Happiness is something we all strive for in life. It’s a state of well-being that is accompanied by positive emotions ranging from joy to contentment.
However, sometimes it seems unattainable. We often associate happiness with major things, such as success, family and money. But what we forget is, happiness can be found in the smaller things of life that often go unnoticed.
Here are three little — yet impactful things with a major impact on your happiness:
- Gratitude
- Contribution
- Purpose
I know, these are not little words and carry a huge weight with them. But in this post I’ll prove to you, that little things can have an immense impact on your happiness.
You don’t have to come up with a solution to save the world or make a break through discovery. You don’t need to give up your career or life to live a purposeful life. What you can do, is implement little — but powerful things instead.
So, let’s jump right into it.
Gratitude
In an experiment conducted for ten weeks a group of participants were asked to write down 5 things they were grateful for during that week. By the end of the experiment they were 25% happier compared to the control groups. [Emmons, McCullough & Tsang, 2003]
Imagine spending just 5–10 minutes per week to practice gratitude to become a happier you.
Want to try it? Once a week (or more often if you like), take out a journal, calendar, phone or a document on your laptop and write down:
- 3 things you are grateful for in your life
- 3 things you are grateful for in your career
- 3 things you are grateful for about yourself
And remember, these don’t have to be huge things or achievements. It can be as simple as; I am grateful for the hot cup of coffee I had this morning, I’m grateful that the work meeting went well last Tuesday or I’m grateful that my hair looks so nice today.
I can tell you that the last one, 3 things that you are grateful for about your self, might be a bit tricky if you’re new to this. We are often very harsh to ourselves and our inner critic never seems to shut up. But as you practice it will get easier, I promise.
Contribution
Studies have shown that contributing time or money increases ones happiness. Dunn et al. found in a study 2008 that spending money on others increased ones happiness more that spending money on themselves. Further studies across different cultures and age groups, using money or sweets, supported this finding.
But not all of us can donate money or have the time to commit to volunteering. Luckily, studies have also shown that small acts of kindness and helping others, increases happiness. Whether it’s helping to carry some groceries or holding the door open for someone else, these all contribute to your happiness.
Furthermore, they help us to connect with others. Which also adds on to our happiness. Dr Waldinger, the project director of a Harvard University study on happiness said “Personal connection creates mental and emotional stimulation, which are automatic mood boosters, while isolation is a mood buster.”
Contribution, no matter big or small, makes not just you happier, but also might just make someone’s day as well. It does not matter, if it’s time, money or random acts of kindness, they all have the same effect on your happiness. So, how can you contribute?
Purpose
You often hear people talk about purpose, as it’s the biggest mystery of life or a huge mission that needs to be accomplished. But in reality, the sense of purpose stems from knowing your core values and behaving according to these.
If you are not sure what your core values are yet, do some reflecting or use online tools to determine 1–5 core values. These could be for example, health, family, freedom or honesty.
Once you know your core values, base your actions on them. This sounds kind of weird, because one would assume that we always act based on our values. But often, we actually act based on our emotions.
This means, if we are in a heightened emotional state, for example fury or desire, we might make some irrational decisions, like hurt someone or spend money irresponsibly.
So, being able to slow down and act based on our values rather than emotions, allows us not just to make better decisions, but also things that are meaningful to us. Whether it’s your career, relationships, free time or any other part of your life, check in with your values and behave in accordance with them.
“If you have a set of core values and stick to them, your life is more likely to have meaning and purpose. Building more meaning and purpose in your life requires acting on your values rather than on temporary feelings.” –Steven Stosny, Ph.D.
For example, one of your core values might be freedom. Think about, what you can do with what you have that supports this value? Can you work remotely, are you overcommitting to things you don’t really want to do, do you have enough time for yourself?
Start by looking at what small adjustments you can do in your everyday life, to be more aligned with your core values.
Fair warning though — sometimes, recognizing your core values can trigger the urge to make major life changes, such as quitting your job, moving abroad or ending your relationship.
If this happens to you, be patient and start small. When you have the stability, resources and strength to do big life changes — go ahead.
Purpose is a way of life rather than some huge mission to chase. It’s about creating value in our everyday lives, through decisions and behaviors that are guided by our core values. And happiness will follow.
3 Little Things
Through gratitude, contribution and purpose, you gain happiness in your life. It does not require major life changes or a huge mission to reap the benefits. Instead it’s finding small ways to implement in our every day lives to increase our happiness significantly.
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”― Mahatma Gandhi
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