The emotions of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfillment are indicators of happiness. Although there are many distinct definitions of happiness, it is frequently said to involve joyful feelings and a sense of fulfillment in one’s life.
When most people talk about happiness, they may be referring to how they are feeling right now or to a more broad sense of how they are feeling about life in general.
Since the term “happiness” has such a broad definition, psychologists and other social scientists prefer to refer to this emotional state as “subjective well-being.” Subjective well-being, as the name implies, primarily focuses on how a person feels about their current situation in life.
There are two essential elements of happiness (or subjective well-being):
- The balance of emotions: Everybody goes through both good and bad moods, sentiments, and emotions. Happiness is typically associated with having more pleasant than negative sensations.
- Life satisfaction: This has to do with how content you are with many aspects of your life, such as your relationships, your career, your accomplishments, and other things you value highly.
Signs of Happiness
Even though everyone’s definitions of happiness may vary, there are few crucial indicators that psychologists look for when measuring and evaluating happiness.
Key indicators of happiness include:
- Feeling like you are living the life you wanted
- Feeling that the conditions of your life are good
- Feeing that you have accomplished (or will accomplish) what you want in life
- Feeling satisfied with your life
- Feeling positive more than negative
It’s crucial to keep in mind that happiness isn’t a condition of perpetual ecstasy. Happiness, on the other hand, is the general sensation of having more pleasant than negative feelings.
The full spectrum of human feelings, including frustration, loneliness, boredom, and grief, may still affect happy individuals. But despite their suffering, they retain a sense of hope that things will improve, that they can manage the situation, and that they will soon be able to smile once more.
