All in pursuit of happiness
We spend our lives in pursuit of happiness. When we lose it, we yearn to get it back. When we have it, we usually want more. But the search for happiness, and a desire for “more”, is often what creates the very thing we’re running from — unhappiness.
It can be easy to overlook what we already have. Sometimes we forget that the place we’re in, right now, is a former happiness goal that's been realised. Happiness can be found on a spectrum, and according to psychology, happiness is a state of mental and emotional wellbeing. It encompasses a range of positive feelings and emotions, from contentment to joy.
Though Western philosophy considers happiness to be more than an emotional state. It is connected to the way we live — to having a good life and flourishing. In eastern traditions, such as Buddhism, happiness is discussed in the context of mental and emotional pain. The art of happiness and, therefore, liberation, can be found in the awareness of suffering, and the ability to reduce or resolve it through understanding and training the mind.
Eastern philosophy views happiness as a state of being that transcends material desire, to realise the self, in all things. Understanding, therefore, comes through inner experience and embodiment, where you feel, see and know yourself as part of a greater whole.
A key aspect of realising happiness, as theologian and philosopher Paul Tillich would describe, comes through being in “the eternal now” — the still point from which everything, including happiness and suffering, arises and fades, moment to moment.
The science of happiness dates to the mid1900s and originated in the field of psychology. It has now grown to include neuroscientists, biologists, social scientists, nutritionists, human movement and behaviour specialists and other professionals. Research focuses on the causes of happiness and how we can create it, the biochemical and physiological effects of happiness, and the transformational qualities that happiness has in our lives.
Even though being happy isn’t directly correlated to our basic survival needs — we can be unhappy and still be alive — happiness has a significant impact on all aspects of our health. It can reduce the risk of premature death, suicide and illness, and improve the quality of our relationships and life.
When we are happy, our troubles fade. The world seems to glisten and glow, as though dripping with milk and honey. But intrinsic happiness can be hard to find sometimes and you have to engineer it. Reliable and scientifically proved happiness hacks include exercise, sleeping well, spending time outdoors, and practising gratitude.
Being around happy people, watching or listening to comedy, hugging and holding hands, and playing with children also increase positive emotions. A good book can bring you joy, too, especially when accompanied by a nice warm cuppa or a glass of earthy red, while cosied up by the fire (winter, here we come).
Eating your greens and indulging in dark chocolate, in moderation, have been found to increase happiness. Vegetables are packed with vitamins and nutrients that feed your brain and body, and improve vitality and mental functioning. And little morsels of dark choccy can help boost endorphins and serotonin — happy hormones.
Ticking items off your to-do list and learning something new, particularly if it’s a challenging nut to crack, also elicit a sense of happiness and satisfaction. And dancing and creativity are great happiness hacks, too. Happiness is all around, but it’s not an asset, destination or thing. It’s a state of being and a way of living. You can create it and curate it, right here and now. It doesn’t cost a thing.
This article was first published in The West Australian in Renée Gardiner’s weekly column in Agenda, 9 April 2022.