What is happiness? It seems like we keep on asking this question and will never find a definite answer. Do we need to define what happiness is? What makes us happy? Is happiness different for everyone?
According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, happiness is “a state of well-being and contentment”. Thus, happiness is not a stable but changeable state when an individual feels pleasure. Let’s try to dive deep into scientific studies of how happiness can be defined.
Though you can find various definitions of happiness in dictionaries, it isn’t easy to define happiness scientifically. It’s worth noting that happiness is actively researched in positive psychology. In 2005 researchers Chu Kim-Prieto, Ed Diener, and their colleagues suggested the three approaches to happiness below:
- Happiness as a global assessment of life and all its facets.
- Happiness as a recollection of past emotional experiences.
- Happiness as an aggregation of multiple emotional reactions across time.
All the approaches above describe the things connected with happiness. It seems that happy people tend to be satisfied with life and feel positive emotions, whether in the past or present.
Personal happiness is created by many factors that allow people to be satisfied with their lives. Some of the basic factors that can contribute to a happy life are:
- Personal income.
- Career.
- Physical health.
- Family relationships.
- Social relationships.
- Positive emotions.
They say that happiness is unique for every person. Indeed, there’s no universal recipe for happiness, as we are all built differently and have different values. All of the factors mentioned above may be relevant for different people, in various levels of importance.
Barriers to happiness: what prevents people from being happy?
Sometimes people can’t reach happiness and harmony in their lives. It seems like certain barriers stop them from being happy and they succumb to it without attempting to make changes.
Happiness is mostly based on an individual’s behavior and attitude towards themselves and the outside world. Below you’ll find the situations that often prevent people from being happy:
- Unrealistic expectations.
- Comparing ourselves to others.
- Lack of gratitude for what they have.
- Focusing on negative thoughts.
- Fears.
- No free time to relax.
- Worrying about what others think.
- Only talking but not taking any action.
- Negative inner dialogue with themselves.
Can people learn how to be happy? I’ll state with confidence that the answer is YES!
First, to improve your overall happiness, the most effective method is to look at the list of factors that can contribute to happiness and improve the quality of your experiences in each one of them. It sounds as sure as an egg is an egg, but it’s not an easy deal.
Can people learn to be happy on their own? You would hope this is the case and sometimes it is, but other times people need a push.
What is a happiness coach?
A happiness coach isn’t just a certified specialist, but a guide and a support system that will accompany you while discovering the sources of your true happiness. A coach will help you build inner happiness by providing supportive dialogue and coaching exercises to assess what gets you going and inspires you to live your best life.
By asking supportive questions, a coach helps you identify what really makes you happy and finds your personal joy. By defining your sources of happiness, you’ll be able to improve your quality of life so that you can achieve harmony.
Is that all that a happiness coach does for their clients? The answer is NO. It’s impossible to be happy without changing your behavior and personal attitude towards your life. Your mindset is everything. We will dig into your mindset and see if that is the block shutting out your true joy.
Coaching clients often hire happiness coaches thinking that altering specific aspects of their life will do the trick like improving family relationships, productivity, getting a better work-life balance, career, etc. These of course are all important components to happiness, but the truth is you can have money, marriage, kids, the “whole package” and still not be happy because something inside is blocking your joy.
How can Happiness coaching help?
Happiness coaching can greatly enhance your life. We have one life to live on this earth so why waste precious time feeling down, when you can enjoy everything life has to offer! Here are some ways happiness coaching can enhance your life:
- Better personal relationships with family and friends.
- A greater sense of self.
- A better lifestyle outlook.
- Better physical and mental health.
- More excitement and variety into your life.
- An inner calmness in knowing you’re satisfied.
If you feel like your life isn’t fulfilled with happiness, let a happiness coach help you bring joy to your life!
