I Dedicated a Semester to My Happiness and This is What I Learned

One does not pursue happiness, one creates it.

This past semester, I dedicated the whole four months to increasing my happiness through a class I took at Arizona State University.

Besides learning about how we can become happier, we had to apply what we learned through little activities and interventions, which would hopefully help us become happier people.

At the start of the semester, we each took three happiness tests: (1) the Subjective Happiness Scale, developed by Sonja Lyubomirsky and Heidi S. Lepper and originally published in the Social Indicators Research journal in 1999, (2) the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, developed by Peter Hills and Michael Argyle and originally published in the Journal of Psychology and Individual Differences in 2002, and (3) the Authentic Happiness Inventory, a questionnaire that can be accessed online through University of Pennsylvania’s Authentic Happiness website. 

We then took the tests again near the end of the semester to see whether there is a change to our happiness levels. 

We have about 30 students in class, and most of them reported an increase in their happiness levels, while only a small handful stated that there was minimal to no change at all, or that their happiness levels actually decreased. 

Interestingly though, even those whose happiness levels decreased over the semester felt that the activities they did in class actually helped them become more resilient when they found themselves in tough situations during the semester.

As for me, I was one of those students whose happiness levels actually increased by the end of the semester, and I feel extremely proud of where I am in my happiness journey right now. 

So, how do we become happier?

One of the things I learned about becoming happier is that we don’t actually find happiness, we create it. 

Happiness is in the things we choose to do. 

When something positive happens to us, do we allow ourselves to pause and consider it? Savour it? Or do we let it pass and quickly forget about how wonderful it was when we first encountered it?

When something bad happens to us, do we start overthinking? Blaming ourselves? Or do we look for a different way to overcome this obstacle?

Research has found that while about 50% of our happiness is mostly hereditary, and 10% of it is determined by our circumstances, that leaves 40% of our happiness that is controllable through our actions and practices.

By doing certain activities like showing gratitude, acts of kindness, savouring, physical exercise, meditation, and setting goals, you can create little pockets of happiness in your life, which can in turn increase your emotional well-being and life satisfaction.

The key to doing this is to perform a wide variety of happiness activities which fit you. This last part is important because there is no one-size-fits-all activity. 

Another important part about being happy lies in your mindset. Your reality is based on context, and how you interpret the context of your situation determines your reality. 

Finally, research has found that people who believe that they can and should become happier are more likely to benefit from happiness activities.

So, as cliche as it sounds, believe you can do it, and you will.

I believe in you ;)

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