The Secret to Happiness

If you’ve ever wondered what the secret to happiness is, you’re not alone. Researchers from Queendom shared that curiosity, and they found some answers. Buying new workout clothes could make you happy for a while, but for the long term, they found different solutions. Like it or not, “the solution to the life satisfaction puzzle lies in more intangible, yet achievable factors,” the research shows.

The research focused on two groups of people: one group that was satisfied with their lives and one that wasn’t. They scored the groups on 19 categories including sense of purpose/meaning, optimism, dwelling, sense of accomplishment, sense of belonging, psychological well-being, satisfaction with relationships, and resilience.

It sounds like a lot to get right, but if you think about it, they’re all intertwined. Let’s focus on the major ones to start.

The 3 Major Components to Happiness

1. Know your purpose. One of the most obvious factors in the secret to happiness is the purpose/meaning category. Participants in the satisfied group scored 92 in this category, the highest score of all categories. Clearly a large part of the key to happiness is to have a purpose in life. The researchers clarify, “Satisfied people regularly set goals for themselves, whether it’s championing a cause, volunteering or engaging in creative projects. A goal doesn’t have to be exceptionally challenging as long as it is personally meaningful.”

2. See the glass as half full. Another of the scored categories was optimism. The satisfied group scored 78 in optimism, while the unsatisfied group scored 30. Maybe optimistic people are satisfied simply because they are optimistic? If all it takes to be satisfied with life is an optimistic outlook, can’t hurt to give it a try, right?

3. Don’t overthink it. And while you’re making space for optimism in your life, clear out any thoughts you have related to dwelling, which was another scored category. The unsatisfied group scored 75 in dwelling while satisfied group scored only 34. “People who are not happy with their life have a tendency to overthink issues and to keep their mind focused on the past,” the report says.

Sounds like the key to happiness is all in setting good goals and an optimistic attitude for how to get there, without dwelling on the past. The rest will come.

Do you know the secret to your own life satisfaction? Be sure to check out Fit Bottomed Zen for more feel-good tips! —Megan