Finding Happiness and Stress Relief

Finding Happiness and Stress Relief Happiness Print 16 Ways to Cultivate Real Happiness in Your Life By Elizabeth Scott, MS twitter Elizabeth Scott, MS, is a wellness coach specializing in stress management and quality of life, and the author of 8 Keys to Stress Management. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Scott, MS Updated on January 24, 2020 Serg Myshkovsky / Getty Images More in Self-Improvement Happiness Meditation Stress Management Spirituality Holistic Health Inspiration Brain Health Technology Relationships View All While there’s more to happiness than just the absence of stress, there are relationships between stress-relieving activities and happiness. Positive psychology pioneer Martin Seligman has researched and written extensively about authentic happiness, which is facilitated and enhanced by all of those things you may instinctively know are good for the soul: strong relationships, challenging work, and meaning in life.   Dr. Michael Frisch, a Baylor University professor and another pioneer in the field of positive psychology, has found 16 different areas of life that contribute to a person’s happiness, and measuring satisfaction in these areas can help measure a person’s overall level of happiness and life satisfaction. Many of the things that bring happiness are also things that relieve stress, such as exercise, expressing creativity, maintaining supportive friendships, keeping an organized home, and enjoying your work. When you’re overwhelmed with stress, often just relieving the imminent pressures is foremost on your mind; however, following a stress relief program that also incorporates activities known to increase overall happiness can give you short-term stress relief, and the lasting gains of a happy life. And when you incorporate into your life a general state of happiness and make habit the lifestyle features that promote it, you’ll be better able to weather future stress in your life. How to Create More Happiness in Your Life The following is a list of the 16 different features that promote happiness, with resources from this site and others that can help you incorporate these features into your life, relieving stress at the same time! Health: Maintain your health, and youre maintaining your happiness.  Health issues can bring additional stress and can make it difficult for you to do some of the things that bring you happiness and stress relief.Self-Esteem: Feeling good about who you are isnt just a touchy-feely thing we worry about for our kids; its important for you to like the person you are right now.  Low self-esteem seems to affect many areas of your life.Goals, Values, and Spiritual Life: These are three different things, but they make up an important category that involves an internal, positive focus on something thats greater than who you are right now.  These are all things that bring meaning to your life, and this is closely tied to your happiness.Money: Its true that, beyond a certain point, more money doesnt bring significantly more happiness. Its also true, however, that too little money can bring stress and challenges to your happiness.  Having enough money to live comfortably is important.  Work: Ha ving a job that fulfills you is ideal.  A job that doesnt make you miserable is a must.Play: Leisure time, having fun, letting loose--theyre all important for your happiness and stress levels.  You dont need to play all of the time, but you really need some time for fun in your life.Learning: Taking on new skills and growing as a person involves gratifications, and can provide you with greater resources in your life--both great for stress and happiness.Creativity: The same is true for expressing your creativity.  In fact, art activities that exercise creativity have been shown to be good for the health and happiness of those who consider themselves to be non-creative types as well.Helping: It turns out that we as humans really love to be helpful to others, to one degree or another.  Finding ways to exercise your altruism can keep you happy and less stressed.Love: This is a bit of a no-brainer, but having love in your life is great for keeping yourself feeling joy.Friends: Maintainin g a supportive circle, even if that circle is small, can help you to feel happier in virtually every area of life and can provide an excellent buffer against stress.Children: Kids bring meaning into our lives, as well as many smiles and belly laughs.Relatives: Unless you come from a heavily drama-prone family, staying close to relatives can keep your life fun, supportive, and meaningful.  Finding low-stress ways to communicate with your family is important for keeping things drama-free, however.Home: Maintaining a home that acts as a haven from stress is important at the end of the day.Neighborhood: Living in a neighborhood thats close and supportive, or at least one that doesnt involve feuds or danger, can contribute to happiness and decrease stress by offering support and connection.Community: Being part of a community, whether its a physical community like the area where you live or a community of friends based on shared spiritual views, life goals, or things in common.?