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Can trying too hard ruin your chance at happiness?
Here in the U.S., our Declaration of Independence says that each of us is entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
And, although we take all of them seriously, that last one has become a mantra over the past decades.
After all, we’re supposed to find joy in our experiences and wring out every ounce of happiness in order to enjoy life, right?
Well, not according to a new study that has found that the pursuit of happiness could actually be resulting in the exact opposite of what we’re looking for…
Shaping your experiences and mood
The research, out of the U.K.’s University of Reading and De Montfort University, set out to study how the value we place on being happy affects our ability to actually savor positive experiences and whether or not it can lead to depression.
The scientists recruited 151 university students and had them complete an online questionnaire answering things like the value they put on being happy, how easily their emotions affect them, and what type of symptoms they experience (looking for depression).
And, they found that without a doubt those who focused more on the need to enjoy themselves had higher levels of depression.
While that may seem like enough in itself to make us start to rethink how we approach our lives, the team wasn’t done yet…
They wanted to test their theory again.
So, they recruited another almost 300 participants to make sure they really were onto the truth.
And, guess what…
Once again, the results showed that people who put too much value on the need to feel happy were actually more likely to feel depressed.
Why?
Well, according to the researchers, the link comes at least in part from the fact that at least in part, you can become so distracted by your emotions and your need not to feel depressed that you actually end up with a lower ability to savor the good in life.
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A Western problem
The researchers also say that this seems to be a Western phenomenon — meaning those of us in the U.S. along with the U.K. are the most likely to be affected.
As you can imagine, the scientists believe this is more than likely due to the fact that we tend to focus on the need to achieve big goals to be happy, like getting that all-valuable promotion, buying the house of our dreams, and achieving even more.
Related: Take the Quick Happiness Quiz
On the other hand, people from other countries focus on happiness in a different way by spending time with family and friends and helping others.
“I think most people know what makes them happy when they think about it, and it is probably not the promotion or the big things, it is probably small things,” said Dr. Julia Vogt, a psychologist from the University of Reading.
And, there might just be a valuable lesson in that for all of us…
If you want to truly be happy, try spending 2020 focused not on achieving your happiness but the small moments in your life and the lives of those around you and be present in the moment. Allow happiness to find you rather than you pursuing it.
Sources:
By Dr. Adria Schmedthorst
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