For instance, the pursuit of enduring happiness is at the core of many mindfulness practices, which often emphasize gratitude and seeking contentment in the present moment. As children, we lose ourselves in activities and hobbies. Our imaginations know no bounds. Many children have the incredible skill of living in the moment. To learn more and gain a range of practical tips to naturally boost your neurochemical happiness, take a look at Dr. Loretta Breuning’s book, Habits of a Happy Brain. Finding happiness through real goods Rather, happiness can be achieved by cultivating present-moment awareness and self-transcendence. In other words, these arguments suggest that it is possible to give up the search for happiness and commit oneself to finding contentment in what is happening right now. When you give yourself time in your happy place, as a consequence, you show up in all areas of your life as a happier and more positive person. And let’s be honest, we all want to be around happy and positive people.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York, NY: Harper & Row. Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity.” To answer this question, philosophers and psychologists have been turning to neuroscience to better understand what happiness looks like in the brain. Finally, consider linking up with a friend or small group and commit to becoming happier together. In the same way that groups like AA and Weight Watchers can help their members develop better habits associated with health, you can work with others to stay accountable and get support if you face any hurdles in your pursuit of greater happiness. No matter how you practice mindfulness, the aim is typically for the practice’s benefits to spill over into your experience of day-to-day consciousness, enabling you to return to states of mindful awareness throughout your day and not be at the whim of negative thoughts and emotions.

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The ability to resist social pressures, regulate behavior from within, and evaluate oneself based on personal standards. Lindquist, K. A., Wager, T. D., Kober, H., Bliss-Moreau, E., & Barrett, L. F. (2012). The brain basis of emotion: A meta-analytic review. The Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 35(3), 121-143. And on top of that, allow yourself to be vulnerable, even at work. Noting your problem areas, or your weaknesses, is an important first step in finding support for them or overcoming your issues altogether. Kern ML, Waters LE, Adler A, White MA. A multidimensional approach to measuring well-being in students: Application of the PERMA framework. J Posit Psychol. 2015;10(3):262-271. doi:10.1080/17439760.2014.936962

Salmela-Aro, K., & Nurmi, J. E. (1996). Depressive symptoms and personal project appraisals: A cross-lagged longitudinal study. Personality and Individual Differences, 21(3), 373-381. For another useful tool that attempts to reconcile the hedonic and eudaimonic perspectives of happiness, take a look at Hervás and Vázquez’s (2013) Pemberton Happiness Index (PHI). The hedonic perspective of happiness argues that life’s goal is to experience the maximum amount of pleasure and the minimum amount of pain. According to this tradition, how happy we are can be boiled down to the sum of one’s total hedonic moments (Ryan & Deci, 2001).Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2008). Self-determination theory and the role of basic psychological needs in personality and the organization of behavior. In O. P. John, R. W. Robins, & L. A. Pervin (Eds.), Handbook of personality: Theory and research (p. 654–678). New York, NY: The Guilford Press. These KS1 resources have been produced to be fully in line with the Learning Outcomes and Core Themes outlined in the PSHE Association Programme of Study which is widely used by schools in England and is recommended and referred to by the DfE in all key documentation relating to PSHE provision in schools. What other wellbeing resources can I use? Feelings of ongoing development, the realization of one’s potential, and observing oneself changing in ways that signify acquired knowledge and increased effectiveness. Now that you better understand how to cultivate happiness, let’s set some goals and put these strategies into practice.