Learning to be happy
50 ideas you really need to know psychology, Adrian Furnham
There are many simple things people can do to increase their happiness. The first is not to confuse success with happiness. The next is to take control over their lives and schedules. It has been found that if you act happy (smile, express optimism, be outgoing) it make others react to you differently and you actually feel happy. Finding work and leisure activities that really engage your skills and passions help a great deal. Having regular exercise, sleeping and eating well help keep up a good mood. Investing time and care in relationships is a very important feature of happiness. Affirming others, helping others and regularly expressing gratitude for life increases happiness, as does having a sense of purpose and hope that may be bet described as faith. Check out the following list learning to be happy:
- Wisdom and knowledge – creativity, curiosity, open mindedness, love of leaning, perspective.
- Courage – bravery, persistence, integrity, vitality.
- Humanity – love, kindness, social intelligence.
- Justice – citizenship, fairness, leadership.
- Temperance – forgiveness and mercy, humility and modesty, prudence, self-regulation.
- Transcendence – appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, humor, spirituality. (Furuham, 2012)