Happiness is subjective. Everyone’s reasons for happiness are different based on their goals and circumstances. Emotions determine a person’s behavior and thoughts. Let’s break down the psychological science of happiness and key theories related to the phenomenon.
Subjective Well-Being In Happiness Psychology
Psychologists report that happiness is beyond one emotion. It’s a blend of feeling good at the moment while having overall life satisfaction. Such a blend of emotions is known as subjective well-being (SWB). Ed Diener defines subjective well-being as the following:
- Frequent positive emotions like joy and gratitude.
- Infrequent negative emotions (anxiety, anger, etc.).
- Satisfaction with how one’s life is overall.
Subjective well-being determines whether a person is currently thriving or not. Ask yourself if you are satisfied with your current lifestyle.
The 4 Pillars of Happiness
Again, happiness is subjective to each person. However, maintaining relationships, gratitude, flow state, and achieving purpose and meaning are the pinnacles of achieving happiness.
Maintaining Relationships
Making connections with family, friends, and co-workers is essential for achieving happiness. What is the sense of having so much success and potential for advancement in your life if you have no one to share it with?
The Harvard Study of Adult Development discovered relationships are entwined with well-being Hence, those in close relationships are usually happier than loners. Even if you aren’t much of a talker, stay connected with at least a couple of key people in your life.
Gratitude
Practicing gratitude helps you achieve a mindset shift. Focus on the good things happening rather than what’s not working out. Write in a gratitude journal daily or send thank-you notes. These activities ensure a positive flow in your daily life.
Flow State
Speaking of flow, the next thing that makes humans happy is a flow state. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi was a Hungarian-American psychologist. He defined “flow” as the engaging feeling of doing something you love. People may feel this when they are writing, playing music, making art, playing games, or doing another beloved activity.
You may be in a flow state when playing your favorite titles on the Casino777 online casino. Getting caught in the moment playing slots, blackjack, or roulette is a flow state that can make you happy, even through the challenges of life. Managing the fun of the casino gameplay with the realistic mentality of budgeting a bankroll can be challenging, but it’s one of life’s balances to achieve.
Purpose and Meaning
Finding one’s purpose takes time and dedication. Forge a new career or volunteer with an organization. As long as you are tying these endeavors to your interests, you will find the purpose and meaning you are looking for.
Key Theories of Happiness
Uncovering the main happiness theories can help determine their importance to psychology.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
This concept comes up frequently in health classes across America’s public schools. It’s taught again to psychology students in colleges worldwide.
Abraham Maslow published a pyramid of rising needs starting from the bottom to the top. Meeting basic needs of food and safety must be done before attempting self-fulfillment. The very top of the pyramid is reached when someone attains self-actualization. This means you have become the best version of yourself, which directly relates to long-term happiness.
Positive Psychology Movement
Martin Seligman is the man behind the positive psychology movement. He introduced the PERMA model, which shows the 5 pillars of obtaining happiness:
- Positive emotion
- Engagement
- Relationships
- Meaning
- Accomplishment