What Psychologists say: How to Increase Your Happiness?

What are practical steps to increase our level of happiness, according to Psychologists who have many years of research?

According to Martin Seligman, the founding Father of positive Psychology Movement, happiness could be modeled using -"P.E.R.M.A.".

Watch my youtube video on Happiness:

# 1: P- Positive Emotions

This is the experience of positive mood, and feelings which are uplifting.

It is beneficial to improve your intellectual abilities, physical health, social relationship, and psychological well being.

This is very individual dependent, and means differently for each one. It could be achieved through various activities that you enjoyed, such as watching a favorite TV Series, going to your favorite coffee shop for a drink, or Saturday night hang-out with friends.

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#2: E- Engagement (or what often called, “flow”)

Engagement is a type of well-being you feel from totally being absorbed in the task at hand, to the extent that you lost track of the passage of time, and feel completely at one with what you are doing. 

Psychology researcher measures engagement by asking people to carry an electronic beeper that beeps at random timing, to prompt the participants to reflect and record what they are doing at that moment, and how they are feeling about it, whether they are completely absorbed in the activities, and whether that brings them happiness.

Maybe for some, it is working on to solve a mathematics problem, and another is the one hour swimming session every week where you can be completely relaxed and calm, or reading that book of your interest where you are totally engaged in the content.

Whatever these activities are, they make you lost track of timing, and you can go on doing it for a long time.

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#3: R- Relationships.

There are Many Research that point to us that, having good, caring, supportive, and dependable interpersonal connections, are vital for your well-being. And this is true for any age in life.

According to psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, a Director of Harvard Study of Adult Development, there are three profound findings about the impact of good relationship on wellbeing. This study spanned over 75 years, and tracked the lives of 724 men. Year after year, the study followed up, and asked these participants about their home lives, their health, and general well-being.

The first finding of this longitudinal study, is that, social connections are really good for us. And in contrast, loneliness kills. People who are more socially connected to family, friends, and community, are happier, physically healthier, and lives longer.

Then, The second lesson from the study, shows that, it’s not about the number of friends you have, but, the quality of close relationships, that matters. You got to invest in those few people, who are closed to you, and whom you can depend on, during good times, and bad.

Last but not least, the third finding is that, good relationships don’t just protect our body, it protect our brain from aging and deterioration, such as memory decline. People who have supportive relationships, are found to maintain better memory, even at their old age.

Do you set aside time to bond with colleagues, spouse, family, children, relatives, and friends? to increase your happiness level, Keep on building on those relationships that are supportive! It will benefit your wellbeing through your life time. This, also means that you may need to avoid the toxic relationships that have been putting you down constantly


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#4: M- Meaning.

The perceive of meaning in your life/ things you do is an important foundation that provides direction to your life. With meaning, we can bounce back during adversity and be more resilient in life.

Pursuing meaningful activities are more strongly related to happiness compared to pursuing pleasurable activities. So, The next time you think about whether to invest in a meaningful, family-bonding vacation with your family, or to invest to buy a new luxury bag, you know which one will give you more happiness.

You can contribute value to the people around you or help out your community, or bring advancement to the society.

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#5: A- Accomplishment.

This element comprises of your achievement, success, and mastery of skills, knowledge, and abilities at the highest possible level, to progress towards goals and competence. So, do not be afraid to put in effort and practice, to become an expert in the things you do! Pursue your goals and a higher level of accomplishments. Sometimes, it helps to look back on your success, and give yourself a pet on the back. This will increase your level of happiness.

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Try out these activities, and leave a comment below, what have you done, and whether it is effective for you.