What makes you really happy?

Have you ever wondered what makes you really happy?

The bank account? Good health? A lesser amount of clothes? Your child's success? Many people think they need some objects to be happy and that happiness will come when they reach their goals. The French poet Guillaume Apollinaire said, "From time to time, it's good to stop looking for happiness and simply be happy." Perhaps you should also take a break and reflect on the remarks below. It may change the way  you perceive happiness!

1. Temperature influences happiness

People tend to associate happiness with the hot summer days spent by the seaside. Most likely, this association is inherited from childhood when summer meant holiday and fun. Scientists say it's not the hot weather that makes you happy. On the contrary, the ideal temperature for happiness is 13.8 degrees Celsius (sic!). So, let's enjoy the autumn!

2. Egoistic effort to find happiness makes you less happy

Paradoxically, the more you try to be happy, the sadder you will be. A recent study advances the idea that capitalizing on happiness is a worthless move! And that's because people who strive to evaluate their happiness are often disappointed.

Then, what is the solution? The answer might surprise you. When you are concerned about the happiness of others, you become happy yourself. Modern psychological studies and the Dalai Lama itself claim that people who engage in regular volunteer activities or who help others in one way or another are more self-reliant and achieve a higher degree of life satisfaction.

 3. Elders are happier

Another recent study shows that a person becomes happier after the age of 50. Researchers have failed to explain the exact cause of this phenomenon. Some argue that the elderly would be less stressed and worried than young people, age of 20-30. Others say that old age brings wisdom and, automatically, happiness. Well, that can be argued in many cases… We can do some reverse engineering, and become wise while we are young, so that we can be happy now.

4. Happiness is contagious due to the occult resonance process that triggers around

You can spread happiness yourself or you can “take” it from the people around you. Researchers have found that their own happiness is somewhat dependent on the happiness of their entourage. If a friend of yours is happy, also your happiness increases by 15%. Unhappiness is also contagious, but at a lower level. And that's because we're all interconnected. Choose the company of happy people if you want more happiness.

5. Money can buy happiness

To some extent, what's right. Michigan University specialists in the United States have found that the level of happiness from a higher income has no limits. At the same time, the findings of the Americans are opposed to previous studies, which argued that middle class representatives, once they succeed in advancing on the hierarchical scale and gaining more money, do not become happier.

Here are two key questions: Happy people produce more money? Or money is that which makes people happier? One thing is certain: people with a good mood and a positive attitude have more chances of success and professional advancement than those who think in a bad way. In any case, it is hard to imagine that someone can be sad on a personal yacht.

6. Sincere smiles have the gift of making you happier

When you are in a bad mood, it is quite annoying to hear the others telling you to smile. And yet, they know what they know. Specialty studies have shown that smiles, even when they are forced, improve your mood and make you feel happier.

Psychologists claim that emotions can be regulated by facial expressions. They have noted over many years of research that people who mimic expressions of fear or terror experienced an increase in heart rate and skin temperature. On the other hand, people who have displayed happy, harmonious facial expressions have benefited from a good transformation of mood. Also, viewing your own reflection in the mirror had an even greater impact on the emotional state. Conclusion: If you want to feel happier, you only need to smile in the mirror.

7. Moments of elevated, sublime nostalgia improve your mood

Watching a resume of your favorite show or movie, re-listening to a song from your youth or watching old photos, all these actions have a beneficial impact on your mood and well-being. If you feel alone, try to find a movie or series that you liked, or enjoy a meal that reminds you of the beautiful times of childhood or adolescence.

8. Great events do not matter as much as you think

Many people make great efforts to fulfill their bravest wishes or spend a long time waiting for important events, but it turns out that the happiness of buying a home or winning a lottery is, for example, temporary. An interesting study compared the level of happiness felt by two categories of people, apparently at extremes: lottery winners and people who became paralyzed after accidents. Obviously, there were important differences at the beginning of the study, but a year later it turned out that paraplegics were just as happy as those who had won the lottery.

Therefore, if you think you will be happier loosing 10 kg or when your child will come home with highest grades to the math thesis, you must be aware that it is a temporary happiness. The most important thing is to feel good in your own skin and to be grateful for what you have.

"Happiness is not something made, it comes from your deeds," teaches the Dalai Lama.

Here you have it in video format!

I wish you do every day something which makes you really happy!

Georgiana

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