5 Positive Psychology Principles To Increase Your Happiness
Happiness can be hard to find in today’s society with mental health problems coming to the forefront and global issues affecting more and more people every day. Because of this, one major survey asked people if they were truly happy. In the United States, only around one-third said that they are truly happy…and that was taken before the COVID-19 pandemic. So what can we do to make ourselves happier? Here are five positive psychology principles that you can use to increase your happiness.
5. Love Yourself
Throughout your life, there are going to be people that you despise, people that you love, and people that you’re completely indifferent one. The one person that you must have an opinion on (and a good one at that) is yourself. This doesn’t mean you have to be a full on narcissist and think that you’re the best and smartest person in the world. It just means that you have to practice self love. Know your worth, realize that you deserve to love and to be loved, and that you’re beautiful both inside and out.
4. Do What You’re Good at and Love
Have you ever heard the old phrase, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life?” It’s a common saying because it’s true. Those that might focus their entire careers on something that they don’t love, but are very good at, might not find happiness in chasing money. While what you love doing might not pay the bills, it’s important to at least keep it as a hobby that you actively do to maintain your happiness. If something like accounting is a true passion of yours, though, then you really struck gold.
3. Get Out More
These days, it can be more and more difficult to meet new people and create relationships that last. Perhaps it’s because we’ve become too focused on the technology of our era, but real in-person relationships are still paramount. Technology has allowed us to keep living without stepping out of our comfort zone, but you should still be doing that on a near daily basis, according to psychologists. This helps to give you a real world view, and will boost your overall happiness as you develop friendships.
2. Always a Silver Lining
Bad things are going to happen in life, and there’s zero way of avoiding that. How you deal with these things happening, though, is what can define your happiness. No matter what this negative change in your life is, it’s important to find a silver lining and make the most of the situation. “Even sorrow has its silver lining, as the emotion that pours forth reminds us of our capacity to love, and to be loved,” wrote “Finding Fatherhood” author Rob Kozak.
1. Remember What Makes You Happy
The famous saying from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” says that “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it,” and that’s absolutely true. Every day, try to think about the things that make you happy. Write it down in a journal, say it in the mirror, it doesn’t matter, just make sure that your feelings are expressed, starting with “I’m happy today because…”