ROdown Blog
Happiness on a Monday - really?!
Happy Monday everyone!
Just over a month ago Sydney was flooded with smiling, energetic ‘happy’ people – here for the annual Happiness & its Causes Conference at Darling Harbour.
The conference has been running in Australia for several years now, and based on the number of people who attend (in the thousands) I think it’s pretty safe to say that happiness and how to improve your quality of life is a pretty popular topic.
So what is happiness, and why we would bother with it?
Happiness is different things to different people. To me, it is learning something new, the promise of my morning coffee, or enjoying lunch with friends or family. To others it might be a weekend playing sport, Wii, and eating pizza.
Whatever it is – it would seem generally accepted that it is a good thing, and that it is worth working towards.
People working in the area of positive psychology have been studying what it is that makes us happy for some time now. Those people who tend to be happier have a number of things in common, including things such as: they appreciate the little things in life, they tend to have better relationships, and they tend to have more of an optimistic way of looking at things.
For more info check out our fact sheets on what happiness is and tips for increasing your happiness.
So, it would seem to make sense that if you want to be happier, you could practice doing those things that happier people tend to do and the things you already know make you happy.
Community challenge:
Let us know what happiness means to you and three things you plan to do in the next week to make yourself feel happier.
Remember – you can check out the happiness fact sheets and stories if you need more ideas.
Let us know how you go – by sharing you might help other people get more ideas about what might make them happier.
For more info and free resources check out the Happiness Institute website.
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27 Comments
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corka
about 2 years ago
Reply ReportI went to my Sydney Football Trials last Tuesday. Even thou I didn't make it I was still very proud of myself! :)
anna
almost 3 years ago
Reply Reportgreat to see you guys are putting together your happiness plans :) Don't forget to report back!
You might also be interested in the latest blog post on happiness which links to a video of Dan Gilbert on the TED website :)
bellza27
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportWhat I see happiness is:
- striving, enduring, succeeding
- being comfortable and not let anything get to you
- smiling =]
I am always able to make people happy, for those countless people who come to me with their down faces, I am able to make them smile again ^^.
If you're having a bad day, why not focus more on the positives of that day than the negatives? It's something I've tried and it works : )
Three things I plan next wk that'll make me happy:
1. Hang around friends (girls and boys), smile more with them
2. Play the piano and not get stuck down with the dread of saying "No, NOT AGAIN!"
3. Athletics carnival for our school xD. I'm gonna try my best in all the events I get into, hopefully I'll get into APS squad (which means striving, enduring, succeeding = happiness). Yes I love sports too ><
It's nice to have something you're good at and people know you for it ^^
tash.
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportHappiness is somthing you choose to have, its not something one person has and another doesnt,
You have to make happiness part of your life.
and by that i mean...have a happy mind set on life.
1. love.
love plays a massive part in life.
and i dont mean girl+guy relationship love, no i mean pure love towards people.
if you show love to people, just knowing that somone loves me will make me want to love others and then the cycle begins.
2. set a goal in life that you want to reach and stive for it.
Keep that goal in front of you and dont loose it.
Knowing that once you reach that goal you changed your life, or sombody else's.
3.
Do one thing everyday that makes somone smile.
and happiness will florish in there lives.
tash.
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportHappiness is somthing you choose to have, its not something one person has and another doesnt,
You have to make happiness part of your life.
and by that i mean...have a happy mind set on life.
1. love.
love plays a massive part in life.
and i dont mean girl+guy relationship love, no i mean pure love towards people.
if you show love to people, just knowing that somone loves me will make me want to love others and then the cycle begins.
2. set a goal in life that you want to reach and stive for it.
Keep that goal in front of you and dont loose it.
Knowing that once you reach that goal you changed your life, or sombody else's.
3.
Do one thing everyday that makes somone smile.
and happiness will florish in there lives.
HarrietTheSpy
almost 3 years ago
Reply Report1) Drink hot chocolate ^_^
2) Talk to my husband-spouse <3
3) Hand in the forms that need to be handed in and call the office about the ones I can't hand in yet.
Antria
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportIs anyone ready to report back. My report is kind of good and bad, lol.
Last week I did all my three things, I did 10 minutes of mindfulness practice every second day, managed to have a night to myself to do something nice just for me (felt great!) and also did my 'something I am grateful for' every day. It felt great and I enjoyed planning ahead and being aware that I was doing some things to improve my wellbeing (even if some of these things are things I often try to do anyway). Have to admit this also timed in with finishing exams so that might have inflated my happiness too a little, hehe.
Not so good bit is that this week I haven't done any of these things at all! I feel like I have been in a daze and totally disconnected from reality and it has not made me feel like I have the same sense of happiness and well-being. So I think this coming week (kind of works out that today is Monday) I need to think of three more things. Just not sure what yet. hmm.
Interested to hear how everyone else went?!
sarah.bond
almost 3 years ago
Reply Reporthappiness to me means having fun and being yourself.
this week i am going to :
1. i am going to be nice to everyone
2. play alot of sport
3. see alot of family and friends
these three things help me feel great!
Paige_xo_
almost 3 years ago
Reply Reporthappiness is accomplishment and just feeling great and not letting anything get me down :) the three things im going to try this week are:
1. meeting up with my friends sometime
2. smiling at random people and generally trying to be nice to everyone and..
3. giving out hugs :)
those are some things that always make me feel great :D
Yallaby
almost 3 years ago
Reply Reportfor me happiness means accomplishment, pride and independence.
i never realized how happy my family could make me feel until i stopped dwelling the past. i let go of all those unimportant problems that were making my experience a disaster (you know during teenage years that feeling of distress about nearly everything?). its amazing the things you can do when you just take a minute to relax and think things through when you are feeling down. You then have time to open your heart to so much.
anna
almost 3 years ago
Reply Reportgreat plans!
I'm sure there are others out there :)
Any reports back on how this went? Are people setting new plans each week?
Happy weekend everyone!
:)
Anna
David Chong
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportHappiness means a few things to me:
Able to be myself, everyone else around me is happy, and with my happiness, I am able to make others around me happy.
3 things I am going to do next week that are going to make me happy:
1) Attending Youth Group
2) Going to Malaysia to visit my family
3) Being part of the team for house competition in my school
' If you see someone without a smile, give them yours.'
Smile :)
Dave
Gina-Bernadette
almost 3 years ago
Reply Report^^^as continued
so this week
1. I am going to make another person laugh.
2.i am going to look at myself positively and stop calling myself ugly or loserish.
3. and i will pay attention to my friends and have a nice conversation with them instead of being caught up in my own little sad world.
Gina-Bernadette
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportHappiness to me is knowing that I can have a secure life. That people would stop judging others unfairly. That I could learn to like myself.
anna
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportGreat ideas guys :)
'Stumbling upon Happiness' is a great book Mazzman - might refer to it for a future blog :)
Great ideas Callum888 - it interesting you focused a couple of your things you're going to do on doing things that make other people feel good too - there's a lot of research being done about doing good things for others and how it can impact on your own wellbeing - another future community challenge coming up :) Glad you like the site too!
:)
Three things from other people - keep them coming!!
And start reporting back if you've tried your three things - let us know how it went :)
Callum888
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportWell happiness to me is, Is just been myself dont pretend to be someone im not, just chilling with mates, talking about whatever, been completly random, having my fav music on, going to the footy, Doing footy show on communtiy radio (AFL), Helping mates when they need it no matter the problem, and doing weights...
Three things im going to do this week to make me happy are...
1. Make someone laugh more then once
2.Eat heathly,go for a run,swim and ride.
3. Send a txt or catch up with some best mates tellimg them what they mean to me..
I hope i have given some people idea, Plus thanks for this awesome website....
mazzman
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportI am just about to start reading a book that looks really cool! It's called "stumbling upon happiness" by one of the guys thats really famous in positive psychology! But my three things are going to be....
1. Spend some time in sydney enjoying be able to do some fun and exciting work!
2. Make my girlfriend a card that I can send to her overseas to surprise her
3. Take an hour to go and lay down in the grass, put some of my favourite music on and just be content to relax without feeling like i should be doing something! (i think that will be the hardest!)
laurenn
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportHappiness to me is hanging out with my friends, laughing at stupid things, doing stupid things and bludging the time away because even though its a waste of time, it was worth it.
My three things:
1) Immerse myself around people who make me happy
2) Remind myself of the positives and not focus on the negatives
3) Smile, and actually mean to.
Well, ill try =]
anna
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportThanks everyone for your comments so far - some great stuff in there!
Now to put those plans into action - it might be a good idea to keep some notes on how you go to refer back to - and of course report back here to let us know how you go, things that go really well, any challenges you face, and things you might try differently next time.
Have other people planned their three things? If so - let us know what you plan to do!
It may be helpful to look at the Tips for increasing your happiness fact sheet to get some ideas if you're stuck - it's here: http://au.reachout.com/find/articles/tips-for-increasing-your-happiness
Anna :)
Antria
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportHow is everyone going so far? Love to hear some more people's ideas as well :-)
Sonja
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportHappiness for me is being with my friends (when there aren't any dramas ... *sigh* ... too many of them), hockey, being able to go home and feel safe and comfortable.
It's knowing I'm here on Earth for a reason, and that I can achieve what I'm here to do, whatever it may be.
But being happy ... it can be so hard to do! Especially when I'm alone ... I don't know what's up with that, I used to enjoy it.
Anyway, I shall try to-
- Wake up before 7 each day for school like I should be (trust me, this one's a biggy, lol)
- Get my exams etc done (they're STILL GOING!!!!) and feel good about them
- Get along better with my family
Well ... this should be a good challenge ... if I can do it. I better :)Hells-Angel
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportHappiness to me means that i can be free to be who i am not who others want me to be, life is not an easy road and i have travelled it with my fair share of hard knocks, run into the potholes of bad friends, drugs, and single motherhood, however now older and wiser i have come out on the otherside still with my days of ups and downs but also with the knowledge that if im just myself, not the person that others want me to be then i can be happy. Happiness to me is feeling that im worthy and i have achived something each day, however small it may be.
sammie26
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportHappiness, i believe, is the feeling inside that makes you enjoy life, you want to wake up every day, everything around you makes you feel good about yourself. If you are utterly and completely happy you can do anything, whether it is facing up to unwanted results on exams, getting help when you feel down etc. This week to make be feel totally and utterly happy i will do these three things:
1. Play tennis
2. Engage in social activity
3. Eat well
Tally
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportHappiness to me is being able to wake up in the morning and want to be alive.
It is about doing the simple things in life, without following the conventionalities that technology and the media implies that we must have or use everyday.
Overall happiness to me is being able to walk around, go to work, go to the shops, hang with friends, and do all these things with a smile. :)
Therefore this week, I will do these things to make me happy:
1. Go on a holiday!
2. Spend quality time with family and friends - have deep social interaction
3. Eat healthy
Antria
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportI think this is a great community challenge! Happiness to me is a bit of an elusive concept...not because I am never happy...but because I find I am happiest in the most simple moments in life when I'm not necessarily expecting to be happy. I think for me happiness is at its best when I take a moment to step back and notice how blessed I am and how beautiful the world can be. Happiness is when my niece runs into my arms for a massive hug, walking on the beach, feeling the warmth of the sun on my face...sometimes happiness can even come in the midst of connecting with someone in a really dark or sad place because I realise the value of having others in my life to share those moments!
My three things for the next week:
- Practice mindfulness and try to regularly stop and be aware of the moment I am in.
- Do something nice just for me - I am thinking a nice warm shower, do my hair, give myself a manicure, that type of thing!
- I have a group of about six friends and we email regularly a 'grat' or something we are grateful for in that day. I am going to make sure I do it every day this week.
Can't wait to hear what everyone else comes up with and how it works out! :-)
Rosie - RO crew
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportI'm going to:
Walk into my exam on thursday knowing I've studied as hard as I can.
Walk out of my exam happy to have learned all I did, regardless of the outcome
Make sure I buy more tim tams and ginger tea tomorrow - because they make studying much more fun!
:)
_rosie
Becks
almost 3 years ago
Reply ReportHappiness for me, means that I can be myself completely, and that I don't have to hide how I think, feel, act etc. It is when I am 100% at peace with myself and my world.
Three things I plan to do in the next week that will make me feel happier are....
> I will not hide behind my mask. I have to let people in, so that I break the cycle of hiding. I will do this by being open with myself, and also the people who support me.
> I will take time to do stuff for me. Sometimes I get so caught up in the things around me, that I forgot about me. I will do things that acknowledge myself, and make me feel good.
> I will be actively involved with RO and Inspire. This is where my passion lies, and it makes me feel good that I am giving something back to such an amazing organisation.
These are the three things that I will aim to do this week. I think this is a wonderful blog topic, and it has allowed for me to really think about me, which is something that as mentioned above, I forget to do at times. So thank you for this! =)
Becks