I love ideas that make us take a second look and here is one where our happiness may be geometrical?!
Do you ever have those days where it feels like the everything is going against you?, You know, those days when you wonder how it can possibly get any worse. And while these hard days can certainly be the case some of the time, it turns out that they are more rare than we think: in fact, it appears as though our happiness tends to follow a U-shaped curve throughout life.
What is the U shaped curve?
The U-shape curve is a way of looking at life that can be helpful in understanding our own journey. The basic idea is that we go through three major phases in life: a learning phase, a plateau phase, and a decline phase. Each of these phases has its own challenges and opportunities.
The learning phase is when we are young and starting out on our journey. We are open to new experiences and eager to learn. This is the time when we make the most progress and see the biggest gains. The plateau phase is when we reach our peak performance and found our stride. Or feel We may have hit a wall and stopped making progress. . The decline phase is when we start to see a decline in our abilities. This can be scary, but it’s also an opportunity to learn new things, pass on some of our knowledge and enjoy life in a different way. And ending up happy is typically where we end up at our end in life.
The U-shape curve is based on the idea that our level of happiness changes throughout our lives. We start out happy as children, but our happiness level drops as we enter adolescence and young adulthood. This is expected because we face more challenges and responsibilities during these years with so many pressures, options and demands., our happiness level begins to rise again once we reach middle age and beyond. This is because we have a better understanding of ourselves and. We also tend to have more stable relationships and careers during this time and an awareness of what makes us inwardly happy.
So, what does this all mean for us? Well, it means that if we want to be happy, we need to focus on creating a good foundation for our children and adolescents. As we get older, our young people cope better through their tough times and we reap the rewards of our investment as well as enjoy a time of more freedom ourselves. This foundation will help us weather the tough times during young adulthood and set us up for a happier middle age and beyond.
And then It’s no secret that some people are just naturally happier than others.
Researchers have found that there is actually a happiness gene, which may account for up to 20% of a person’s overall level of happiness. But even if you don’t have the happiness gene, there are still things you can do to increase your level of happiness.
Here are some examples of people who are extremely happy, despite not having the happiness gene:
- People who live in close-knit communities.
- People who have strong social support networks.
- People who have a sense of purpose in life.
- People who are physically active and take care of their health.
- People who are optimists and have a positive outlook and attitude on life.
According to the U-shape curve, there are a few things we can do to improve our mood and outlook on life.
- Get more sleep: Most of us don’t get enough sleep, and this can have a major impact on our happiness levels. Try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night, and you’ll see a difference in how you feel.
- Exercise: Exercise releases endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects. Even a short walk or some light cardio can make a big difference in how you feel.
- Connect with others: Spending time with loved ones, friends, or even co-workers can help improve your mood and make you happier. Talking and laughing with others is a great way to boost your happiness levels.
- Do something nice for someone else: It feels good to do something nice for someone else, and it can also help increase your own happiness.
Check out this website for more simple but profound ideas to increase how many good days you get!
https://hive.com/blog/small-habits-large-impact/