“How To Be Happier”
Over 49,000 people in the UK alone search for the phrase “How to be happier” each month. The pages upon pages of websites answering this question with “quick fixes” are in their hundreds, if not more.
Although no one can give you a definite answer, it can be easier to break down the question further. You could ask yourself:
- What does happiness mean to me?
- What makes me particularly unhappy?
- When I say I’m not happy, what emotions am I experiencing? Am I anxious or worried? Am I overwhelmed or lonely?
What is happiness?
Happiness is entirely subjective and differs from person to person. It ranges from contentment to extreme joy and elation. Happiness is a feeling that we all crave, but it’s not realistic to feel constantly happy as life can have it’s ups and downs. Sometimes, we do encounter experiences which give us negative feelings, and other times, we might just feel neutral. This is completely normal.
It’s easier to understand happiness when you know what you’re looking for. Often, it’s described as feeling mostly positive on a daily basis and life satisfaction plays a large part in this. If you are stable in life and feel as though you are making progress towards your perception of success, you’re more likely to feel genuinely happy.
Top tip: Ask yourself which parts of your life you appreciate. It could be your children learning new words each day, or finding your job meaningful. There really is no right answer. Now, consider how those parts of your life make you feel, name the emotions. Are you proud? Fulfilled? Looking forward to the future? Concentrate on these positives – happiness doesn’t need to come in the form of a lottery win, which is why acknowledging and appreciating what you do have is so vital.
What’s getting in the way of your happiness?
You might prefer to look at what obstacles are in your way and make small improvements here and there. You might be surprised by how much difference small changes can make.
If you’re feeling lonely, you could try going for a walk each day. You’re likely to see plenty of people on your travels and even wishing them a ‘good morning’ with a smile can lift your mood. If you wanted to go one step further, you could look into volunteering opportunities. Many charities are crying out for volunteers to spend time with elderly people in their own homes or you could join a team of volunteers working in the community. Human interaction is vital for happiness (in most of our cases, anyway!).
What if the way I feel goes beyond unhappiness?
If you very rarely feel happy and are unable to find glimmers of happiness in your life, you may be suffering from depression or another mental health condition. If this is the case, the answers to ‘How to be happier’ won’t be as easy to find. There is no shame in asking for support, however, if this is the case. Firstly, speak to your GP, they may offer talking therapies or medication. Other treatments, such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), are available however.
To find out more about TMS treatment, contact the Smart TMS team.