Happiness. :)
What is Happiness?
Happiness can be defined as an emotion felt and recognised by people (and certain animals too), which is characterised by positive feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, fulfilment, well being and hope.
A lot of things, situations and people bring Happiness to us, but perhaps we can increase these by appreciating even the supposedly little things, such as a bird singing, flowers in bloom, perfectly shaped clouds and the simplicity of blue skies. Most of us have been blessed with five senses (sight, smell, touch, hearing, taste) and each of these can bring us sensations that make us Happy.
I can safely assume that most humans want and crave happiness. I am yet to find anyone that genuinely complains about being too happy. People might be anxious that their feeling of happiness may not last and suffer from imposter syndrome in certain situations, but without these uncertainties at the forefront, they would bask in it.
For many reasons, Happiness is good for our mental state because it means we are in a state of positivity and reduced toxic stress. This in turn is also good for our physical bodies and general well being.
Below are 7 Steps to Happiness, listed as guidelines within which you can use to broadly aim to achieve a regular state satisfaction, if we are consistent.
“Connection is a huge part of contentedness”
Count your blessings. No matter how few and small there are, they are definitely present. (I am thankful for waking up this morning. For my hot cup of coffee. For the sun today. For my family. Go on like that!)
Have a thankful spirit and heart. Wake up each day and set yourself a target to be thankful for at least three to five things, daily. Enjoy and savour good experiences and moments in your life.
Try to have a good night’s sleep, so your mind and body can recover from the stresses of the day before, ready to embrace the day after.
Eat healthily. Food is the fuel that keeps your body going. Assume that your body will need to be going strong as it can for the next few decades (which, hopefully, it will!). With that in mind, look after it. Give it the calories and energy it deserves. It houses you and your mind, after all.
Exercise daily in some form or the other; it doesn’t have to be hauling yourself to the gym. Keeping the body fit releases endorphins in the brain that make you feel good and in turn make the body feel good. A nice ‘vicious’ cycle, that is not so vicious!
Surround yourself with like-minded, positive people. Iron sharpens iron. They will support you when you falter, and their positivity will rub off on you as yours will rub off on them. Very soon it will become a habit, and it is the kind of habit that we encourage!
Keep learning new things. This engages your brain and keeps you interested in life itself, and also the people around you. It also gives you something to talk about and share with others, and connection is a huge part of contentedness.
Remember: learning and practicing positivity does not mean that we have to shun feeling bad. It is okay to register when you aren’t in the best of places, but that is when it is important to ask for help from those around you. When you fall off a horse, you don’t deny that you’ve fallen— you dust yourself off, address your bruises, and you get a hand with climbing back up again!
Written by Dr Isioma Nwokolo