When most people talk about happiness, they might be talking about how they feel in the present moment,  or they might be referring to a more general sense of how they feel about life overall.

What Is Happiness?

Happiness is an emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfillment.

While happiness has many different definitions, it is often described as involving positive emotions and life satisfaction.

Two key components of happiness (or subjective well-being) are:

The balance of emotions:

Everyone experiences both positive and negative emotions, feelings, and moods.  Happiness is generally linked to experiencing more positive feelings than negative.

Life satisfaction:

This relates to how satisfied you feel with different areas of your life including your relationships, work, achievements,  and other things that you consider important.



Happy people still feel the whole range of human emotions—anger, frustrastion, boredom, loneliness, and even sadness—from time to time.

But even when faced with discomfort, they have an underlying sense of optimism that things will get better,

that they can deal with what is happening, and that they will be able to feel happy again.

Happiness isn't a state of constant euphoria. Instead, happiness is an overall sense of experiencing more positive emotions than negative ones.


How to Know If You're Happy

While perceptions of happiness may be different from one person to the next, there are some key signs that psychologists look for when measuring and assessing happiness.

Some key signs of happiness include:

- Feeling like you are living the life you wanted
- Feeling that the conditions of your life are good
- Feeing that you have accomplished (or will accomplish) what you want in life
- Feeling satisfied with your life
- Feeling positive more than negative

Types of Happiness


Aristotle made a distinction between two different kinds of happiness:

hedonia (Pleasure)

eudaimonia (happiness is derived from seeking virtue and meaning)


Some types of happiness that may fall under these main categories include:

- Joy: A often relatively brief feeling that is felt in the present moment
Excitement: A happy feeling that involves looking forward to something with positive anticipation
Gratitude: A positive emotion that involves being thankful and appreciative
Pride: A feeling of satisfaction in something that you have accomplished
Optimism: This is a way of looking at life with a positive, upbeat outlook
Contentment: This type of happiness involves a sense of satisfaction

While some people just tend to be naturally happier, there are things that you can do to cultivate your sense of happiness.

Tips to be naturally happier, include

Enjoying the Moment :

Focus on practicing gratitude for the things you have and enjoy the process as you go. 



Reframing Negative Thoughts:

Reframing  negative thoughts isn't about ignoring the bad. Instead, it means trying to take a more balanced look at events.

When you find yourself stuck in a pessimistic outlook or experiencing negativity, look for ways that you can reframe your thoughts in a more positive way.



Pursuing Goals In line with your passion:

Achieving goals that you are motivated to pursue, particularly ones that are focused on personal growth and community, can help boost happiness.



True Happiness isn’t a goal that you can simply reach and be done with.
True Happiness is a constant pursuit that requires continual nurturing and sustenance.

Source: https://rayoonline.com/what-is-true-happiness/