Are you content with your current happiness level? How do you define happiness? According to a study published in The Journal of Positive Psychology, the more “autonomy” one has in life, the stronger the feeling of happiness will be.
Claremont, CA (Merxwire) – Nearly everyone pursues a wellspring of happiness, striving to enhance their lives and discover means to cultivate joy. Engaging in pursuits such as education, career advancement, marriage, property ownership, and parenting, some individuals believe these endeavors yield happiness, while others express dissatisfaction with their life circumstances.
A study published by Claremont Graduate University shows that happiness is related to three aspects: Affect, Engagement, and Meaning. Autonomy is the important impact factor in these three aspects. In other words, “happiness” becomes stronger with higher “autonomy.” The research was published in The Journal of Positive Psychology.
The researchers found that when people participated in activities such as work, study, entertainment, rest, etc., if their autonomy was higher, Affect and Engagement showed positive linear growth. And when they are doing what they love, they also feel that life is more Meaning. The results suggest that the key to happiness may be to experience greater autonomy.
What can we do? When circumstances permit, decrease the “should do” and increase the “want to do.” When a person truly knows the things he likes and the life he yearns for, he can master every stage and navigate to a happy destination.
In other words, “knowing yourself” is an important thing, and it is the source of your happiness. What kind of person do you want to be? What kind of life do you want to have? When participating in activities, choosing activities that contain more intrinsic motivations such as interests, dreams, and a sense of accomplishment may create more happiness!
Do you like your current self? If you were given a choice, would you want to go back to childhood or back to adolescence? Although we often hear “want to go back to being a kid!” as if people were less stressed and happier as children, the actual survey data is not.
OnePoll, a market research firm, surveyed 2,000 American adults and got an unexpected answer: People most want to go back to being 36. Although the age of 30 to 45 must accept the dual challenges of work and family, it is also a stage where people can feel meaning and reward. Maybe the Claremont Graduate University Research has shown why these people want to go back to 36, not childhood.
