2010年8月29日星期日

Do you want to happy?

Note: Cross posted from sbmzhcn.

Permalink: http://sbmzhcn.appspot.com/2010/08/29/216004.html

imageSo happiness - isn't that the thing that all of us strive to find and keep? Nobody is happy all of the time, but some people are definitely more fulfilled than others. Studies on what makes people happy reveal that it doesn't have much to do with material goods or high achievement; it seems to whittle down to your outlook on life, and the quality of your relationships with the people around you.To be happy you should know what to love and how much.

how to happy

1、Be optimistic. In the 1970s, researchers followed people who'd won the lottery and found that a year after they'd hit the jackpot, they were no happier than the people who didn't. They called it hedonic adaptation, which suggests that we each have a baseline level of happiness. No matter what happens, good or bad, the effect on our happiness is only temporary and we tend to rebound to our baseline level. Some people have a higher baseline happiness level than others, and that can be attributed in part to genetics, but it's also largely influenced by how you think. So while the remainder of this article will help boost your happiness, only improving your attitude towards life will increase your happiness permanently. Here are some excellent starting points for doing that:

Tal Ben-Shahar Speaks

Harvard "Happiness Professor" Available To Speak at Your Event

2、Follow your gut. In one study, two groups of people were asked to pick out a poster to take home. One group was asked to analyze their decision carefully, weighing the pros and cons, and the other group was told to listen to their gut. Two weeks later, the group that followed their gut was happier with their posters than the group that analyzed their decisions. Now, some of our decisions are more crucial than picking out posters, but by the time you're poring over your choice, the options you're weighing are probably very similar, and the difference will only temporarily affect your happiness. So next time you have a decision to make, and you're down to two or three options, just pick the one that feels right, and go with it.

3、Make enough money to meet your basic needs: food, shelter, and clothing. In the US, that magic number is $40,000 a year. Any money you make beyond that will have negligible effects on your happiness. Remember the lottery winners mentioned earlier? Oodles of money didn't make them any happier, and it won't make you any happier. Once you make enough money to support your basic needs, your happiness is not significantly affected by how much money you make, but by your level of optimism.

4、Stay close to friends and family. Or move to where other members are- so you can see them more. We live in a mobile society, where people follow jobs around the country and sometimes around the world. We do this because we think increases in salary will make us happier, but the fact is that our relationships with our friends and family have a far greater impact on our happiness than our jobs do. So next time you think about relocating, consider that you'd need a salary increase of over $100,000 USD to compensate for the loss of happiness you'd have from moving away from your friends and family. But if your relationships with your family and friends are unhealthy or nonexistent, and you are bent on moving, choose a location where you'll be making about the same amount of money as everyone else; according to research, people feel more financially secure (and happier) when they're on similar financial footing as the people around them, regardless of what that footing is.

5、Find happiness in the job you have now. Many people expect the right job or the right career to dramatically change their level of happiness, but happiness research makes it clear that your level of optimism and the quality of your relationships eclipse the satisfaction you gain from your job. If you have a positive outlook, you will make the best of any job, and if you have good relationships with people, you won't depend on your job to give your life a greater sense of meaning. You'll find it in your interactions with the people you care about. Now that doesn't mean you shouldn't aspire towards a job that will make you happier; it means you should understand that the capacity of your job to make you happy is quite small in comparison to your outlook on life and your relationships with people.

6、Smile. Science suggests that when you smile, whether you feel happy or not, your mood will be elevated. So smile all the time! In addition having enough money to pay the bills allows you to focus your energies on more productive aspects of your life, such a the pursuit of happiness as opposed to keeping the 'wolves from the door'.

7、Stop worrying! Don't have enough money to buy that new house in a better neighborhood? Hate your job? Not going to be able to pay the bills this year? SO WHAT?! BIg problems, yes. Do you need to worry about them? Well...yes. These things are important. But that should NOT be the focus of your life. If you spend all your time worrying, you'll miss out on the fun side of life. Take it easy once in a while, and just relax.

8、Be grateful for what you have. So you don't have the biggest house on the block. Or the most friends. And maybe you're not doing too well in school, or work, or whatever. Think about it like this: you're lucky to be GOING to school, to have a house or people who care about you at all! Think about the less fortunate. Volunteer at a food bank or give some items to Goodwill. It'll boost your confidence quick.

9、Have more mirrors. Yup, that's right. Put up another mirror in your room, house, office, locker, wherever. Look in them as much as possible, no matter how unattractive you think you are. And every time you look into it and see yourself, smile at yourself. Go you!

10、Start something. A club, a group, a program. Start a food drive for your school. Collect donations for the SPCA. Make a fan club for your favorite singer, or band. Throw a small party. Something light and happy to get your mind off things, and to hang out with other people who can help you relax and feel better.

Video


This video describes the latest research on what makes people happy and gives suggestions on activities that you can do to become happier!

Tips

  • Just because something seems to make other people happy doesn't mean that it really does. People are very good at pretending they're happy, especially when they've invested so much into the things that are supposed to make them happy; it's hard to admit that you've been placing all your eggs in the wrong basket.
  • When you're purposely trying to be happy or cheerful, but just can't seem to acheive it at the moment, do something crazy. Turn your favorite music up loud and do a stupid dance to it. Talk to yourself in the mirror. Try a new food. Rearange your room in a weird way. Write a funny or inspiring quote on your mirror/wall/locker. Scream as loud as you can (warn your family first!). Bounce up and down, jump all around. Get your swimsuit on, go outside and turn the hose on yourself, if it's a hot day. It's stupid, crazy, weird stuff like that that seems pointless, but could actually lift your mood after you do it, just because you're glad you did it.

Original Article:http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Happy

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