INTRODUCTION
According to a report by Origins of Happiness, it was also gathered that if mental health issues like depression, anxiety are eliminated, happiness will get a 20% increase, whereas, the elimination of poverty will only have a similar effect of 5% on happiness. Simply put, tackling mental health problems will have four times more effect than reducing poverty. The best part, however, is that eliminating mental illness doesn’t have to cost a dime according to the researchers.
-RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PLEASURE AND HAPPINESS
Oxford describes happiness as a state of feeling pleasure, how then do we differentiate happiness and pleasure with such close ties?
The association between the two terms is logical in lay terms; it is usual to see them used interchangeably outside the scope of literature. However, it is germane to distinguish when the terms come to the science of positive psychology.
As much as pleasure can add to happiness and on its own can augment pleasure, the two of them can also be mutually exclusive. You can be happy based on perception that may have nothing to do with pleasure. As well, you can feel pleasure but be in a battle with guilt, preventing you from being happy.
-RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PLEASURE AND HAPPINESS
Happy people are usually healthier, make more friends easily and keep to relationships more. They getting more success in life shows why mental health and happiness have some ties.
The same factors that buffer people against mental health are those that bring happiness which fosters the relationship between the two. A study perused the relationship between mental health and happiness in college students, and it was discovered that a strong positive correlation associates the two factors. Even gender and socio-demographic variables were included in the mix, the association still holds.
This strong relationship is sufficient for parents to prioritize happiness so also educators and medical professional as well as remembering the simple fact that we all love to be happy.
– HAPPINESS EQUATION
Of all of the instances that can be used to conduct the happiness equation, there is one excellent method that guarantees happiness; Gratitude
Offering gratitude increases happiness and life satisfaction. The following are a few ways of expressing gratitude
- Keep a record of the things you are grateful for
- Taking note and sharing with a friend, three good things that happen each day
- Express gratitude, even if it is not easy to do.
In a social experiment, the moods of participants were improved by the simple practice of gratitude and nothing down things they were grateful for.
– HOW TO BE HAPPY; STEPS TO TAKE TO MAKE YOU HAPPY
1. Find an optimistic viewpoint in a negative situation.
A simple but effective way to see things more positively is to ask more questions as much as possible.
When faced with a negative situation like encountering failure or making a mistake, I simply ask some simple questions:
- What one thing is positive about this situation
- Is there any opportunity in this situation?
These questions produce a better result than my former approach to adverse situations.
I would ask myself how much I made a mess of things and how much more I might mess up things again.
However, I don’t use these questions right away, and it takes a while to process feelings that develop. Forcing optimistic thinking during an emotional conflict mostly doesn’t work well, therefore, requires some time.
2. Cultivate and live in a positive environment.
Your outlook is hugely affected by your choice of who and what you spend time with or on. From people to TV or the Internet
It is essential to have influences that supports and uplifts oneself instead of downcasting in one’s life. Therefore, be careful with what whatever you accept into your mind.
Ask yourself
- Which three people do I spend time with and have a negative effect on me?
- Which 3 sources of information supply negative information that I feed on
Carefully evaluate your answers and cut down the time you spend with those sources of information or people.
In line with that, strategize how to convert the freed-up time with more positive people and sources of information.
3. Go slowly.
A hasty approach to getting things done messes things up for me rather than giving a clinical result. While trying to think fast, eat, talk or move around hastily, stress builds up negative thoughts bump in form everywhere about just anything, and my own personal energy reduces
Slowing down just for a few minutes even when it is forced simply by doing things at a slower pace calms the body down as well as the mind. Thinking becomes relatively more comfortable and optimistic perspectives come to mind easily.
4. Start your day in a positive way.
The beginning of your day sets the pace for how that day will go, so take caution as to how you spend your early mornings.
Kicking off at full speed with a lot of troubles in mind about the future, the mental stress and the perception of loss of power over one’s life, bad thoughts will easily creep in and build up.
Starting and moving slowly, on the other hand, with a positive conversation with a friend or family can make an enormous difference in how your whole day will go.