Have you ever stopped and thought about what happiness really is? It seems to have many different definitions, but the idea about it involving other positive emotions, accompanied with being satisfied makes sense to me. Emotions like joy, satisfaction, being content and hopeful along with gratitude and a sense of peace. It’s experiencing more positive emotions than negative ones, which increases satisfaction with our lives.

There are numerous benefits to living a (mostly) happy life, including having stronger coping skills to help manage stress, being more resilient and able to bounce back from setbacks, others wanting to spend time with us and having better overall health and longevity. Another benefit is that we have a positive state of well-being which in turn helps us make healthy choices like eating fruit and vegetables and engaging in physical excersize. Some research even says that, and probably due to the previous point, being happy may help you get sick less.

What do you do for your wellbeing that makes you happy? What people make you happy? What do you have in your life that makes you feel joy, content, satisfied and grateful? Take some time to think about these questions and if you’re worried about your answers, what can you take control of to gain more happiness.