Can We Really Make Ourselves Happy? Try These Ideas – Part 1

“Happiness isn't a static condition. It is less a gift of temperament or circumstance than it is an ongoing and active commitment to the character of one’s life. Certain behaviors, conducted well, promote distinctive “positive” emotions, that is, forms of self-awareness that both feel good and support our relationship with others. Four patterns of such commitment are play, work, communion, and ritual. In this part, you will learn more about play and work. These two elements honor people’s efforts to shape the world in self-chosen ways. Each provides a distinctive sequence of emotions.

Play: The curiosity-fun-exhilaration-gratification sequence I

Ideally, play is an opportunity to do what we want, when we want. We implement self-borne strategies to address a series of challenges. The fun of play comes from seeing how well we can do under these shifting, and often unpredictable, circumstances. Challenges that are too hard generate anxiety; neither do we care for those that are too easy (and thus, boring). But those that are “just right” let us immerse ourselves. Indeed, we commonly forget the world and its troubles.

Work: The confidence-interest-satisfaction-pride sequence

People commonly think of work as behavior that is obligatory, protracted, and unpleasant. More broadly, however, work is behavior that establishes and maintains clear directions for our lives. Of interest here is the emotional sequence of work. Work, especially when personally chosen and managed, makes us feel better about ourselves. Ideally, doing jobs or tasks reinforces feelings of “confidence,” the belief that we can take on projects with enduring consequences. That confidence helps us take on new, more complicated challenges.”

Read the whole article at Psychology Today

#Happiness #Well-being #Play #Work

💬 What are your thoughts on these two factors?