Megan Vogt | Opinion Co-Editor
Throughout this point in most of our lives, we wake up everyday worrying about what homework is due tomorrow, what our hectic schedules are looking like for the day, and where we want to go after Buena Vista. There is so much stress of everyday life that we sometimes forget where to find happiness or where to even look, myself included. As my father always tells me when I’m feeling stressed, “Stop worrying, for tomorrow is going to come either way.” For this week’s issues, I decided to turn to research and tips on how to find happiness in ours lives even through the tough times.
Being a psychology major, I’m always talking about behaviors, feelings, emotions, etc. Positive psychology is not a recent topic of discussion, but it is one that comes up fairly often. In a World of Psychology online article, Dr. John Grohol speaks about five findings he has found during his research in positive psychology. The article states, “Happier people tend to live longer, live healthier lives, make more money, and do better at work.” After knowing this, why would we all not want to be happy? As if it were that simple, though. We have to realize we control most of our happiness. Research shows, 50 percent of our happiness is through genetics or the environment, but the other 50 percent is within our own hands to control.
We all have also been indoctrinated through society to place money within the topic of happiness. This is untrue. As long as we have the amount we need to pay our bills, we are content with our economic standing. We can, however, increase our happiness by helping others out and giving away some of our extra income. Helping others and maintaining healthy relationships is a great key to long-term happiness. Marriage does tend to correlate toward increased happiness; we have to keep in mind that we can also be happy with strong social connections with anyone.
Living in the present is a huge key to happiness. Many of us are looking at our past, keeping hold of hopes from yesterday. As the old saying goes, “It’s not about what you’ve done; it’s about what you’re doing. It’s about where you’re going, no matter where you’ve been.” After a death in the family, we always tend to look back and think, “I wish I had more time with him/her” or “If I could have one more day with him/her.” Live in the moment and be thankful for what you have now.
The last thing I want to point out is that everyone is in the same boat as you. Even if you feel that you’re all alone, we’ve all had those days. Reach out to others, and don’t stress the small stuff. Don’t expect happiness to come to you; we all wish it were that easy. Remember, happiness is contagious, so always keep smiling!
Graphic by Keyla Sosa
