Happiness was closer than I thought. When I looked into ways to increase happiness, I found it was my daily life itself.

"If I had more money, I could be happy."
"If I succeed at work, I will be fulfilled."
"If I could live my ideal life someday, I would surely be happy."

Have you ever thought that way?

I myself used to think that happiness was something that existed after achieving something.

That is why I continued to aim for better jobs, grow, learn new knowledge, and move toward the next goal.
That is by no means a waste, and growing itself is still a great joy for me.

However, on the other hand, I began to think again about "what makes people truly feel happy."
So, I looked into research on psychology and happiness studies and organized various elements that are said to increase happiness.

Then, surprisingly, there were many things that were not special, such as "good human relationships," "health," "sleep," "exercise," "gratitude," "being in touch with nature," "not comparing oneself to others," "listening to favorite music," and "bathing in sunlight."

It is not a luxury car, an expensive brand item, or a big house.
All of them are very familiar things that you can start today.

While looking at that list, I suddenly asked myself.
"When do I feel 'happy'?"

When I wrote them down as they came to mind, there were surprisingly many common points.

Waking up naturally without being woken up by an alarm clock.
Time to listen to the trees, flowers, and chirping of small birds while taking a slow walk.
A moment of gazing blankly at the garden, feeling the life of the leaves swaying in the wind, the insects, and the small birds, and realizing, "I am also living in this world now."
Moments when I listen to my favorite music, laugh with my family, savor my meals slowly, and feel that I have grown even a little.

All of them were things that money cannot buy.
And I realized.

The time I feel happy overlapped surprisingly with what is said to "increase happiness" in happiness studies.
Perhaps happiness is not a goal far away, but something that already exists in our daily lives.

This time, while organizing the elements that are said to increase happiness, I would like to think about it by overlapping it with the "happiness" I feel in my daily life.
I would be happy if this article could be an opportunity for you to re-examine your own "happiness."

<Chapter 1> "5 Elements That Create Happiness" Taught by Happiness Studies

"What makes people happy?"

This is a question that philosophers and religious leaders have been thinking about for a long time, but in recent years, the answer has gradually become clear through research in psychology and happiness studies.

Of course, how people feel happiness varies from person to person.
However, there are elements that are commonly said to "increase happiness" in many studies.
If you organize them, they can be broadly divided into five.

(1. Connection with people)

It is said that human relationships have the greatest impact on happiness.

Trust with family and friends, time to laugh together, and the feeling of being needed by someone.

Furthermore, it is known that not only being treated kindly by others, but also being kind to someone else increases the feeling of happiness.

People cannot live alone.
That is why "who you live with" is more important than "what you have."

(2. Mindset)

Even if the same event occurs, the level of happiness changes greatly depending on how you accept it.

Being grateful.
Accepting yourself as you are.
Not comparing yourself to others.
Letting go of past grudges and anger, and forgiving people.
Focusing on "this moment now" rather than anxiety about the future.

Such habits of the mind are not acquired overnight.
However, even if you are conscious of them little by little, the calmness of your mind will change significantly.

(3. A healthy body is the foundation of happiness)

No matter how blessed your environment is, it is difficult to feel happy if you are in poor physical condition.

Quality sleep.
Moderate exercise.
Bathing in sunlight.
Savoring nutritious meals slowly.
And "mindful eating," where you put your smartphone away during meals and eat while savoring every bite.

Such casual habits condition both the mind and body and support the feeling of happiness.

(4. Growth and purpose in life)

People are surprisingly not satisfied just by "doing nothing."

I grew a little more than yesterday.
I learned something new.
I was useful to someone.
I was able to make use of my strengths.

Such a realization leads to confidence and also to a purpose in life.
Happiness is not just about being comfortable, but also about being able to feel that you are "growing in your own way."

(5. The power to savor daily life)

And this last element is what left the biggest impression on me.

Taking a walk in nature.
Listening to favorite music.
Singing songs.
Immersing yourself in hobbies.
Having time to do nothing.
Enjoying travel and new experiences.
And cherishing small daily habits.

None of these are special events.
However, it is these casual times that color life richly.

When I line them up like this, I notice something strange.
Many of the things that increase happiness are not expensive, nor are they things you win by competing with someone.
Rather, they are "connections with people," "mindset," "health," "growth," and "savoring daily life."

In other words, they are all things that can be nurtured little by little in daily life.

While looking at this list, I suddenly thought.
"Then, when do I actually feel happy?"
So, I decided to write down the moments when I think "I'm happy."

<Chapter 2> I wrote down the moments when I feel "I'm happy"

While looking at the elements that increase happiness one by one, I suddenly thought of this.
"When do I feel 'happy'?"

Instead of thinking with my head, I wrote them down as they came to mind while recalling the moments when my heart was moved.

The first thing that came to mind was my daily walk.
Time to breathe in the clear morning air and walk slowly.
Gazing at the trees and flowers that change their expression depending on the season, and listening to the chirping of small birds.
The wind strokes my skin, and the sunlight wraps around my body.
Such casual time calms my heart.
When I am walking, I feel very grateful for the obvious fact that "I am alive today."

The next thing that came to mind was when I realized that "I am growing."
When I gained new knowledge.
When I finished writing a sentence.
When I felt that I could do a little more than yesterday.
Even if it is not a big success, the realization that I have taken a step forward gives me great joy.
I realized again that people feel happiness not only in the results, but in the very feeling of "growing."

And nature is indispensable to me.
The green of the trees.
Leaves swaying in the wind.
Flowers that grow day by day and bloom one after another.
Insects busy moving around in the garden and various types of butterflies that find me and fly over.
Small birds that jump from branch to branch and peek out from the gaps in the leaves.
Just by looking at each one of them, my heart strangely calms down.
Nature says nothing.
Even so, when I see that quiet life activity, I feel that I am also living as a part of that big world.

Also, I feel happy with "leisure time."
Waking up naturally in the morning, not being woken up by an alarm clock.
Being able to start the day at my own pace without being chased by the clock.
Being able to live in a slowly flowing time instead of packing in busy schedules.
I used to think that "being busy is being fulfilled."
But now, I think that it is because there is space in my heart that I can notice small happiness.

Of course, time spent with people is also important to me.
Gathering around the table with my family, talking about casual things, and laughing together.
Spending time while playing my favorite music.
Savoring each dish slowly and saying "it's delicious" to each other.
Such common time might actually be more luxurious than anything else.

And what I especially like is the time to do nothing.
Gazing blankly at the garden scenery.
Staring at the plants swaying in the wind.
Just watching the small birds come and the butterflies fly around.
I am not trying to create anything, nor am I trying to learn anything.
Just being there.
Even so, my heart is filled to a strange extent.

What I feel there is a very quiet and certain realization that "I am alive."

When I wrote it down like this, there was something surprising.
In the moments when I feel happy, there were no expensive things or special events.

Walking.
Sunlight.
Nature.
Time with family.
Favorite music.
Meals savored slowly.
My own growth.
Time to do nothing.

All of them are things that cannot be easily bought with money.
And many of them overlapped perfectly with the elements that are said to "increase happiness" in happiness studies.

Perhaps happiness is not something to be newly acquired, but something that is already in our daily lives, and it is about cultivating the power to notice it.

<Chapter 3> Happiness is always there. Yet, the reason we lose sight of it

Having written this far, one question came to mind.

If happiness is so close, why do we keep thinking "I want to be happier"?

One of the reasons lies in the mechanism of the human brain.
No matter how wonderful an environment we are in, we gradually get used to it if it continues.

Being healthy.
Being able to eat every day.
Having a house where you can sleep with peace of mind.
Having family who are well.
The sun rising and the seasons turning.

Actually, all of these are miraculously grateful things, but when they become "obvious," it becomes difficult to feel their value.

Furthermore, in modern society, through television, the internet, and social media, we can easily see people who look richer or more successful than ourselves.

"That person is earning more."
"Living in a nicer house."
"Living a freer life."

Every time I come into contact with such information, my consciousness turns to what I lack.

Of course, having ambition is by no means a bad thing.
Having goals, making efforts, and trying to grow yourself enriches your life.
However, if that makes the thought "I am still lacking now" too strong, you will lose sight of the happiness right in front of you.

I used to think, "If I try harder, I can be happier."
Because I had that thought, I was able to work seriously and learn many things.
I am still grateful for that experience.

On the other hand, there is something I realized recently.
When I am walking, when I am watching small birds in the garden, or when I am laughing with my family, I do not think "I want to get something more."
I am just savoring that time.

In other words, in the moments when I feel happy, I was turning my heart to "what is here now," not "what is missing."

In happiness studies, it is said that "gratitude" and "mindfulness" increase happiness.
What both have in common is focusing on "this moment now."

Not regret for the past, not anxiety for the future, but carefully feeling what is there now.
Just by doing that, the scenery I always saw looks a little different.

When I am looking at the trees swaying in the wind in the garden and listening to the chirping of small birds, I do not have the feeling that "I am doing something special."
I am just quietly in that time.
Even so, my heart is filled, and I can naturally think "I'm glad I was alive today."

Happiness is not an ideal life far away, but how much you can savor the daily life in front of you.
Since I started thinking that way, my days have become much richer than before.

<Final Chapter> Happiness is not something to "increase," but something to "notice"

To write this article, I looked into research on happiness studies and wrote down the moments when I feel happy myself.
As a result, the answer I arrived at was a very simple one.

Happiness is not something that exists after obtaining something special.
Rather,perhaps people feel happy when they notice what is already in front of them.

Of course, having goals and making efforts is important.
I myself feel great joy when I learn new things and realize that I am growing little by little.
So, I do not mean to say "be satisfied as you are and do nothing."

Aiming for growth while not losing sight of the happiness that is here now.

I think these two are by no means contradictory, but compatible.

We have progressed by seeking "more."
More convenient.
More affluent.
More comfortable.
Thanks to that, life has changed significantly.

However, on the other hand, we have come to look only at what is beyond "more," and it is not rare that we overlook the value of "what is here now."

Bathing in the morning sunlight.
Feeling the wind while walking.
Listening to the green of the trees and the chirping of small birds.
Laughing with family.
Listening to favorite music.
Savoring meals slowly.
Gazing at the garden without doing anything, and turning my eyes to the life activity of plants, butterflies, and small birds.
The accumulation of such casual time was happiness for me.

Looking back, none of them can be bought with money.
That is why I have come to want to savor them at this moment, rather than realizing their value only after losing them.

Research on happiness studies does not teach the "correct answer" to become happy.
However, it shows a guidepost for "when people are likely to feel happy."

When I look at my heart relying on that guidepost, I realize that even if the form of happiness is different for each person, many of them are in daily life.

You who read this article, please look back on today a little bit.

Was there a moment when you felt a pleasant breeze?
Was there an event that made you smile unintentionally?
Was there a meal you felt was "delicious"?
Did you touch someone's kindness?
Or perhaps there was a time when you looked up at the sky in the midst of busyness.

I think each one of those is a seed of happiness that enriches life.

Happiness is not a goal somewhere far away.
It is not a special reward that only successful people can get.
The power to notice small joys that are quietly breathing in daily life.
Isn't that the biggest secret to increasing happiness?

I will continue to enjoy morning walks, bathe in sunlight, listen to the chirping of small birds, laugh with my family, and spend every day at my own pace.

I want to continue to cherish the heart that can feel "I'm happy" in such casual daily life.

And I would be very happy if this text could be a small opportunity for you to re-examine your own "happiness."

Thank you for reading.
I would be happy if you could give me a like, follow, or tip.
I look forward to your continued support.

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