What is happiness? Happiness is a complex emotional state, a sense of contentment and well-being that colors our perception of the world. It's the feeling you get when you experience something positive, accomplish a goal, or simply spend time doing something you love. But more than just fleeting pleasures, happiness is a deep-seated sense of fulfillment and purpose that fuels our mental and emotional health.
Feeling happiness from the inside is essential to achieving real mental peace. In this blog, we’ll explore how happiness can be really helpful for our well-being.
Happiness and mental stability have a correlation that many people overlook. It's only sometimes the case that people with the best resources are always happy. Even though materialistic gains can help individuals live comfortable lives, mental peace is never guaranteed.
The True Meaning of Happiness
Happiness can be when you buy a new car or it can be the feeling you experience when you hug your mother.But have you ever thought that how the happiness you experience buying the new car fades with every passing day and one day it just starts to feel normal. Whereas, the happiness you experience hugging your mother always elicits the same feeling not less not more. Now you must be wondering what? But why? Does that happen? There is a simple concept of pleasure and happiness to explain it all.
Anything on this earth that gives us happiness for a brief period is termed as pleasure. Pleasure can be understood as a bliss pocket. To the contrary, happiness is the ultimate bliss, the calm that one always feels. When talked in a spiritual sense happiness is termed as achieving Nirvana or Moksha and the materialistic gains of getting a new car or joining a new job are termed as pleasures.
Happiness and Intelligence
A study by Diener et al. (2010) found a link between intelligence and happiness. People with lower IQs (70-99) reported being less happy than those with higher IQs (120-129). However, the study also showed how other factors played a role. Still being happy accounted for 50% of it.
In another research conducted on monks it was seen that monks had more ridges in the brain as compared to a normal human brain.The valleys and the mountains in the brain are called the gyrus and sulcus which are said to be associated with intelligence. Explaining further how intelligence and self control are further associated with the concept of achieving happiness.
The Perks of Happiness
The things that make you happy can differ from individual to individual, but its effect on a person's mind is always the same. Happiness boosts serotonin and oxytocin, also known as happy hormones, that make us feel good about ourselves and help us cope with stress. But generally, happiness comes from a sense of purpose or the achievement of a goal. Let’s see what kinds of benefits happiness has:
- Mental Health Benefits: Happiness strengthens our mental resilience. It helps us in getting a positive outlook on life, even during difficult times. People who experience higher levels of happiness are less susceptible to anxiety and depression. They're also better equipped to cope with stress, thanks in part to the calming effects of happy hormones. Happiness creates a sense of self-worth and purpose, which are essential for emotional well-being.
- Physiological Benefits: There are also physiological benefits of happiness. Studies have shown a link between happiness and physical health. Happy individuals tend to have stronger immune systems and are less likely to develop chronic diseases. Additionally, research suggests that happy people even live longer.
- Emotional Regulation: Emotional regulation is essential to achieve mental stability and happiness in an individual. The ability to deal with sudden trauma like rejection, breakup, a failed marriage, or the death of a loved one is an essential trait for a person. These events can make anyone feel sad and miserable, but it's necessary to get out of them as soon as you get in. The way to do this is to practice coping mechanisms and develop ways to regulate your emotions. Finding happiness can be a good coping mechanism.
The Correlation of Happiness and Mental Stability
According to research, pleasure can significantly predict mental stability. In other words, those who report higher levels of happiness typically experience better outcomes in terms of their mental health, such as reduced levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Conversely, people who experience mental health problems frequently express lower enjoyment and life satisfaction levels.
Many psychological theories can explain how happiness and mental stability are related. The broaden-and-build hypothesis of good emotions is one such theory. It contends that positive feelings like happiness extend our thoughts and behaviors, gradually allowing us to accumulate resources and resilience. Put another way, we are more inclined to act in ways that promote personal growth and development when we feel well, like seeking out new experiences or fostering relationships. These beneficial encounters and assets have the potential to make us more mentally strong and resilient over time. Positive psychology can thwart emotions such as worry or despair and help an individual cope with stress and other mental disorders. Also, a mentally stable person can deal with unpleasant circumstances like losing a job or having a problematic relationship without suffering severe emotional disruptions.
A Word from Solh
Happiness has many benefits, but it is also important to remember that it is not a state that you can be in constantly. There are a range of emotions in the human experience, and this is just one of them. Your goal should not be to always be happy, but you can take certain steps to increase your happiness. Embrace all emotions equally.
Conclusion
Happiness is within all of us, you need to figure out how to reach it. Solh can help. Explore our tools and solutions that can help you get closer to happiness.
- Mood Meter - Allows you to track emotions daily and provides reports so you can see what makes you happy.
- Self-Assessment - Our self-assessment tests for happiness, optimism, and other related topics can help you determine your current happiness level and give you important tips.
- Goal Setting- Our goal-setting feature can help you be mindful of working everyday towards happiness. You can set a daily/weekly goal to do something that makes you happy.
- Connect with Community- Humans are social creatures. Strong social connections are essential for well-being. Our support groups can help you connect with a community similar to your needs.
- Talk to Professionals- Sometimes, navigating the path to happiness requires guidance. Don't hesitate to seek help from a therapist or counselor. Solh offers a "Talk Now" feature for immediate support during overwhelming moments.
Download the Solh app today!
