When we are young we are often taught that there are a lot of different emotions. In the past psychology used to focus on the negative ones, like anger, sadness, depression, despair, doubt, fear, etc. Nowadays psychology has taken a new approach on positive emotions, because if we experience positive emotions, we usually start to feel better about ourselves and remedying negative emotions can be overcome by experiencing positive ones. I’m not saying that experiencing joy will fix a month’s long depression, but even if someone will feel only slightly better than before, that could be considered a win. I do believe, however that one of the most important things people need to stop doing is chasing happiness, and I’ll tell you why. 🙂

We all experience a vast range of emotions in our lives and chasing happiness is a sure way of setting yourself up for failure. That’s why it’s much better to stop and think for a while about what you want with your life. You shouldn’t think things like “Once I get this new job, I’ll be happy.” or “Once I finish writing this book, I’ll be happy.” Happiness is something that should come naturally from the things you enjoy doing. If you’re constantly working towards something that you think will make you happy, then once you’ve managed to do or get whatever it is you’re chasing, you’ll find yourself chasing the next thing that is supposed to make you happy. Rather it’s much better and healthier to start doing things you enjoy and being with people you like/love. So, if you find you’re unhappy with your current situation, think of something you could do to improve it. We also tend to feel guilty if we’re spending time doing something we really enjoy, because we could be doing something “productive” or “meaningful”, but relaxation and hobbies are extremely important for your mental well-being. So, even if you work hard, always try to find some time to do something you enjoy every day, even if it’s reading a little bit before going to bed. This example can also help reduce your screen-time before going to sleep, which has been proven to distort your sleep. 

It’s much more important to find the things you really enjoy doing. You’ll find that happiness is not something that is achieved by reaching a certain point, completing a project, but rather by doing the things you like and being with the right people for you.

I hope this has been of any help to you!

Happy reading!

~Jeffrey