What are the things that make you happy? Think back. Chances are that many of your best times have been with friends or family. Research shows that the majority of happiness comes from our social relationships. People who are happy tend to have strong social relationships, and it is these strong social relationships that help them to be happy.
I’ve covered other factors that are critical to our long-term happiness such as sleep, exercise, meditation, and hobbies. Traveling and vacations also tend to help people feel happy. So, here’s the question: Are you doing these things?
One simple approach to improving your sense of happiness and well-being is to focus on these factors that engender long-term happiness and ensure that you are making room in your schedule for them. Simply put, these factors are critical to our happiness. If you are not making time for these things, it’s time to rebalance your life. It’s a given that these factors get pushed off of our plates from time to time. However, if by default you are not getting enough sleep, exercise, social time, etc., then it’s likely that this will take a toll on your happiness over time.
Remain focused on the factors that are critical to long-term happiness and schedule your life such that things are essential components.
If you are skeptical, try rebalancing your life to include these factors for a month or two as an experiment. See if it makes a difference. You have a lot to gain and little to lose.