“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” Dalai Lama

Emotional well-being is defined as the ability to successfully handle life’s stresses, adapt to difficult times, and thrive. Emotional well-being is also good for your overall health.

Studies have consistently shown that emotional well and happiest people are those who seek meaning and purpose, practice gratitude, and build strong close relationships, as opposed to seeking immediate gratification or pleasure, states Tchiki Davis, Ph.D., Founder, Berkeley Well-Being Institute, and well-being expert. To find fulfillment, you must uncover your true hopes, ambitions, dreams and ideas, then make your actions match these ideals.

Yet, no matter how perfectly you conduct your life, you won’t always be joyful and peaceful. The happiest and emotionally well individuals will experience stormy and uncertain periods.

Happiness and Emotional Wellness allows us to thrive, solve the problems we confront in our lives and maintain a strong sense of hope.

What determines happiness is due to personality and thoughts and behaviors that can be changed. Thus, you can learn how to be happy — or at least happier.

Although you may have thought, as many people do, that happiness comes from being born wealthy or beautiful or living a stress-free life, the reality is that people who have wealth, beauty or less stress are not happier on average than those who don’t enjoy those things.

People who are happy seem to intuitively know that their happiness is the sum of their life choices. They know that choices, thoughts and actions can influence their level of happiness. You can enhance your happiness by:

• Investing in relationships – Surround yourself with happy people. Being around people who are content buoys your own mood. And by being happy yourself, you give something back to those around you.
• Expressing gratitude – Gratitude is more than saying thank you. It’s a sense of wonder, appreciation and, yes, thankfulness for life. Think about what you’re grateful for before you go to sleep and when you wake up in the morning.
• Cultivating optimism – Develop the habit of seeing the positive side of things. Remember that what is right about you almost always is more than what is wrong.
• Finding your purpose – People who strive to meet a goal or fulfill a mission are happier than those who don’t have such aspirations. Having a goal provides a sense of purpose, bolsters self-esteem and brings people together. Research studies suggest that relationships provide the strongest meaning and purpose to your life. So cultivate meaningful relationships.
• Living in the moment – Don’t postpone joy waiting for a day when your life is less busy or less stressful. That day may never come. Instead, look for opportunities to savor the small pleasures of everyday life. Focus on the positives in the present moment, instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.

Spending time with supportive friends or family, cultivating a grateful attitude and an optimistic outlook, focusing on your purpose, and living in the present can help you take steps toward being happier.

Additionally, practicing  gratitude is a great way to boost emotional wellness. First, it feels good because we feel happier to have good things in our lives. Second, it helps improve our relationships when we share our gratitude with others. They see that we value them and it makes our relationships stronger. This makes gratitude a double whammy for our emotional wellness. Start by writing a gratitude list or gratitude notes to people who you are grateful for.

Good friends are good for your health.

It’s never too late to build new friendships or reconnect with old friends. Investing time in making friends and strengthening your friendships can pay off in better health and a brighter outlook for years to come.

Developing and maintaining healthy friendships involves give-and-take. Sometimes you’re the one giving support, and other times you’re on the receiving end. Letting friends know you care about them and appreciate them can help strengthen your bond. It’s as important for you to be a good friend as it is to surround yourself with good friends.

Friends play a significant role in promoting your overall health.

Friends can help you celebrate good times and provide support during bad times. Friends prevent loneliness and give you a chance to offer needed companionship, too. Friends can also:

• Increase your sense of belonging and purpose
• Boost your happiness and reduce your stress
• Improve your self-confidence and self-worth
• Help you cope with traumas, such as divorce, serious illness, job loss or the death of a loved one
• Encourage you to change or avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking or lack of exercise

Friends play a significant role in promoting your overall health. Adults with strong social support have a reduced risk of many significant health problems, including depression, high blood pressure and an unhealthy body mass index (BMI), according to Mayo Clinic. Studies have even found that older adults with a rich social life are likely to live longer than their peers with fewer connections.

References:

1. https://www.psychalive.org/the-secret-to-happiness-and-well-being/
2. https://www.berkeleywellbeing.com/emotional-wellness.html
3. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/friendships/art-20044860
4. https://www.nih.gov/health-information/emotional-wellness-toolkit