Knowing what makes you happy seems like one of the most basic questions we should know the answer to. After all, the underlying reason of all desires is the reason to be happy. We want to become richer, skinnier, more accomplished, and more popular because we think it’ll make us happier.
But will it, really? Maybe so, but it isn’t a fact. Wipe clean your slate of preconceived notions of what it means to be happy. Let’s find out together how you can discover what will really make you happy in life.
Ever wondered how less fortunate people can sometimes be happier? It may have something to do with their way of thinking.
Your internal dialogue is made up of your thoughts. It’s always running in the background, whether you pay attention to it or not.
Have you ever paid attention to your internal dialogue? If you’re prone to negative thinking, it can be very mean and toxic. You say things to yourself that you would never say to anyone else. No wonder that doesn’t make you happy!
Cognitive behavioral therapists propose that the way you interpret life events is crucial for your happiness. If bad occurrences happen in your environment, they only become stressful and anxiety-inducing once you discover, process, and put a label on them. What you think and do affects the way you feel. Nothing about them actually changed in the real world; just your perception.
By trying to think more positively, you will actually feel happier as a result. Practice paying attention to your internal dialogue and actively change it when you catch yourself thinking negatively. With time and practice, your internal dialogue will naturally become more positive.
You’ll notice a real shift in your mood when you aren’t beating yourself up all the time in your head! This CBT technique is also useful for individuals with anxiety and depression, but everyone can benefit from it.
Finding a job that’s both financially and personally fulfilling feels like it’s as likely as winning the lottery. But even if you haven’t hit the career jackpot, you can take things into your own hands to find your happy job.
You spend a good chunk of your day at work. This is why for most of our younger years, we’re thinking, “I need to go to a good college, so I don’t have to worry about money later in life”. According to the tips found on prep my career, it’s important to focus on the achievements in your life that you are the proudest of. Kids really feel the pressure to succeed in life, and it causes them to be depressed if they “miss their window of opportunity.”
You may have a dead-end job or your dream job and still be unhappy. How can you change that?
One of the most important aspects of work is doing something that’s meaningful to you. You don’t have to cure cancer or solve world hunger to feel like you’re doing fulfilling work.
If you provide a useful service or product to people, that is meaningful work. As much as people like to feel superior to fast food workers, they wouldn’t be able to get their lunch without them either.
If you feel like it’s too much of a stretch to convince yourself that your job is meaningful, pursue that purpose. It’s not as simple as just quitting your job. You still have bills to pay, after all. But you can take steps towards it.
Find out what kind of work you consider to be meaningful. Then, you can look for job posts you’re qualified for, take courses to become more qualified, or simply take the plunge and apply for an interview.
You can experience happiness and not know where it’s coming from. But it’s in your best interest to know. This is why you should take a more clinical approach to discover what makes you happy.
Other than bettering yourself and your environment, what else can you do to make you happy? Preferably a little easier to achieve than getting your dream job or becoming a more positive person.
Happiness is often found in the little things in life. Certain insignificant, everyday activities can boost your happiness by a lot, so why not do some self-reflection as to why?
Whenever you feel happy during the day, take a moment to be conscious of what you’re doing. Then, find a second to open your notes app or scribble on a piece of paper whatever it is that you’re doing.
After that, go back to this note later when you have the time, and analyze it. Why were you happy at this moment? Make a list of possible reasons. Actually do it; it’s both fun and eye-opening exercise.
For example, I like making art in my free time. This can be for several reasons. I like to do things with my hands. I feel like it’s a peaceful activity, and the scratch of a pencil against paper or stylus against a tablet is good background noise.
I like that it gives me something to occupy my mind with, even when I’m alone. It feels satisfying to look at the final product, which I created myself. It feels good to look back on how much I’ve improved. I like showing my art to people and participating in the art community.
These are all reasons why this single activity makes me happy. Once you do this for your own hobbies or favorite activities, you can take these reasons and see if they apply to other things.
This is how you find even more things that will make you happy. In the end, knowing what makes you happy in everyday life is an invaluable lesson that will help you keep your head up even in the darkest times.
Happiness is proven to improve our physical health and quality of life. But happiness is not a fixed concept. Things that may make other people happy may not make you happy, or they might!
Happiness also isn’t something that happens to you. You can pursue and grasp it yourself. With a little self-reflection, planning, and hard work, you’ll be able to find your own happiness in life.
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