Your money or your hapiness
I recently read an article published on www.getrichslowly.org on the psychology of happiness and it reiterated a lot of what I have written about wealth and happiness here at Retire on Property, but what really caught my fancy in the article was that the author J.D. came up with a great list of 13 things each of us can do, easily, day in day out to feel happier.
To be more content.
OK, so it’s not exactly a topic on property investing or retiring early, but I do believe there is no point in trying to retire early or achieve financial independence if you can not be happy.
So I’ve listed below the 13 steps as outlined by J.D. and to be honest, I will actively work on this myself:
- Don’t compare yourself to others. Financially, physically, and socially, comparing yourself to others is a trap. You will always have friends who have more money than you do, who can run faster than you can, who are more successful in their careers. Focus on your own life, on your own goals.
- Foster close relationships. People with five or more close friends are more apt to describe themselves as happy than those with fewer.
- Have sex. Sex, especially with someone you love, is consistently ranked as a top source of happiness. A long-term loving partnership goes hand-in-hand with this.
- Get regular exercise. There’s a strong tie between physical health and happiness. Anyone who has experienced a prolonged injury or illness knows just how emotionally devastating it can be. Eat right, exercise, and take care of our body.
- Obtain adequate sleep. Good sleep is an essential component of good health. When you’re not well-rested, your body and your mind do not operate at peak capacity. Your mood suffers. (Read more in my briefguide to better sleep.)
- Set and pursue goals. I believe that the road to wealth is paved with goals. More than that, the road to happiness is paved with goals. Continued self-improvement makes life more fulfilling.
- Find meaningful work. There are some who argue a job is just a job. I believe that fulfilling work is more than that — it’s a vocation. It can take decades to find the work you were meant to do. But when you find it, it can bring added meaning to your life.
- Join a group. Research apparently shows that those who are members of a group, like a church congregation, experience greater happiness. But the group doesn’t have to be religious. Join a book group. Meet others for a Saturday morning bike ride. Sit in at the knitting circle down at the yarn shop. Join an investors club.
- Don’t dwell on the past. I know a guy who beats himself up over mistakes he’s made before. Rather than concentrate on the present (or, better yet, on the future), he lets the past eat away at his happiness. Focus on the now.
- Embrace routine. Research shows that although we believe we want variety and choice, we’re actually happier with limited options. It’s not that we want no choice at all, just that we don’t want to be overwhelmed. Routines help limit choices. They’re comfortable and familiar and, used judiciously, they can make us happy.
- Practice moderation. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing. It’s okay to indulge yourself on occasion — just don’t let it get out of control. Addictions and compulsions can ruin lives.
- Be grateful. It’s no accident that so many self-help books encourage readers to practice gratitude. When we regularly take time to be thankful for the things we have, we appreciate them more. We’re less likely to take them for granted, and less likely to become jealous of others.
- Help others. Over and over again, studies have shown that altruism is one of the best ways to boost your happiness. Sure, volunteering at the local homeless shelter helps, but so too does just being nice in daily life.
That’s it. Nothing too difficult, just try it and stick with it. Perseverance.
And yes, it does work, even though I struggle to do all of these on a regular basis when I do manage to stick with it I can feel the difference.
We all have rotten events in our past and finding meaningful work can be difficult, but if you don’t find your job meaningful and feel you can’t change, then think why you are doing this job and how doing this job contributes to your goals. That will help. Apply the same positive thinking to all 13 and you’re well on your way to becoming a happier and more content person – and isn’t that what we all want in the end?
The list that JD compiled for his blog, was largely based on work done back in 2004 by, of all people, a global equity strategist! His name is James Montier and his original work can be found at http://www.trendfollowing.com/whitepaper/happiness.pdf