Many of our beliefs about happiness are called into question by a recent study that was published in Applied Psychology:Health and Well-Being. The study questions accepted wisdom and makes the argument that seeking happiness directly might not be the best course of action. Instead, more long-lasting satisfaction might result from concentrating on worthwhile pursuits and developing an optimistic outlook.
A startling finding has been revealed by researchers from the Universities of Sydney and Toronto Scarborough: actively seeking happiness drains our brain reserves. The energy required for self-control is also exhausted, making it more difficult to partake in joyful activities.
The effect of snowballs? Your mental energy is depleted while you attempt to make yourself feel happier, which lowers your happiness because you are less able to accomplish the activities that make you happy. Instead, people can develop a more genuine and enduring sense of well-being by reorienting their attention from the never-ending quest of happiness to meaningful activities, thankfulness, and self-acceptance. “The pursuit of happiness is a bit like a snowball effect. You decide to try making yourself feel happier, but then that effort depletes your ability to do the kinds of things that make you happier… the more mentally rundown we are, the more tempted we’ll be to skip cleaning the house and instead scroll social media,” Sam Maglio, marketing professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough and the Rotman School of Management, said in a statement.
There is ‘a lot of pressure and obligation on the self’ in the self-help industry, according to the experts. Happiness is now often viewed as “something we can and should gather and hoard as much as we can,” much like money. They stated that the marketing of happiness can contribute to the issue by instilling a mindset that makes us always aim for more instead of being content with what we already have. Better well-being may result from embracing your current feelings and being grateful for what you already have, as opposed to continuously aiming for the highest level of happiness.
