Good Lifestyle

People tend to strive for a happier and successful life. This trend is especially developed in Western culture. However, new studies show that a constant desire to feel happy can have a negative result. Moreover, there is an amazing connection between the symptoms of depression and the desire to happiness. So what to do? And who is to blame?

We don't know what makes us happy

We are taught that happiness is what you need to strive for. This is mainly due to very specific things - raising the career ladder, making a lot of money, graduation, marriage. In fact, this is an illusion. When we are looking for happiness outside ourselves, we can no longer control our inner world and expect others to make us happy. Or become dependent on the things that surround us. And this is the direct path to depression and other problems with the psyche.

We may not even know what happiness is

Another problem is that happiness for many is a synonym for joy and slight excitement. However, it is important to understand that happiness is just one possible emotion of many. For a person, it is normal to feel fear, anger, sadness or loneliness. Unfortunately, many of us do not even know what genuine joy is, because they are constantly trying to suppress other emotions.

Happiness is an unattainable goal

The adoption of other feelings, paradoxically, makes it possible to get rid of them faster, thereby leaving a place for happiness and satisfaction. The problem is that we feel the need, that we should be constantly positive. Therefore, most of the time we simply pretend.

Vicious circle

If we do not reach those milestones that, in our opinion, are associated with happiness, such as success, wealth and marriage, we feel disappointment, guilt and our own inferiority. In the end, it becomes a closed circle, which is extremely difficult to break.

How to rethink happiness

General happiness comes when we do hard work, completely immersed in ourselves with curiosity and compassion for ourselves and the world around us. In fact, happiness does not imply a chase for something unrealistic. This is more about seeing what is already there, and learn to appreciate it.

What to do?

To get to the place where happiness becomes the state of being, and not the future goal, some practice is required. Try to completely immerse yourself in what you like. And live in harmony with your values. What standards, principles and things really make sense in life? Those that give you a sense of significance and a sense of goal. If you live your goal, if you live in accordance with your values, then you already have a feeling of satisfaction and joy.