8 tips for every day for those who want to be happy (part 2)

In the first part of the material, we started talking about what kind of thinking is characteristic of lucky people , and what can be done to classify ourselves as well. We propose to continue this conversation!

5) Life is a game, like work

Studies show that the lucky ones have goals.
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Excerpt from "The Construction of Happiness: A New Approach to Creating a Happy Life" ^★ :

In his research, psychologist Jonathan Friedman argued that people with the ability to set goals, both short-term and long-term, are happier. Neurologist at the University of Wisconsin, Richard Davidson, found that working to achieve a goal and to become aware of his goal, not only gives positive emotions, but also suppresses negative ones, such as fear and depression.

Many of us believe that work is something boring or irritable, but research shows that many are actually happier at work than at home. Why it happens?

Problems. We reach the state of "movement" only when there is a problem . So how can work make us happier?

Three councils of researchers:

1. Do what you are good at, as far as possible. We are happy when we show our strengths.
2. Take notes on your achievements. Nothing is more motivating than progress.
3. Observe the results of your work. This will give meaning to any activity.

Enough work. You have some free time. But how to use your free time to feel happier ?

6) Meet up with friends

Do you make mandatory business meetings, and spend time with friends only if it works? Absurd.

One study suggests that 70% of happiness depends on relationships with other people.

Excerpt from "100 simple secrets of happy people" ^★ :

Contrary to the generally accepted opinion that happiness is difficult to explain, or that it depends on the presence of great wealth, the researchers identified the main factors of a happy life. The main components are the number of friends, the proximity of friends, the proximity of family and relationships with colleagues and neighbors. Together, these characteristics account for about 70 percent of personal happiness. - Murray and Peacock 1996

Why does the church make people happy? Studies show that this moment has nothing to do with religion - it’s about socialization. This is a scheduled time for friends.

Excerpt from “Secrets of happy families: improve your morning, rethink family dinner, fight, go out and play, and much more.” ^★ :

After studying the studies of more than three thousand adults, Cheyun Lin and Robert Putnam found that just what religion you practice or how close you feel to God does not matter for your overall satisfaction with life.

What matters is how many friends you have in a religious community. If you have 10 friends, consider yourself happy. In other words, religious people feel happier because they feel connected to a community of like-minded people.

If you have cash, pay for dinner with a friend. Money can definitely make you happier when you spend it on other people.

Excerpt from “Happy Money: The Science of Reasonable Spending” ^★ :

By the end of the day, people who spent money on others were noticeably happier than those who spent money on themselves, although there were no differences between the groups at the beginning of the day.

And it turns out that the amount of money that people found in envelopes - $ 5 or $ 20 - had no effect on their level of happiness at the end of the day. The way people spent money was much more important than their amount.

A Harvard University professor and author of Happy Money: The Science of Reasonable Spending, Michael Norton, explains in an interview :

No money for this? No problems. Pay in turn. Duke University professor Dan Ariely says that it brings more happiness than when you always pay in half.

What else do happy people have in common? They cope with trouble. So what should be done when hard times come?

7) Do not lose the meaning of life in difficult times

Studies show that a happy life and a meaningful life are not always the same.

It’s hard to be happy when tragedy happens. But who lives longer and better after overcoming problems? Those who find positive aspects in their struggle.

Excerpt from "The Secret of Happiness" ^★ :

One study surveyed men who had a heart attack between the ages of thirty and sixty. Those who found something positive in this event within seven weeks after it happened, for example, considering that as a result, they matured and became more hardened, overestimated family life, decided to create a less stressful schedule for themselves, less often provoked relapses and most often were healthy eight years later. In contrast, the health of those who blamed other people for having a heart attack or their own emotions (for example, stress) was worse.

So in many ways Nietzsche was right: that which does not kill us makes us stronger.
Excerpt from “Prosperity: A New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being” ^★ :

A significant number of people show severe depression and anxiety, having survived difficult times, often to the level of PTSD, but then they recover. Ultimately, they turn out to be more psychologically stable than they were before ... A month later, 1,700 people reported at least one tragedy in their lives, and they also passed our tests. To our surprise, people who experienced one terrible event turned out to be stronger (and, therefore, more prosperous) than those who did not encounter one. Those who had to endure two terrible incidents were stronger than the first. And participants who went through three situations: were raped, tortured or held captive, for example, were stronger than those who survived two.

Therefore, when you face adversity, always ask yourself what you can learn during this time.
Do you understand? I took a list of eight priorities of the lucky ones and squeezed it to seven habits. Do not thank.
Calculate the stimulants of happiness.

Let's sum up

If you want to be happy every day, try to include these seven points in your schedule:

1. When you wake up, say OBB!
2. Enjoy your morning coffee.
3. Sweat on the road to happiness.
4. Provide a 5-minute service.
5. Make work a game.
6. Make appointments with friends.
7. Do not lose the meaning of life in difficult times .

We all believe that happiness is the most important thing ... and then we plan everything, except for what makes us happy. It is so?

So what will make you happy today? Have you thought about it? Is it on your schedule?

Studying information about happiness is useless if you do not use it and you will not use it until it becomes part of your daily life.

If happiness is the most important thing, then make it that way.

PS We recommend another article on the topic - Why great achievements will not make you happier (and what to do about it!) .

Translated by Vyacheslav Davidenko, founder of MBA Consult .