“Happiness depends upon ourselves.” Aristotle
The
concept of the feeling of happiness depending on the way people think
has become central to positive psychology. With the aim to
scientifically prove this viewpoint and to understand what’s
happiness is truly about, positive psychology developed a scope of
theories centered on the issue of how to reach well-being and
happiness.
HuffPost,
reviewing the scientific
paper on the
connection
between happiness and the state of mind
published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, came to the
conclusion that our daily routine and thoughts we stumble across
during the day shape our happiness. And the reason why you feel
unhappy hides behind some petty, small things you constantly get
upset about.
So
what are those triggers that kill our happiness? Here are some of
those reasons, which you probably don’t notice, but which can
definitely spoil your mood and kill the feeling of happiness.
Worries
and stress
Worrying
is what we do on a daily basis. Every day we have to deal with many
situations, which may be new to us, thus the feeling of uncertainty
makes us worried. We don’t pay much attention to it, which is a big
mistake.
Renowned
psychologists from American Psychological Association have proven
that worrying
and stress can seriously damage our health.
And the American Institute of Stress has published a scientific
article
proving the connection between stress, coronary disease, and cancer.
A
sound body cannot exist without a sound mind. Poor health instantly
affects the feeling of happiness. But are these worries always
well-reasoned? Or maybe you’re stressing out over nothing? Think
about it.
Compulsive
control
To
make our comfort zone even more comfortable, we are constantly trying
to gain control over everything. It seemingly gives us the sense of
security and confidence.
What
if someone told you that it’s a trap? What if it’s time to open
your eyes and realize that you aren’t a superhero? You just a
student
of life.
Let’s face it: even superheroes from comic books couldn’t always
predict their future. So what makes you think you can?
Compulsive
thoughts about controlling everything will turn you into a psychotic
person. Soon you’ll lose the ability to notice simple things in
life that make you happy and become a senseless robot. But it was
your choice to live like that.
Being
a hamster on a wheel
Our
daily routine is the most common killer of happiness. First, we face
it when we become students
and have to
do daily stuff like homework,
paper
writing,
and reading endless paragraphs in books. Then we go off to work and
face the same deadly daily routines performing the same tasks.
As
the result, we become hamsters on a wheel. We start depending on our
daily routines and refuse to notice that there’s more to life than
the routine itself. Thus the feeling of unhappy saturates our minds.
But this mindset is also our own choice.
Comparing
yourself to others
Wherever
we are, we often tend to criticize and compare ourselves to other.
Now, there’s nothing bad with criticizing as long as it’s
constructive and healthy. But constantly playing comparison games
indicates that you’re an unhappy person.
A
college
study conducted at the University of Texas
suggested that self-compassion and positive attitude towards yourself
can not only better your physical health, but can protect your mental
health as well. Letting go of your insecurities because being happy
with yourself is your own choice.
Your
glass is always half empty
Some
people only choose to notice negativity. In fact, there are so many
negative people that news channels reshaped
themselves to first show negative news.
But when the rest of the humanity chooses to live in negativity, you
may choose otherwise. It’s your choice whether to swim with the
stream of negativity or get out and enjoy something positive and
happy.
Conclusion
Little
things that happen to us every day seem to shape our perception of
the reality. But actually, it’s your choice to shape your mind and
determine your perception. If your key broke inside the lock or
you’ve ripped your favorite dress, it may get you upset.
But
it’s your choice whether to concentrate on negativity or to shift
your mind and enjoy many things surrounding you that make you happy.