How to increase the Quotient of Happiness in Our Lives
- bey0ndM@gz!ne
- February 1, 2021
- Default, Health-Wellness
- 0 Comments
Let’s take a few minutes to talk about happiness this month, to contrast all the emotions of fear, anger, and helplessness that have been floating around due to the current global situation.
Happiness, just like any other emotion, is a transient experience of life. This means that it’s not a permanent state of being; in fact all emotions have a beginning, middle and end, which is why we call them “energy-in-motion”. In this sense, when people say that their goal is to be ‘happy’ all the time, if they are talking about the emotion, this is not possible because the nature of emotions is to pass through us like waves. If they are referring to a state of peace, we can achieve this by accepting and allowing all emotions to move through us.
However, because most people think it’s possible to cling to emotions, happiness has become that one emotion that people crave for most, believing it’s possible to “always be happy”. In light of this, I’d like to offer two takeaways:
- The best way to look at happiness is to embrace it when it comes, and to experience it to the fullest, with an awareness that it is a moving energy that will eventually evolve into something else.
Peace is a state of mind that we can have permanent access to, while happiness is something we can welcome and watch as it ebbs and flows. - The secret to having more experiences of happiness in our lives can be summarised in a formula that entails what we need to do in order to increase the frequency of the emotion.
The Happiness Formula
Our body releases four types of happy hormones:
- Endorphins are produced through movement; when you are doing what you enjoy. Your body produces endorphins when exercising, playing an instrument you love, dancing, or having a hearty laugh.
- Dopamine gets produced when you feel a sense of accomplishment and achievement. This could derive from the simplest of things, such as ticking off tasks from your ‘to do’ list, as well as when receiving awards and
accolades. - Oxytocin is generated from feeling a sense of connection in your relationship with other beings. Many people think this refers solely to humans, however, it could also be connecting with your pets, plants, or any aspect of nature that is ‘alive’. When I ask people to tell me their happiest moments, many will tell me of a time when they felt a sense of connection while being with another person or whilst being with nature.
- Serotonin is produced when you give to others and feel a sense of contribution. We all naturally feel good being altruistic when we give to our loved ones, or make a difference in the world in some way. This could be a loving touch, gift or merely offering support to another individual.
Simply put, happiness is derived from getting your body moving with exercise, cultivating meaningful relationships and having a system in place where you can acknowledge yourself and contribute back to our planet and society. Wishing you an abundance of happiness, and a peaceful start to the new year.
