Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Close Banner
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

The Only 4 Habits You Need For True, Enduring Happiness (According To Science)

Francesca Vazquez, PsyD
Author:
August 24, 2016
Francesca Vazquez, PsyD
Certified yoga instructor
Photo by Stocksy
August 24, 2016

Positive psychology is part of the newest wave of psychology. Instead of focusing on why so many people suffer from depression, what causes anxiety, or how many veterans suffer from PTSD, it focuses on how successful people reach their peak, how the happiest people became happy, how to feel our best at work, etc. Positive psychology has paved the way for research on happiness and life satisfaction, giving us the tools to become the best versions of ourselves and not just content with life but ecstatic.

Up until recently, for every 100 articles on clinical pathology such as depression and anxiety, there was only one article on happiness. That has changed in the past 20 years, as scientists such as Martin Seligman have deviated from the norm in psychology. They have asked themselves a key question: What if instead of treating illness or negative emotions when they arise, we focus on preventing those negative emotions from ever coming up in the first place?

Typically, when a person seeks psychological treatment their symptoms are almost unbearable. This makes the problem that much harder to solve. As a health psychologist working within the positive psychology framework, I suggest incorporating preventive techniques and positive psychology coaching into our lives. As we do so, we will build on our strengths instead of weaknesses and increase resilience and our ability to deal with adversity and negative emotions.

Our goal is to achieve enduring happiness. Research has shown that if we engage in these four techniques daily, we will be more likely to achieve it and become more satisfied with our lives:

1. Find your "flow."

Find an activity (or activities) in which you experience what is known as "flow." "Flow" can be defined as a state where time stops and you feel completely submerged in the present moment through activities that you very much enjoy. Activities that create "flow" include dancing, rock-climbing, art, coloring, sports, running, good conversations — anything that fully engages us, blocking self-consciousness, thoughts, and even emotions. During "flow," our skills match the challenge and we become in touch with our strengths.

2. Engage in random acts of kindness.

Research in positive psychology has found that an act of kindness can generate a greater amount of joy than a fun, pleasurable activity. A fun, pleasurable activity (like shopping) will produce momentary happiness but never enduring. Try to engage in at least one random act of kindness a day to increase your chances for lasting happiness.

3. Practice mindfulness meditation.

We must be completely submerged in the present moment to experience enduring happiness. By meditating for as little as five minutes a day, we are training our brains to be more present rather than jumping from past events to future events. Practicing mindfulness meditation is simply bringing all our awareness to what is happening in the now, be it our yoga practice, our breath, a focus point, or our outdoor run.

4. Be grateful.

Gratitude exercises are interventions used in positive psychology and have been found to amplify the appreciation of good events and ultimately, rewire our brains to become more optimistic and even transform bad memories into good ones. It is possible to increase positive emotions of the past by increasing our gratitude and by discontinuing to overemphasize the bad events.

Some gratitude-increasing exercises you can try include setting a time each night to write five things you are grateful for — it can be either in the last 24 hours or the last 24 years of your life — or journaling about three good things that happened during the day. Through these exercises, many have noticed increased levels of happiness after just two weeks of practice.

Related reads:

If you reside in Miami (or nearby), you may enjoy Ease to Wellness’s urban retreats and events that focus on bringing positive psychology interventions as well as nutrition to the public. Our next retreat, the Happiness Retreat, is an all-day event on August 28, 2016. For tickets and more information visit www.easetowellness.com/events.

Watch Next

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

Watch Next

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

What Is Meditation?

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Light Watkins

Box Breathing

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

What Breathwork Can Address

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance

Nutrition | Rich Roll

What to Eat Before a Workout

Nutrition | Rich Roll

How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life

Nutrition | Sahara Rose

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Love Languages

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Related Videos (10)

What Is Meditation?

Box Breathing

What Breathwork Can Address

The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance

What to Eat Before a Workout

How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love Languages

Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

More On This Topic

more Mindfulness
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.