think happiness at work is achieved alone, think again.

Countless studies show us that the number one key to being happier at work is building positive relationships with your colleagues.

On a certain level, you probably already knew this. A study by Officevibe found that 70% of employees believe having friends at work is the most crucial element to a happy working life. 

But if you need further proof, a massive survey by the Society for Human Resource Management confirms it. They study what helps companies have the greatest impact on their employees’ happiness. The top finding? Relationships with co-workers. 

Another study found that coworker relationships were far more linked to good health than your boss’ behavior and the work environment. 

Whether you work in an office with hundreds of people or remotely from your home, there is always a way you can build rapport with others. Try out one of these tips:

• Check in with colleagues and ask how they are doing (professionally and personally).
• Participate in team bonding activities, after-work socials, or company events.
• Use coffee breaks to chat.
• Ask for help solving a problem (builts unity, connection, and trust).
• Collaborate on projects.

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

3. Acknowledge any progress you have made

You might have a bad day when things are slow and sluggish and you can’t seem to get anything done. Then, more than ever, it’s crucial for you to remember the things you have managed to do. 

Why? The answer can be found in The book The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work. The authors found that one of the biggest causes of employee happiness is feeling like you’re making meaningful progress. 

This is an important principle to remember in the age of the ever-growing to-do list. It’s easy to get distracted by all the unchecked boxes staring at you from the page. So make sure you optimize your list to let you celebrate your progress too: 

• Start your work day by writing down your tasks and choosing 3 priorities.
• Don’t just delete completed tasks: check them off, or move them to a “completed” list.
• Check your list at the end of your day to acknowledge what you’ve accomplished.

Give yourself the greatest happiness boost by breaking any bigger tasks down to their smallest components. Sure, your list will get longer, but that is how much progress you’ve made – and nothing feels more satisfying than making those checkmarks!

4. Share something positive about your day with a positive person

As Joseph Conrad said:

Gossip is what no one claims to like, but everybody enjoys.

It’s a rather natural part of socializing, and hard to stop doing. Yet unfortunately, it can easily create a toxic and unhealthy environment. 

If this is what’s making you unhappy at work, you can fight against it while replacing it with a happiness-boosting habit too: actively spread positivity instead. 

Research shows that discussing things that make us happy with others enhances how good we feel about them. 

But there’s an important catch: the person you share your news with should respond with enthusiastic support. Otherwise, there aren’t any significant effects on happiness. So skip the Debbie Downers and find yourself a Positive Polly!

Make sure you return the favor too and show colleagues who share positive things with you that you’re happy for them. You’ll encourage them to keep doing it and spread more happiness at the same time.  

5. Improve your work environment

There may be a lot you can’t change about your work. But no matter how small, there’s always a space you can call your own.  

Research has brought to light many ways you can use this space to boost your happiness: 

• Keep your workstation tidy and decluttered.
• Add natural plants to your workspace.
• Have vanilla or lemon scented air freshener.
• Put photos of your loved ones around your desk.
• Add art around your workspace.
• Add the color green into your environment.

You can read about the exact benefits of these and many more powerful tips in our article on how to cheer up. 

6. Help a colleague

Do you make a point of trying to help your colleagues? If you want to be happier at work, maybe you should start.

Tons of research shows that helping people, whether it’s a close friend or a stranger, leads to greater happiness. Of course, this goes for work environments too. Notably, people who rate helping others at work as important are much happier with their lives 30 years later. How’s that for a long-lasting effect?

The key is making this a part of your regular routine, not just an occasional afterthought. But once you get the ball rolling, it will gain momentum on its own: happier workers help their colleagues 33% more compared to those who aren’t happy. And if you want to truly commit to this happiness tip, you can even add a reminder to your schedule! 

Keep in mind you don’t need to do anything extraordinary. It can be something simple and mundane, so long as you’re offering useful help:

• Bring someone their favorite drink as you grab yours.
• Restock supplies that are running low.
• Offer to do a simple task, like type up meeting notes.
• Ask how a project is going and if they need any help.

It’s just a few minutes a week for a lifetime of greater happiness – sounds like a pretty good tradeoff! 

7. Set healthy boundaries

Perhaps the reason you feel unhappy at work is that people keep overstepping your boundaries.

This might happen in dozens of different ways, with clients, colleagues, or managers:

Examples of clients breaking boundaries

• Clients ask you for details on your personal life.
• Clients speak very rudely to you (or they are simply angry at you).
• Clients want to connect on social media.

Examples of colleagues breaking boundaries

• Colleagues sit or stand too close to you.
• Colleagues use swear words or language that hurts you.
• Colleagues enter your office without knocking.

Examples of bosses breaking boundaries

• Your boss expects you to answer calls and emails outside of work hours.
• Your boss calls you on your personal phone about work issues.
• Your boss expects you to prioritize team bonding activities over family commitments.

It’s clear what you have to do: simply set better boundaries in your workplace. 

Once you do, you’ll enjoy several proven benefits:

• Higher motivation.
• Sense of empowerment.
• Greater wellbeing.

Remember, you don’t need to have a dramatic confrontation. In fact, in some cases, you don’t even need to say anything! If we take the first listed example of a boss breaking boundaries, you could simply stop picking up the phone or set an automatic reply to emails outside of work hours. 

At other times, a serious conversation may be necessary. If this feels nerve-racking, check out our detailed guide on how to set healthy boundaries to make this as smooth as possible.  

8. Seek validation from colleagues

We all want happiness to come from within. But if you only focus on that, you’d be ignoring an important part of the picture, especially if you struggle with confidence at work.

A study compared two journal writing exercises for increasing self-esteem:  

1. An “inward” method – writing freely about what’s on your mind as if you’re “talking to yourself,” without showing it to anyone. The idea was for these participants to focus all their attention inward and build their own autonomy.
2. An “outward” method – sending journal entries to trained psychologists and receiving positive feedback from them.  These participants understood the writing exercise as talking to a psychologist who liked and appreciated them.

The results were clear – the “outward writing” participants had increased self-esteem after just two weeks. It kept increasing throughout all six weeks of the study, and some effects were still seen even four months later. 

On the other hand, the participants in the “inward” group didn’t have any particular increase in self-esteem.

Does this mean you have to rely entirely on your colleagues for your sense of worth and belonging at work? Of course not! But it’s the best way to at least start building your confidence in your professional environment. 

Once you have received support from others, you’ll start to feel more secure on your own too. In the study, after a few weeks, the “outward” participants started depending less on the opinions of others. Their self-esteem became more grounded in themselves. 

Here are some steps to implement this tip: 

• Give praise and compliments to others – many will be likely to reciprocate.
• Ask for positive feedback on how you’re doing.
• Build your skills and qualifications and let others know (post it on social media, talk about the courses you’re taking, hang a certificate on the wall, etc.)

9. Make your work goals your own

It’s already been shown that progressing toward goals increases happiness. But a lot of research focuses on goals that we choose ourselves. 

This unfortunately isn’t always the case at work. You may find yourself working on any number of tasks that got plopped onto your desk. Can we still derive happiness from them?

It turns out we can, as long as they align with our own goals. A study has shown that striving towards self-congruent goals enhances the happiness that comes from making progress on them. 

If you work for a company you strongly identify with, you may already be using this tip. 

But even if you don’t, as two researchers point out, you can still make the company’s goals “yours”. This doesn’t mean you have to reinvent them – you just have to find some way to identify with them. For example, consider:

• The value behind the task.
• How you might grow as a person from achieving it.
• Any improvement on someone’s life as a direct or indirect result.

10. Keep good posture

Whether you spend your workday running around or sitting on a beanbag chair, the long hours of movement – or lack thereof – can take their toll. 

The way you compose yourself at work doesn’t just affect your health and how confident you appear. It also directly affects your happiness. 

A study compared people walking with slumped posture and upright. The latter had much more positive memories of the walk. So if your job has you on your feet, you can easily make it better just by watching how you stand. 

This goes for office jobs too. Sitting straight has many positive effects on mental health: 

• Increased persistence at unsolvable tasks.
• Greater confidence (also a form of happiness).
• Increased alertness and enthusiasm.
• Decreased fear.

It looks like those nagging parents and teachers were on to something after all! 

11. End your workday with a moment of gratitude 

Do you ever leave work feeling like everything sucked? 

Not to invalidate your feelings, but your brain might be dramatizing things more than a little. 

It’s been found that setbacks at work had a three times bigger impact than progress. So your day may have even been mostly good – only your brain is zooming in on the three setbacks you had over the dozen successes.

There is a natural explanation for this: back in the cavemen days, it was crucial to our survival to notice potential danger. If we only focused on rainbows and flower fields, we’d soon be eaten! The modern workplace is, of course, a very different setting. But it will take many more centuries for our conditioned thoughts to catch up and adapt to our changing environment. 

Luckily, we don’t have to wait that long. You can start to offset this effect today using the power of gratitude. Studies suggest that the greatest effects are seen when it’s done regularly over the long term. Choose a method that you can commit to doing every day:

• Take 5 minutes to meditate on what you’re grateful for about work.
• Write down 3 things you’re grateful for about work.
• Pair up with a work friend and tell each other 3 things you appreciate about work. In other words, focus on the good!

Aside from this, you can fight your brain’s inclination to focus on negative events by keeping a positivity journal. Jot down positive interactions and events as they happen. If things go south, you’ll be able to open it up and remind yourself of all the good things too. 

12. Forget chasing happiness and focus on finding meaning in your work

This entire article has been devoted to finding ways to be happier at work. 

So it might sound a bit contradictory that our last tip is to forget about chasing happiness at work. But strangely, this seems to be one of the best approaches to actually becoming happier. 

A study found that prioritizing meaning rather than positivity has much greater benefits in many aspects:

• Life satisfaction.
• Happiness.
• Positive emotions.
• A sense of coherence.
• Gratitude.

In addition, a Harvard Business Review article points out many caveats to chasing happiness with too much zeal. The authors explain that it can be downright counterproductive: 

“Ever since the 18th century, people have been pointing out that the demand to be happy brings with it a heavy burden, a responsibility that can never be perfectly fulfilled. Focusing on happiness can actually make us feel less happy.

A psychological experiment recently demonstrated this. The researchers asked their subjects to watch a film that would usually make them happy – a figure skater winning a medal. But before watching the film, half of the group was asked to read out a statement about the importance of happiness in life. The other half did not.

The researchers were surprised to find that those who had read the statement about the importance of happiness actually were less happy after watching the film. Essentially, when happiness becomes a duty, it can make people feel worse if they fail to accomplish it”

In the words of French philosopher Pascal Bruckner, “Unhappiness is not only unhappiness; it is, worse yet, a failure to be happy.”

The review additionally points out that being too happy at work has a few pitfalls:

• Your performance may become worse for certain things.
• It’s exhausting to try to maintain nonstop.
• It can make you too needy with your boss.
• It can make you start treating your private lives like work tasks, hurting your non-work relationships.
• It can make losing your job devastating.
• It can make you lonely and selfish.

So our parting tip for you is: set yourself free from the shackles of needing to be happy. Focus instead on finding meaning in your work, and you’ll find that happiness naturally follows. 

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

Now you’ve got 12 science-backed tips for being happier at work. No matter what kind of job you have – whether you’re an avalanche forecaster or a dog taster – you can find more happiness in your work as soon as tomorrow. 

What’s your job and what are you doing to make yourself feel happier at work? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Silvia Adamyova Author

Born in Slovakia, raised in Canada. Online English teacher, editor, copywriter, and translator. You’ll find me holed up in a bookstore, typing in a cafe, or immersed in a philosophical debate.

The post 12 Proven Tips to be Happier At Work appeared first on Tracking Happiness.

The bond between dogs and their guardians is chemically similar to the bond between a mother and a child. Scientific studies remain undisputed. People with dogs are happier and healthier than people without dogs. But why is this? The magic of a wet-nosed and floppy-eared friend can literally change our lives around. 

If you are already a dog guardian, you may nod your head along with this article. If you are considering opening your life up to a dog, read on to discover how it will make you happier. 

What makes dogs so special? 

They come in all shapes and sizes. Some are long-haired and some are short-haired. Heck, some have barely any hair at all (check out the Chinese Crested). There is a dog breed to suit every human personality type. 

Dogs are not our whole lives, but they make our lives whole.

Roger Caras

Are you a high-energy person who loves to run and desires an affectionate and sensitive soul? A Hungarian Vizsla may steal your heart. Perhaps you need a robust all-rounder to fit in and around life with children and other commitments. A labrador may slot right in. 

Regardless of their coat type, or color, they all have important traits in common.

• Their propensity to love unconditionally.
• Their capacity to forgive.
• Their eagerness to please.
• Their willingness to join you on any adventure. 

There is no such thing as a bad dog. Only bad owners. 

Do all animals make us happier? 

So whilst I am particularly obsessed with dogs, I love all animals. According to this study, having any type of pet helps raise our self-esteem and provides us with social support. 

Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.

Anatole France

Here at Tracking Happiness, we were curious to find out if pets make us happier. So, we conducted our own study. 

We surveyed over 12,000 people with regards to their happiness levels and whether they had pets. Some of the results were as I would expect. 

For instance, people with pets reported greater happiness than people without. But interestingly enough, those who considered getting a pet in the future were happier than those who had no plans for a pet. 

As considered in the study, there could be a socio-economic factor at play here. 

Do our pets bring us equal happiness? Well, apparently not. I’m sorry cat lovers, but dogs did trump cats in the happiness reports of their guardians. But there was one animal that exceeded the happiness levels derived by the dog.

The horse!

Again, it is likely that socioeconomic factors come into play here. Also, it is worth noting that over 7000 of those surveyed were dog guardians and only 279 were horse guardians. 

Either way, horses are magnificent creatures. I do not doubt the happiness they bring, and I have experienced this myself. 

But let’s get back to our beloved dog. 

Who is the best dog in the world?

I have the best dog in the world. So do you. So does your friend. So does your neighbor. And all of us are right. 

Every dog is the best dog in the world. Some of the best conversations I have ever had in my life are with souls who have no comprehensible words. And yet, I feel my dogs understand me better than most people in my life. I feel a connection with my dogs beyond the comprehension of some people.

Dogs are our link to paradise.

Milan Kundera

Sometimes it takes a void in our lives to recognize just how significant a dog is in our lives. When my late Princess Jasper passed away, she left a gap greater than any human being could have left. In her 7 years, she brought me more happiness than any human being ever has. My grief was crippling but disenfranchised. 

But now researchers are recognizing that losing a dog can be as difficult as losing a human loved one. This shows the impact our dogs have on us.

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

Are dogs empathetic? 

According to this piece, dogs have affective empathy, which means they can understand the feelings of someone they are bonded with. They can also differentiate between our facial expressions. 

The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog.

Mark Twain 

Our dogs can tell the difference between laughing and crying. They often mirror our emotions. Not only do they sense how we are feeling but our feelings are contagious to them. This is positively correlated with the length of time dogs have been with their guardians. 

My gorgeous boy, Zac can read me like a book. He knows when to comfort me, calm me or energize me. He is tuned in with my emotions. 

5 reasons why dogs make us happier 

My late Princess Jasper was the inspiration behind co-founding a canicross club. With Jasper by my side, I welcomed my human best friends into my life. Jasper spun my life around. Not only did she drag me out on adventures, but she brought kindred spirits into my world. I am eternally grateful for the impact she continues to have on my life. 

It is readily accepted that dogs bring us happiness. But let’s look at 5 ways dogs make us happier. 

1. Dogs elevate our mood

When we share eye contact with our dogs, oxytocin is released in our brains. Oxytocin is nicknamed the love chemical. It makes us feel good. Oxytocin gives us warm feelings when we are with those we care about – which includes our dogs!

This is mutually beneficial as oxytocin is also released in our dogs and makes them feel good too. This helps our bonding process. 

In fact, oxytocin is the hormone responsible for bonding mothers and their babies. It helps build trust. 

So next time someone criticizes you for parenting your dog, be sure to point them in the direction of science. We are bonded with our dogs like mother and baby! 

2. Dogs alleviate stress and improve our wellbeing 

Just spending time with my dogs brings me joy. I love watching them root around the woods. To me, there is no greater sight than seeing them in full flight on the beach. 

Humans have used dogs for therapeutic purposes for years. But more recently, they have been used to help reduce stress in workplaces and education premises. Some universities have introduced dogs to help reduce the stress levels of students during exam times. 

This study shows a positive impact of spending just 10 minutes with a therapy dog. Furthermore, those of us who are lucky enough to have dogs in our lives are less likely to suffer from heart disease. 

In short, dogs lower our blood pressure and reduce stress. 

3. Dogs help us socialize 

As the inspiration behind my dog running group, Princess Jasper brought some of the most amazing people I know into my life. She brought like-minded people into my universe. She gave me the gift of friendship.

Now, on a daily basis, I interact with strangers. I stop on my walk and we chat. The only reason we do so is to ask each other about our dogs. 

As all dog guardians will testify, we often come away glowing from beautiful interactions with other doggie-oriented humans. Most of the time we have learned the name, age, health issues, history and idiosyncrasies of their dog. Yet we forget to ask the human their name. 

During the pandemic, I cherished these interactions. Social connection is nourishing. 

4. Dogs give us love 

The love of our dogs is painstakingly unconditional. It is powerful to the point I sometimes feel I don’t deserve it. 

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.

Josh Billings

When we feel loved, we feel worthwhile. Our dogs raise our self-esteem and validate us. Their love is a cozy blanket on a winter’s day. Their love is the smell of flowers in the breeze and the feeling of the sun on our faces. 

Is the love of a dog the only love we can rely on 100%? 

5. Dogs keep us fit 

Our dogs are great at getting us out on adventures and holding us to account. Even when we can’t be bothered, their pleading little eyes melt our hearts. Our dogs will never turn down a walk or an adventure. 

My late Princess Jasper joined me running long-distance trails. Running in harmony with my dog brings me indescribable joy. No “thing” could ever compare. 

It will come as no surprise that dog guardians are fitter than those who don’t have dogs in their life. And, we know that physical fitness increases our wellbeing, which increases our 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  

There is a dog out there for all of us. They help quell loneliness, improve our health and facilitate social interactions. They bring us love and purpose. They make us feel whole. 

If you have an empty dog-shaped space in your life, why not pop down to your nearest rescue center and find your soulmate? Life is altogether brighter with a dog! I’d love to hear from you in the comments below whether or not you agree!

Ali Hall Author

Kindness is my superpower. Dogs and nature are my oxygen. Psychology with Sports science graduate. Scottish born and bred. I’ve worked and traveled all over the world. Find me running long distances on the hills and trails.

Ali Hall Author

Kindness is my superpower. Dogs and nature are my oxygen. Psychology with Sports science graduate. Scottish born and bred. I’ve worked and traveled all over the world. Find me running long distances on the hills and trails.

The post 5 Reasons Why Dogs Make us Happy (With Examples) appeared first on Tracking Happiness.

Prioritizing internal happiness gives you the ability to be happy regardless of your circumstances. By going within, you find a lasting joy that will sustain you through life’s highs and lows. Even when you’re having a hard time right now.

This article will teach you exactly how to develop internal happiness to create consistent peace. By the end, you will find yourself better equipped to feel happy on a day-to-day basis.

What is internal happiness?

Is internal happiness any different than regular happiness? Let’s answer this question together.

Internal happiness is your capacity to feel happy in spite of your current external circumstances. It’s a sense of joy that’s rooted within and controlled only by you.

And the research indicates that when you feel this sense of internal control you are more likely to experience happiness in daily life.

This differs from typical happiness in that it is not dependent on anything but yourself.

This isn’t to say that external factors won’t bring you happiness. And that happiness is valuable as well. 

But external happiness can often be short-lived and less stable than internal happiness.

Why is it important to have internal happiness?

As we just discussed, happiness that depends on others and circumstance is often fleeting.

This is exactly why internal happiness is crucial. It’s a form of happiness that you can rely on no matter what life throws your way.

And by having the capacity to generate happiness from within, you’re more likely to feel satisfied on a regular basis.

The research backs this up. This study had participants engage in a mental training program designed to cultivate internal happiness.

At the end of the program, the participants experienced greater life satisfaction and were better able to regulate their emotions. This was found both in the short and long term after completion of the program.

I know this to be true on a personal level. I can achieve things at work or meet a big goal. But ultimately these things never lead to my long-term happiness.

It’s working on my inner peace and character that has brought me a sustainable sense of contentment.

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

9 Tips for internal happiness

If you’re ready to find happiness within yourself, these 9 tips were made just for you.

1. Give up the need to always be in control

Starting off the list strong, we have perhaps one of the most challenging tips. But if you can master this one, I almost guarantee you’ll find internal happiness.

As humans, we have this inherent desire to want to feel safe. And to feel safe, we often think we need to be in control.

As a full-fledged control freak, I have a hard time surrendering. And because of this, when I feel out of control I start to go down a negative anxiety spiral.

So how do we combat this? You learn to surrender to what is out of your control.

This is a high level of meta-cognition. You have to first realize that you’re trying to tightly control a situation or aspect of your life.

For me, I’ll often want to be in control of other people’s behavior or reactions. Or I want to control the outcome of a situation.

But that’s not life and it’s a recipe for unhappiness. You’ll never have complete control.

But by practicing letting go of control, you set yourself free. And you gain an unshakeable sense that things will be okay.

2. Be your own cheerleader

Another big aspect of feeling happiness from within is learning to be kind to yourself.

I used to start my day off by looking in the mirror and immediately criticizing myself. I’d talk about how I hate my hair or the size of my thighs.

Imagine how that made me feel. It’s no surprise that the rest of my day I was grumpy and unsatisfied.

We have to learn to be our own cheerleaders. You have to point out the things you love about yourself and motivate yourself to be better.

This could look like practicing morning affirmations that exude self-love. Or it could look like stopping yourself when you find yourself saying something self-deprecating.

It may sound cheesy, but it works. It’s only logical that if the voice in your head is constantly putting you down then you won’t be happy.

Treat yourself like you would your best friend and watch how your emotions become elevated.

This includes supporting yourself with your big and ambitious dreams. Because chasing those deep desires will lead you to lasting inner satisfaction.

3. Practice self-honesty

Another great way to find inner happiness is, to be honest with yourself.

You might be thinking, “Of course, I’m honest with myself.” But I’d encourage you to stop and really think about it.

I’ll give you an example. Yesterday I was feeling really frustrated with my fitness.

I immediately started to come up with excuses about why I wasn’t where I wanted to be with my workouts. But none of these excuses were going to help me grow or improve.

I finally got honest with myself and admitted that my workouts had been haphazard half-efforts lately. This brutal but necessary honesty with myself gave me the kick in the pants to get organized.

And this honestly helped me get back on track with my fitness which ultimately leads to my happiness.

When you aren’t honest with yourself, things won’t improve. You won’t grow from your weaknesses and instead, you’ll live in a world of false comfort.

Maybe that sounds like tough love. But we all need it if we want to find real happiness.

4. Embrace your imperfections

This probably sounds like a nice cliché. But it’s true. Internal joy is highly related to being able to fully embrace your flaws.

I will be the first to tell you that this is not natural for me. I tend to try to shy away from my imperfections. Or I try to hide them altogether.

But your imperfections are part of what makes you wonderful. They make you authentically you.

And by being ashamed of your imperfections, you become your own critic and deny yourself acceptance.

I’ll give you a personal example. I have a few moles on my face.

Throughout my teenage years, I wanted perfectly smooth skin like my peers. I thought my moles were ugly. Now, I’m at a stage where I embrace that these moles are part of what makes me unique. And because of that, I feel greater peace about my appearance.

Your flaws won’t always be physical. Sometimes they will be behaviors or personality traits. But be willing to embrace them while still striving to be the best version of yourself possible.

5. Know when to choose yourself first

If you find yourself unhappy, it might be time to start making yourself a priority again.

At first glance, it can sound selfish to choose yourself first. But let me illustrate why it’s difficult to feel internally happy if you don’t.

As a semi-retired people pleaser, it’s easy for me to bend over backward for others. I hated saying no and I would put my needs second to keep others happy.

This used to be especially true in my workplace. I’d always take on the extra project or work overtime to help.

In both my professional life and my relationships, this led to burnout. I started to resent my work and doing favors for friends.

I’d come home exhausted each night. And by not prioritizing my own needs, I felt depressed and frustrated most of the time.

The solution came when I started to say no to others. But I was saying yes to myself.

I was able to find a better balance. I learned you can still help others while taking care of yourself.

Spreading yourself thin won’t make you or others happy. So do yourself a favor and choose yourself first so you can feel jazzed about your life.  

6. Make clearing your mind a habit

If you’re anything like me, your mind runs 100 miles per minute. I’m always thinking about the next thing or fixating on a mistake.

This scattered brain does not serve me or create happiness. Instead, it breeds anxiety.

So what’s the antidote for internal peace to a chaotic mind? Clearing your mind.

Before you blow me off as another person telling you to meditate, hear me out.

Meditation is one great way to clear your mind. But clearing your mind can take on many forms.

It could be as simple as stopping and naming 3 things you’re thankful for.

Or it could look like taking time to clean up your physical space so you don’t feel stressed at home.

My personal form of clearing my mind is daily movement. Sometimes this is a walk, a run, or lifting weights.

By getting my body moving, I force myself to focus on the present and my body. This practice slows down my mind and helps me reset.

Find a way to clear your mind each day and you’re on your way to feeling happy from within.

7. Develop trust in yourself

Another way to foster inner happiness is to learn how to trust yourself.

You might be thinking that you already trust yourself. But let me ask you a few questions.

When was the last time you second-guessed yourself? Or when was the last time you felt confident betting on your own abilities when facing a challenge?

If you find yourself with several answers to those questions then you may not trust yourself as much as you think.

Trusting yourself means learning to listen to your gut. And it means trusting yourself to know that you are capable of achieving your dreams.

When you stop constantly second-guessing yourself, you stop ruminating and doubting your abilities.

I’m not perfect at this. But I’ve gotten better at it because I realize that even when I don’t make the best decision things will work out alright.

So take the leap and switch jobs if you’re unhappy. Break up with the toxic partner. Because when your insides are telling you something isn’t right it’s time to start listening.

You feel more at ease on a regular basis if you feel you can always rely on yourself to make things work.

8. Forgive yourself

This tip is a doozy. Forgiving yourself is what I consider one of the toughest forms of forgiveness.

We’re often our own worst critics. Some nights I lay in bed and think about all the ways I messed up that day.

It’s not a healthy habit and I’m working on ditching it. But it’s rooted in a sense of difficulty forgiving myself.

What I try to remind myself is that I’m quick to forgive my best friend and my husband when they mess up. So why do I hold myself to a different standard?

Yesterday at work I made a mistake in regards to some paperwork. It was a silly mistake that shouldn’t have been a big deal. But I held onto it the whole evening.

What did not forgiving myself accomplish? Nothing other than causing myself unnecessary anxiety.

Acknowledge that you’re human and forgive yourself. You’ll feel much better and be able to learn from your mistakes much better.

9. Take advantage of self-help books

I used to roll my eyes when someone suggested I read a self-help book. I often thought they were cheesy and unnecessary.

But it only took reading one “self-help” book to realize what I was missing out on. A friend recommended “You Are a Badass” by Jen Sincero to me.

This book opened my eyes to how self-help books are insanely valuable.  It’s a person’s most valuable life wisdom condensed into a short form to accelerate your own self-growth.

You can literally read a book about internal happiness. Or you can read a book on the topic of many of the tips in this article to master it in depth.

In case you want a few ideas, here are a few of my favorite self-help authors:

• James Clear.
• Jen Sincero.
• Tony Robbins.
• Ryan Holiday.
• Jay Shetty.
• Lewis Howes.

A book by any of these folks will help you start to foster wellness from within.

Beyond reading the book, you also need to slow down and apply the concepts. It’s tempting to want to breeze through the book for the sake of completing it.

But if you finish a book without implementing some of the tactics, what was the point of reading it?

Take notes and re-read self-help books often. It’s been a game-changer for me when it comes to 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

Wrapping up

Happiness comes in many forms. But internal happiness is arguably the most essential for life satisfaction. The tips from this article will help you cultivate inner wellness no matter what circumstances you find yourself facing. With time, you’ll find that you value this internal happiness because no one and nothing can ever take it from you. 

How would you rate your happiness currently? And how much of that comes from within? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Ashley Kaiser Author

Physical therapist, writer, and outdoor enthusiast from Arizona. Self-proclaimed dark chocolate addict and full-time adrenaline junkie. Obsessed with my dog and depending on the day my husband, too.

The post 9 Tips for Inner Happiness (and Finding Your Own Happiness) appeared first on Tracking Happiness.

What does this come down to? This last group of people has learned how to prioritize their happiness. Science has uncovered dozens of ways to do this, big and small, obvious and surprising. There are so many options that really, the only thing that could keep you from being happy is a lack of desire. But since you’re reading this page, that’s clearly not the case.

So are you ready to add more color and spice to your life? Everything you need to know is laid out for you below. Let’s get reading! 

10 ways to prioritize your happiness

Sometimes, it might feel like happiness is always just outside your reach. 

But there are some very tangible, and surprisingly simple things you can do to increase it. These 10 tips will give you a very solid foundation for a happy life. 

1. Exercise

Alright, let’s get this over with — exercise is good for you. There, I said it!

You might be tired of hearing people tell you to exercise when the couch feels so much more comfortable than the stationary bike. I know I used to read advice like this with begrudging agreement.

But hear me out. I was definitely not an exercise type of person. It took me 7 years to develop a steady habit of going to the gym. Now I look forward to going to the gym a good 4-5 times per week. And, I even *gasp* enjoy it.

What changed? I stopped expecting exercise to turn me into Pamela Reif and started seeing it as an investment in my happiness. And it really is. People with moderate to high activity levels have significantly higher life satisfaction and happiness. This goes for all ages, so there’s no such thing as being “too old to start”. 

What’s even better, exercise boosts both short-term and long-term happiness. Move your body regularly, and you’ll have a happier life overall.

But if you’re having a bad day and need a pick-me-up, even just five minutes of moderate exercise can cheer you up. 

2. Build a feeling of being in control of your life

Have you ever heard of self-construal?

Basically, it’s how independent or connected to others you see yourself. It’s closely related to self-reflection. And, it’s another important key to prioritizing your happiness. 

The more independent you consider your identity, the happier you can be. Researchers comment that this may be because feeling in control of your life plays a significant role in being happy. 

So how do you work on feeling independent and in control?

The first thing you can do is look for evidence this is already true. Even if things way out of your control are happening in your life, there are things you can bring about through your responses and actions, however small. Keep a list of them if you have to. 

You can also work on your mindset. You cannot control what anyone else says or does, but you do have full control over yourself. No matter how someone behaves towards you, you always have the choice of who you want to be in your response. 

And lastly, a useful tool is setting healthy boundaries and learning to enforce them. Sometimes we may feel we lack control when in reality, we could have more of it if we spoke up. 

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

3. Don’t let self-reflection get you down

Above, we mentioned self-construal, which is a related concept to self-reflection.

Self-reflection is also useful in becoming happier. It helps you grow as a person, increases your motivation, and can boost your confidence too.

But there’s another side to the coin: when you already feel happy, doing a lot of self-reflection can actually make it hard to stay happy. 

If you do something kind but then begin to analyze your intentions, you might begin to feel you had selfish reasons. Accomplishments you were proud of might stop seeming so great. It’s kind of like looking at a beautiful painting too closely and finding mistakes in the tiny brush strokes that ruin the overall impression for you afterward. 

Researchers concluded that self-reflection can have different effects on happiness, depending on how happy you already feel. 

So while it’s good to reflect on yourself effectively, make sure you don’t overdo it. Some things don’t have to be questioned and analyzed — give yourself room to just live and enjoy life too. 

4. Invest in building healthy relationships 

Imagine for a moment living your life with no close relationships. Just you in a city full of strangers or acquaintances. You’ll quickly understand why healthy relationships are crucial to your happiness. 

They brighten up everything in life. You’ll have someone to celebrate with you in joyful moments and comfort you in sorrowful ones. 

Studies have also found they make life’s discontents more manageable and delay mental and physical health problems. Heck, they’re more important to a long and happy life than fame, money, social class, IQ, or even genes. 

What’s important here is to build high-quality, deep connections — superficial or shallow relationships won’t cut it. 

However, they can be in any area of your life — even at work. In fact, good coworker relationships are the top factor of happiness at work. Since many of us spend 40 hours per week working, it would be a shame to miss out on all this potential happiness! 

5. Set achievable goals

You may have heard that people who set goals are happier — but you may be surprised to hear exactly why.

Most people think that happiness is tied to the completion of a goal. And that’s what we often tell ourselves. “I’ll be happy when I lose 10 pounds, or when I earn that promotion, or when I travel around the world.” 

The truth is, these things will make you happy, but not for very long. You’ll get used to your slimmer body, higher rank, or travel lifestyle pretty quickly. Your happiness will stabilize back to around what it was before.

So how do goals make us happy exactly? Just by setting them, it seems. 

A study found that people who set goals they consider achievable have the greatest increase in happiness — even if they don’t end up achieving those goals. 

If this sounds baffling, remember what we mentioned above. Feeling in control of your life is a significant part of feeling happy, and having achievable goals can definitely help you do that. 

Though of course, you should aim to actually achieve the goals you set for yourself. But it can give you great peace of mind to know that there’s no pressure, at least as far as your happiness is concerned. 

6. Be open to a range of positive emotions

Speaking of setting goals, you might be familiar with the SMART model, which encourages you to make your goals specific and measurable. 

This is great advice for things like losing weight or gaining new skills, it’s actually counterproductive when the goal itself is happiness. 

For example, let’s say you go to watch a new movie and hope to feel excited about it. The movie doesn’t turn out to be quite as thrilling as you expected, and you leave the cinema disappointed. 

If you set a more general goal of feeling happy rather than specifically excited, you could open yourself up to a much wider range of positive emotions. Perhaps the movie would make you laugh, think, or relax. But if you were focused on wanting to feel excited, you’d miss those moments.  

That’s just one example — this goes for any experience from a vacation to listening to music, as well as making a purchase like a new dress or car. 

The difference in happiness is pretty small during the event itself. But when you set more general goals for happiness, you feel happier for much longer afterward. 

7. Accept your weaknesses and build on your strengths 

Humans are hardwired to pay a lot of attention to problems — and it’s probably a good thing, too. You’re much more likely to live a good life if you notice that weird sound in the bushes or the odd smell wafting from the pantry.

When applied to ourselves though, it can make us pretty miserable. A psychologist once told me that his clients can fill an entire page and then some with things they don’t like about themselves. But when he asks them what their strengths are, they draw a blank. 

Don’t get me wrong, working on yourself is most certainly a good thing. You should never let a weakness stop you from becoming who you want to be, because you can always turn it into a strength.

But some weaknesses are just not worth it. Does it really matter if you’re bad at organizing trips when your friends are experts and enjoy doing it too? If a weakness isn’t keeping you from a big goal or is integral to your identity, then accept it and focus on developing your strengths instead. This will help you be happier. 

8. Forgive

Grudges are like the cuckoos of the emotional world. A lot of us would be perfectly capable of feeling happier if only feelings like anger and resentment would stop crowding it out. 

Every person you feel spite for is a person you could feel love towards instead — or at least, feel neutral. Forgiving someone may seem a whole range of ways, from unappealing to downright unacceptable. At the end of the day though, the only thing you’re accomplishing is ruining your own happiness. 

When you forgive, you give yourself the gift of better mental and emotional well-being, as well as increased physical health. But there’s something even more impressive: forgiveness can give you the same benefits as 40 years of Zen training. 

That’s a shortcut to mental peace and well-being if I ever saw one. Forgiveness can be easier said than done, but thankfully we have a detailed guide on letting go of anger. It will take you step by step through the whole process.

9. Focus on having an abundance of time

A lot of us live life in a frantic rush, running from one appointment to the next, making mile-long to-do and New Year’s resolution lists, and having way more plans in our minds than we can possibly cram into reality.

If you want to prioritize your happiness, it’s time to see what you can offload from your plate.  

Researchers found that feeling as if you never have enough time is a major happiness killer. In other words, it’s important to feel like you have enough time. 

But we all have just 24 hours in a day — so what can you do?

Well, first of all, understand that time is limited. If you decide to spend 3 hours working overtime, you won’t be able to spend them relaxing at home, immersed in a hobby, or playing with your kids. Many people, when given the choice, prefer to work extra hours in order to earn more money. But if you do that enough, you end up with no time to actually spend and enjoy that money. Think carefully about how you decide to spend your time.

And secondly, you can choose activities that help increase the feeling of time abundance. Volunteering is one such activity. Awe-inducing experiences are another — watching sunsets, whales, and the like. (And as a bonus, both volunteering and feeling awe directly increases your happiness too!)

10. Consciously choose happiness

Have you heard those sweet wedding vows where people say “I will choose you every single day”?

Well, it kind of works like that with happiness too. It won’t just magically come to you once you hit a certain number of accomplishments, or find a key like unlocking a secret level in a video game. If you truly want to prioritize your happiness, you must make a conscious choice every day to be happy. Big commitment, yes — but it sure is worth 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

Wrapping up

We all could use a little — or a lot — more joy, and we’d definitely be better human beings for it. I hope that the 10 tips above will help you prioritize happiness in your life. Be sure to pass it along to someone else you know who you’d love to see happier.

What has helped you prioritize your happiness the most? Share your positive transformations with us and other readers in the comments below!

Silvia Adamyova Author

Born in Slovakia, raised in Canada. Online English teacher, editor, copywriter, and translator. You’ll find me holed up in a bookstore, typing in a cafe, or immersed in a philosophical debate.

The post 10 Tips to Prioritize Your Happiness (and Why This Matters) appeared first on Tracking Happiness.

However, putting your happiness on hold until you achieve whatever you desire can lead to an endless cycle of dissatisfaction. There will always be another milestone to reach after you surpass your current one and the world will never run out of possessions for you to covet. And while there’s nothing wrong with yearning for more out of life, it is possible to be happy with what you currently have. 

In this article, I’ll explore the constant need for more as humans, why it’s so challenging to be happy with what you have, and how it can be possible for you. 

Do you need more to be happy? 

The short answer is yes–and no. As human beings, certain physiological needs such as food, water, and shelter must be met in order to be happy. If you lack any of those basic requirements for survival, you do indeed need more to be happy.

Before you chase higher needs such as happiness, your basic needs must be satisfied first at least according to the father of human psychology, Abraham Maslow.

People often say that money can’t buy you happiness. Though this is true for the most part, there are exceptions. If you’re uncertain of where your next meal is coming from or how you’re going to afford the rent this month, money can certainly buy you the food and security necessary for you to be happy.  

Conversely, research shows that a person can still find ways to be happy even if their most basic needs are fulfilled only partially. This goes to show that it really is possible to be happy with less. 

While you can be happy with less, it turns out that buying more can actually have the opposite effect. A 2011 study revealed that consumerism is linked to lower well-being.

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

Happiness and hedonic adaptation 

Once your basic needs are met, the concept of needing more to be happy becomes flawed. Humans typically return to a set point of happiness regardless of their positive and negative life experiences. 

This tendency to adjust to life’s ups and downs is a concept referred to as hedonic adaptation or “the hedonic treadmill”. Hedonic adaptation first appeared in a 1971 essay by psychologists Philip Brickman and Donald T. Campbell. 

Brickman and Campbell studied two groups of people: lottery winners and paralyzed accident victims. Based on their research, they found that the initial elation experienced by the lottery winners was not long-lasting. Surprisingly, those who won a life-changing sum of money were not any happier than the paralyzed victims in the long term. 

The hedonic treadmill explains why our positive experiences only have a fleeting effect on our happiness. I’m sure you know what it’s like to look forward to something, feel ecstatic when you finally attain it, and then, just like that, the initial surge in happiness dissipates. Just like that, you’re back where you started. 

The vicious cycle of wanting more to be happy 

The trouble with needing more to be happy is that seeking external sources of happiness is not a permanent solution. Sure, the sudden rush of joy feels amazing at first, but it eventually fades away. 

The transient nature of these sources of happiness can turn into a never-ending cycle of needing more each time to maintain the same level of satisfaction. Not only is this exhausting, but it can be downright unhealthy. 

A 2017 study on sensory-specific satiety found that the first bite of delicious food tastes better than all successive bites. This is why more variety in food options can lead to overeating.  

If you’re active on any social media platform, you’re likely familiar with the rush of dopamine triggered by notifications. Have you noticed how the more likes or comments you receive on a post, the more you want? If a post doesn’t receive the same amount or more likes as your last post, your self-esteem takes a hit. 

Dopamine isn’t just the chemical responsible for feeling pleasure, it’s also pleasure-seeking. If the reward you anticipated doesn’t come, in this case, a certain number of comments and likes on your post, you feel the urge to check your feed more often.

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

Why fame, wealth, and success won’t make you happier 

The longest study of adult life ever conducted followed two groups for over 80 years:

• Harvard students, and;
• Boys from Boston’s poorest neighborhoods. 

Their findings were rather surprising. The boys who came from disadvantaged families were just as happy as the privileged group. The findings also discovered that good relationships are key to happiness. Not fame, wealth, or success.

Tips on how to be happy with what you have 

Fortunately, there are numerous ways to break the cycle of constantly needing more to be happy. While it may be challenging at first, it is possible to be happy with what you have. 

1. Lean into your relationships 

With so many studies revealing that happiness is determined by your closest relationships, it’s essential for you to work on the quality of yours. The good news is there are a lot of ways to improve your relationships, and many of them don’t require much effort. 

For starters, be fully present with your loved ones while spending time with them. Far too often, we pay more attention to our phones than the people right in front of us.

Another way to strengthen your relationships is to recognize and respond to bids for connection. For example, if your partner is talking about their day, listen intently and ask them questions instead of responding with grunts or worse, not at all. 

2. Start a gratitude practice 

Practicing gratitude is the easiest and most immediate way to be happy with what you have. Good things happen to us every single day, we just don’t take the time to notice. Intentionally acknowledging all the good in your life is beneficial for your health and results in greater happiness. 

If you aren’t grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you would be happy with more?

Roy T. Bennett

There are endless ways to incorporate gratitude into your life. Here are a few suggestions to get you started: 

• Keep a gratitude journal. Write down everything you’re grateful for before you go to bed each night. 
• Each time something good happens to you, express gratitude out loud or silently in your head. 
• If you have a partner, tell them the qualities you appreciate most about them. 
• Celebrate every small win, no matter how small. 
• Thank everyone who shows you kindness. 

3. Stop comparing yourself to others 

We all know that nothing good comes out of comparing yourself to others. And yet, we all do it anyway. Thanks to social media, making comparisons is now easier than ever.

Comparison is the thief of joy.

Theodore Roosevelt 

The problem is we often forget that a social media feed isn’t a comprehensive picture of a person’s life. While it may not be possible to resist comparison one hundred percent of the time, being aware of it as it happens is a huge step in the right direction. 

One way to fight the comparison itch is to remind yourself that people typically only share their highlights. Comparing your baseline to someone’s highest achievements will only breed misery.

4. Resist instant gratification

Easier said than done, right? If you truly want to be happy with what you have, you must overcome the temptation of instant gratification. Succumbing to it may give you brief bursts of happiness in the short term, but you could be unknowingly reinforcing a self-destructive habit in the long run. 

Here are some alternatives to the most common forms of instant gratification: 

• Instead of reaching for your phone to check your notifications, stand up and stretch. 
• Instead of indulging in another bite of something unhealthy, take a deep breath. Check in with yourself to determine if you’re still hungry or not. 
• Instead of spending more hours than you’d like playing video games or watching Netflix, gradually reduce the time allotted for these activities. Perhaps, instead of five hours, you can cut it down to four, and then three, and so on. 

Depending on how deeply ingrained the habit is, it may be near impossible to resist so be kind to yourself if you struggle at first. 

If you want to get better at this, here are more tips on how to get better at delaying gratification.

5. Incorporate more minimalism into your life

To be happy with less, you need to get used to having less. The truth is you probably don’t need most of your stuff. Now, I’m not suggesting you have to donate all of your possessions to be happy. However, it wouldn’t hurt to declutter every once in a while and throw anything you no longer use or value in a donation box.

Another way to live more minimally is to thrift your clothes instead of buying new ones. Look for staple, high-quality pieces that you can style in multiple ways instead of falling for the fast fashion trap. 

6. Embrace impermanence 

Accepting the fact that nothing stays the same may seem counterintuitive to happiness, but it’s not. The more you embrace the fact that nothing lasts forever, the less likely you are to cling to it and resist change. Making peace with impermanence also reduces our desire for material objects. This makes it possible to be happy with what you have. 

Moreover, when you understand that all things will wither and fade eventually, you learn to appreciate your life more.

Embracing that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed for anyone is a good reminder to not take the people we love for granted and to savor every bit of happiness that wanders your way. 

7. Invest time in your relationship with yourself 

How well do you really know yourself? It’s difficult to be happy with your life just as it is unless you are intimately familiar with who you are. To know true happiness, you must first know yourself. Most of us have only scratched the surface of our identity. There are parts of ourselves still waiting to be discovered and appreciated. 

To cultivate a loving and healthy relationship, you can: 

• Take yourself out on dates. Go to your favorite restaurant and treat yourself to a delicious meal. Alternatively, you can go to a museum alone and completely immerse yourself in the experience. If you’re a homebody, light a scented candle and read a good book. 
• Journal. Writing your thoughts and feelings down is one of the best ways to improve self-awareness. The more self-aware you are, the easier it becomes to be happy with what you have. 
• Play games by yourself. As children, play used to come naturally to us. As adults, it’s something we dismiss as silly or childish. However, play is actually one of the best ways to grow our right hemisphere, the side of our brain that is key to 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

Wrapping Up 

Desiring more out of life is inherently human, but your happiness is not dependent on it. Ultimately, your happiness is not sustained by possessions, success, wealth, or fame, it hinges on you. It is possible to be happy with what you have, but like any skill, happiness requires practice. Train yourself to be more grateful, more committed to your relationships, and more minimalistic instead of wanting more. Happiness will surely follow.

Do you want to share your own tips on how to be happy with what you have? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Andrea Araya Author

Writer and recovering perfectionist from Canada. A huge fan of stories, empathy, and matcha lattes. May or may not have a tendency to cry at everything especially acts of kindness.

The post 7 Ways to be Happy With What You Have (With Examples) appeared first on Tracking Happiness.

Happiness is something that every person seeks, yet it can be elusive and difficult to define. What brings happiness to one person may not necessarily bring happiness to another. However, understanding the factors that contribute to happiness can help us to live more fulfilling lives. 

In this article, we will explore different answers to the question, “What makes you happy?” By examining the different sources of happiness, I hope to provide insights for individuals seeking to cultivate greater happiness and well-being in their lives!

Sources of happiness

We all have various sources of happiness. But to help you reflect on what truly makes you happy, breaking them down into categories can make the process easier.

According to a book entitled Happiness: A Very Short Introduction by philosophy professor Dr. Haybron, there are 5 key sources of happiness which are as follows:

1. Security: Experiencing a sense of stability and predictability in our lives can lead to feelings of calmness, contentment, and happiness.
2. Relationships: Spending time with family and friends, building strong social connections, and having a supportive partner are all sources of happiness for many people.
3. Outlook: Practicing gratitude and focusing on the positive aspects of life can increase happiness levels and reduce stress and anxiety.
4. Autonomy: Making independent choices and having control over one’s life, has been found to be a significant source of happiness and fulfillment.
5. Skilled and meaningful activity: Engaging in activities that allow us to find a sense of purpose can increase overall life satisfaction and happiness.

These are just a few examples of the many sources of happiness, and what brings happiness to one person may not necessarily bring happiness to another. Ultimately, happiness is a subjective experience that can be influenced by a variety of factors, both internal and external.

My own answer to happiness

When I think about what makes me happy, I’d like to go for things that don’t take too much effort or cost me a lot.

For example, being happy in a relationship doesn’t have to mean grand expressions of love. It can be cooking our favorite meal together on a Tuesday night, or receiving a compliment at a random moment.

When I think about happiness in my everyday life, it can be as simple as feeling the warm sun on my skin or seeing a baby smile at me on the bus. It’s those tiny encounters that instantly lift my mood.

When I find joy in humble and innocent moments like these, it creates a positive change in my perspective on life. I realize that life can be pure bliss when we know the value of contentment!

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

10 answers to the question “What makes you happy?”

If you’re exploring the ways to respond to this question, here are some examples worth reflecting on:

1. Appreciating the small things

Enjoying simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, basking in the morning sun, or looking out at a nice view, can instantly spark our happiness.

Appreciating the simple joys that life brings can help us to be fully present in the moment and enjoy the experience to its fullest. Most of the time, finding happiness doesn’t have to cost us anything at all!

2. Spending time with our loved ones

Loved ones can provide emotional and social support, which can help us cope with stress and adversity. This sense of social support can lead to greater happiness and well-being.

When we share experiences with the people we care about, it can also create good memories and strengthen our relationships. Whether it’s special occasions or pure quality time, making time for our loved ones can surely give us a good dose of positivity.

3. Expressing love and feeling loved

When we show our love to someone and we know that we’ve made them happy, it can give us a sense of fulfillment. In the same way, feeling their love in return can certainly provide the kind of joy that’s priceless.

Knowing that the people we love feel the same way can also boost our self-esteem and sense of self-worth, which can lead to greater confidence and happiness!

4. Doing our favorite activities

Whether it’s enjoying our hobbies or pursuing the work that we love, doing what makes us happy can do wonders for our mental health and overall life satisfaction.

Engaging in activities that we enjoy can also act as a form of stress relief, helping us to relax and live an easy-going life. Keep in mind that you don’t need a lot of reasons to do something but to make yourself happy!

5. Experiencing new things

Ever had one of those “bucket lists” of things you want to try before you reach a certain age? Surely, ticking things off this list can bring adventure and excitement to your life.

Oftentimes, we can get lost in the grind of our daily lives, and one way to break such monotony is by immersing ourselves in new experiences. So, step out of your comfort zone and enjoy all the excitement and happiness that the world has to offer!

6. Achieving our goals

Most of us find happiness through a sense of accomplishment. By setting goals and working towards achieving them, we attain positive feelings such as pride, satisfaction, and growth.

While it’s great to be goal-driven, it’s also important to note that true happiness is not a destination. Rather, paying close attention to our journey can help us find more meaning in everything that we choose to do.

7. Taking care of ourselves

Self-care is fundamental to our happiness and overall well-being. When we take care of ourselves, we are more capable of doing the things we love, spending time with the people we care about, and pursuing our passions in life.

Health, in all aspects, can help us experience happiness to our maximum potential. So, make sure to rest and recharge before you go back to chasing that adrenaline rush!

8. Giving back

For some of us who have already achieved all sorts of happiness in life, contributing to other people’s happiness and welfare can further fuel our sense of purpose.

Whether it’s getting involved in charitable work or dedicating ourselves to helping our communities, knowing that we’ve made a positive impact on other people’s lives can bring us incomparable joy.

9. Living our purpose

Discovering our purpose is essential to finding our own happiness. When we know what we’re most passionate about and we pursue it, we gain a sense of direction and fulfillment.

Living with purpose can also make us feel like we’re needed and that we have a place in the world. These positive beliefs can ultimately lead us to live a happy and healthy life.

10. Feeling content

Contentment is often associated with a sense of acceptance and gratitude for what one has, rather than a focus on what one lacks or desires.

People can sometimes have the tendency to keep wanting more and never feel satisfied with what they have. But, to be truly happy, we must learn a valuable lesson: that good enough is good enough. Only when we find contentment will we achieve genuine 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

Wrapping up

Happiness can feel different for everyone. From spending time with loved ones to achieving our goals, experiencing new things, and living our purpose, there are many factors that can contribute to our overall sense of well-being and fulfillment.

By exploring and embracing what brings us joy and contentment, we can create a life that is truly filled with happiness and meaning.

When someone asks you what makes you happy, how would you answer? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Madel Asuncion Author

Writer and advocate for young people’s mental health. Firm believer of validating one’s feelings, prioritizing the inner-self, and finding happiness in a plate of chicken curry.

The post What Makes You Happy? 10 Different Answers With Examples appeared first on Tracking Happiness.