From magazine articles to Internet websites, happiness is one of the most prevalent topics for all types of media. Surveys are constantly being conducted where they question happiness, what it means to be genuinely happy, and how people become happy. Ideally, it would be much simpler if everyone had the same perception of happiness, but that isn’t the case. The range in lifestyles and personal characteristics of humans leaves an open debate as to what causes happiness. It is hard to believe that one simple word can mean so many different things to a variety of people. With thousands of answers worldwide, it’s impossible to pinpoint the root for happiness globally, however, happiness can best be achieved through a combination of being able
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When I was young, my parents pressed me on how giving back was a good thing, but I never realized it until I was older. As a child, my mother read the book “The Giving Tree” to me. The story is about a boy who visits a tree everyday and builds a strong relationship with the tree. Initially they would play all day long, but as the boy grew older, he would ask the tree for various things, such as apples or shade. The tree would always give the boy whatever he wanted, followed by saying that helping the boy made her happy. Time continues to pass and the boy visits the tree less and less often, but when he does he asks the tree for something. The tree kept giving away part of herself until she was nothing but a stump, but still the she was happy. This goes to show that even when you may not have a lot to give, donating still brings you happiness. Relating to that, scientists have shown that helping others releases chemical signals associated with happiness and feeling good and helping out, increases self-esteem and promotes a more optimistic outlook on your life (Yam). Michael Steger, a psychologist at the University of Louisville, performed a study on whether doing good deeds or performing pleasure-seeking experiences, made you happier. In his study, he discovered that people were happier after they performed a thoughtful thing for someone else (Wenner). …show more content…
Stress can occur at any time or any place. It doesn’t wait for the perfect time and for most people stress only seems to pile up. It is no simple task, even balancing stress becomes difficult from time to time, but if you are able to deal with stress when it first arises, life becomes much easier to handle and you become less pessimistic. Procrastination is the worst possible thing when dealing with stress. Initially it might be useful, but by putting off obligations, you add to your ever-expanding list of things to do. Meanwhile, your happiness levels plummet as you realize your plans for the weekend will not be achieved. A procrastination research group performed a study on what procrastination does to your happiness. The results showed that 94 percent of those interviewed believed procrastination had a negative affect on their happiness (Roy). Seventy percent said that they feel less happy than the average person due to the stress of procrastination (Roy). However, if you tackle your tasks when they are assigned, you have more free time in your life to do whatever you please thus creating for fun opportunities in your
When I was young, my parents pressed me on how giving back was a good thing, but I never realized it until I was older. As a child, my mother read the book “The Giving Tree” to me. The story is about a boy who visits a tree everyday and builds a strong relationship with the tree. Initially they would play all day long, but as the boy grew older, he would ask the tree for various things, such as apples or shade. The tree would always give the boy whatever he wanted, followed by saying that helping the boy made her happy. Time continues to pass and the boy visits the tree less and less often, but when he does he asks the tree for something. The tree kept giving away part of herself until she was nothing but a stump, but still the she was happy. This goes to show that even when you may not have a lot to give, donating still brings you happiness. Relating to that, scientists have shown that helping others releases chemical signals associated with happiness and feeling good and helping out, increases self-esteem and promotes a more optimistic outlook on your life (Yam). Michael Steger, a psychologist at the University of Louisville, performed a study on whether doing good deeds or performing pleasure-seeking experiences, made you happier. In his study, he discovered that people were happier after they performed a thoughtful thing for someone else (Wenner). …show more content…
Stress can occur at any time or any place. It doesn’t wait for the perfect time and for most people stress only seems to pile up. It is no simple task, even balancing stress becomes difficult from time to time, but if you are able to deal with stress when it first arises, life becomes much easier to handle and you become less pessimistic. Procrastination is the worst possible thing when dealing with stress. Initially it might be useful, but by putting off obligations, you add to your ever-expanding list of things to do. Meanwhile, your happiness levels plummet as you realize your plans for the weekend will not be achieved. A procrastination research group performed a study on what procrastination does to your happiness. The results showed that 94 percent of those interviewed believed procrastination had a negative affect on their happiness (Roy). Seventy percent said that they feel less happy than the average person due to the stress of procrastination (Roy). However, if you tackle your tasks when they are assigned, you have more free time in your life to do whatever you please thus creating for fun opportunities in your