The Steps to Happiness

You may notice that some people are really happy and it’s not because of their genes or who they are as  a person, rather it is what they do with what they are given. Patty Onderko, in the magazine, Success, writes the article “The Science of Being Happy” this idea is argued. Being a cheerful and content person is relatively simple to achieve as long as you have a positive mindset and try to follow the steps this article provides you with.

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1. Stress is a challenge, not a threat. This idea is clearly outlined in the article for example, “worrying about whether you’re too stressed can be stressful in itself.” There are many distressing methods such as meditation or exercise, but these will only take you so far. In order to really live a happier life, you must face stress as a challenge and try your best to tackle it.
2. Think young. New studies have shown that people will perceive you as younger if you believe you look younger. People are so concerned with looking younger and staying young and according to this article, “Confidence in your appearance may actually make you better-looking.”
3. Have a positive mindset. At the end of the day you may dwell on that embarrassing moment or the bad luck you had that day, however it is proven that thinking about these things will make you an unhappy person. Instead, you should focus on the happy or enjoyable moments in your day and think about the good times instead of the bad. Having a positive mind will in turn make you happier. One way I do this in my own life is by thinking about the highs and lows of my day, instead of just looking at the lows.
4. Don’t ruminate. Ruminating is when you dwell on the past, mainly the bad moments in the past. In order to be happier people need to stop doing this and live in the moment instead.
5. Spend money. This may sound like the wrong thing to do, however if you spend money by giving to charity or buying presents, often times you will feel better. Another important thing to note is that, “One study found the cutoff to be $75,000; above that, more money didn’t make a difference in personal well-being.” Therefore, an excessive amount of money still can’t buy you happiness.
6. Find meaning. This is very important when finding overall happiness. If you focus on improving your strengths and what you have to offer the world and people around you, you will be happier.
7. Sing. As simple as it sounds, “Many studies suggest that singing—with others, in a choir, by yourself, in the shower, or in the car along to the radio—releases a slew of feel-good, pain-relieving, immunity-boosting chemicals in your body.”

Overall happiness is something that people can achieve no matter the circumstances. As many people have thought, money is not the single thing that grants people happiness, but rather the relationships, things you do, and the way you think contribute the most. It is important to look at people in different levels of society throughout the world and notice that people can be happy with many different circumstances.

In my next blog post I plan to explore what economists think about achieving happiness.