Take Control of Your Happiness
During this crazy time of COVID-19, I’m spent lots of time worrying about our health, our business, our country and economy. However, I’m starting to see a big concern is our general well-being. How is our mental health holding up? When exploring this further, I began to realize we have had declining levels of happiness for some time. We disagree with our neighbors on politics, we’re not fulfilled in our jobs, our latest gadget was cool for a bit, but no longer interests me. What can we do to work on our overall happiness?
I know happiness will always be a bit of a rollercoaster. We’ll have ups and downs and our emotions will ebb and flow, but we can make efforts to improve our overall happiness. This starts with setting better goals and a healthier focus on the future. To do this we need to evaluate where we are today. Are we busy enough or spending too much time dwelling on things we can’t control? Are we too busy, where we’re overwhelmed my life and our day to day responsibilities? Does your life leave you fulfilled or do you have an impact on the world? Knowing where you’re at will help guide you forward.
So where do you want to go? What do you want from life? A better job, a happier relationship, more money, a nicer car or home. What will bring you happiness? Will any of those things? The answer is probably Yes, but only for a little while. We are a society that gets bored and used to things. Once we get comfortable with something we lose interest and that lowers our happiness levels. This is especially true with material things. Here’s a quote for psychologist Dan Gilbert, “Part of us believes the new car is better because it lasts longer. But in fact that’s the worst thing about the new car. It will stay around to disappoint you. A new car sticks around to disappoint you, but a trip to Europe is over. It evaporates. It has the good sense to go away and you are left with nothing but a wonderful memory.”
Most of us would say we prefer experiences over material things. That’s great, but it doesn’t stop us from wanting material things. The desire is even that much stronger in the world of social media. With all your friends posting their latest greatest cannot help but lead you to want more stuff. These comparisons or reference points lead us to never be satisfied or fully fulfilled. So keep your eyes on experiences big and little when planning for your future and setting goals. Your experiences could be new hikes or try new ice cream spots or even create a regular date/family night to plan and look forward too.
Then when you’re in these experiences, truly savor them. Enjoy the scenery around you on that hike; enjoy the delicious creaminess of that ice cream and the laughs on your night in or out. Do not multitask during these experiences. Be in the moment and try to enjoy. Do not let the frustrations from yesterday bum you out or the fears for tomorrow overwhelm you with anxiety. Enjoy the moment and be grateful for the opportunity to savor. Be grateful for where you are right now, how far you come and be excited about the journey ahead.
Best of Success! Andrea
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