Where happiness comes from?

Asked by Anonymous
Answered
04/29/2021

Happiness is a state of mind many people are searching for throughout their lives, and that looks different for every person.  There are external sources and internal sources that provide us with happiness that are helpful to consider.  External sources depend from person to person and could be things like hobbies, friends, relationships, food, among other things.  Internal sources also differ from person to person and could include things such as a self-esteem journal, meditation, affirmations, among other things.  Having a balance of external and internal sources can help you to have overall stronger mental health. 

Where we get, our happiness is highly influenced by the society and culture that we live in.  For example, what brings someone happiness that lives out in the country will be different from what brings someone happiness in a big city. It can be helpful to think about how the society and culture you live in influence you and if you actually agree with those influences or not.  For example, if the society you live in makes you think there is happiness in money and when you think about that, you actually disagree with it, then admitting that to yourself can be an important shift in how you view happiness in your life. 

Happiness will come from a variety of small and big sources and things in between.  Something like a quick snack might bring you some happiness, and then bigger things, such as a vacation, can also bring you happiness.  It can be important to practice consistent gratitude in your life to hopefully help you pick up on the big and small sources of happiness in your own life.  It is best to have various sources of happiness rather than only having one or two sources.  When you only have one or two sources of happiness in your life, you can easily become too dependent on those sources.  Should anything go wrong with those sources of happiness, there will not be much to help you cope with that, leading someone into depression. 

(MA, LPC, NCC)