What do you do to create happiness in your life? Do you spend time doing things you enjoy? Maybe you spend time with friends and family or find relaxation from leisure activities?

If any of these activities are a part of your life, you are on a pathway to happiness. Positive psychology has reveals that psychological well-being and life-satisfaction is related to engaging in life activities that boost positive emotions and discovering and utilizing our character strengths and virtues.

There are four broad pathways that can help us enhance our positive emotions and experience more moments of happiness.

The pathway of joy and pleasure

When was the last time you were delighted and had a sense of positive well-being? One pathway that can lead to greater happiness is approaching life with a joyful attitude, and experiencing moments of gratification and pleasure.

What activities do you enjoy that you could engage in?  Being grateful for the positive things we have and being open to experiencing joy, amusement, and inspiration can all help us find pleasure in the moment.

The pathway of love and relationships

Our relationships may be one of the most important factors in experience happiness and life-satisfaction. Having love and attachment with others is what makes us feel alive and experience emotions like joy, affection, and love.

Though relationships can cause heartache, they can also provide us a sense of meaning and purpose and can prompt us to grow and expand as a person. Having loving relationships is another pathway to happiness.

The pathway of peace and tranquility

What do you do to eliminate stress, anxiety, and worry? When we aren’t always worrying and distressed about our life circumstances we can find moments of peace, stay relaxed, and free ourselves from unnecessary fear. Having balance and a healthy mind, body, and soul help us to manage stress and feel better about ourselves.

Living life in the present moment and being calm, focused, and undisturbed by external circumstances comes from wisdom and spiritual development. What can help you start developing peace of mind today?

The pathway of hope and resilience

Think of a time where you had to push past your limits and overcome the odds? We are all more capable than we give ourselves credit for. We have built up a resilience and hardiness that will allow us to weather life’s storms.

There are going to be tough moments in life, and being able to surmount the obstacles and persevere will be a major part of living a happy life. Hope is what pushes us forward and keeps us persistent and motivated. When things get difficult and don’t go as planned how do you keep hope for the future?

We are all capable of finding more happiness by discovering a bigger purpose for our lives, using our strengths, and savoring positive experiences from relationships, hobbies, and interests. When things get tough remember that the future will be brighter and that you have the strength to persevere.

Examine how these pathways can help you to be happier and begin to incorporate them in your life.

Photo credit: Jing Qu

Comments

This post currently has 8 comments/trackbacks.
You can read the comments or leave your own thoughts.

Trackbacks

Shake Off the Grind (May 28, 2011)

From Psych Central's website:
PsychCentral (May 28, 2011)

Vivian Martin (May 29, 2011)

NewPsychologist (May 29, 2011)

Frank Walker (May 29, 2011)

Anomaly One Hundred (May 29, 2011)

Robert Hill (May 29, 2011)

John Reyes (May 29, 2011)

    Last reviewed: 29 May 2011