3 Ways to Build Happiness

We can lead happier lives. While we like to believe that happiness is a choice, it isn't. If happiness were a choice we could snap our fingers and be happy. We could simply think the right thoughts. We could simply move to the cheapest place on earth and give all our money away and live on meager food. However we can't, and even if the idea of being happy enough to be able to do that sounds idyllic, most of us couldn't do it. That's because we depend upon family, friends, food, shelter, and jobs, and many of those things also depend on us.

True Causes of Happiness

In reality our happiness depends mostly upon our circumstances. The real causes and conditions are the meat and potatoes of our circumstance, and if we can work towards improving them then we can find lasting happiness. As Maslow first pointed out, our happiness depends upon five major things:

1. Physiological Needs
2. Security Needs
3. Social Needs
4. Self-Esteem Needs
5. Self-Actualization Needs

We serve ourselves best when we focus on doing things that will meet those needs. The following basic guidelines useful in helping us get there: invest in quality, invest in community, and minimize major expenses.

Invest in Quality

Quality is one of the best things you can do to improve happiness. Quality is not to be confused with simple luxury or durability, although it does contain those elements. Quality things last longer and therefore reduce your overall expense. This makes it easier to save money and meet more of your physiological needs. Further you can count on it more, and this increases your security. Thirdly, it will increase your self-esteem because quality is aesthetically pleasing. Often quality also promotes socialization because we are more motivated to share quality things than lower quality things.

Invest in Community

Do things that will help you be social and connect more to others. If you have a choice, live closer to a town center. It is harder to be happy when you are isolated from friends, family, and people. Try to help others when possible, and accept from others as well. Build relationships and care.

Minimize Major Expenses

Try to minimize your major expenses. This may seem at odds with quality, but it is not. For example it is generally better to buy a nicer home that is small than a bigger home which is low quality.

When you can minimize major expenses you improve your ability to meet your physiological needs because you are spending less. You also improve your security because you can more easily afford your lifestyle and save money. Being more secure you are less likely to do things like impulse buy or overeat. By reducing your expenses you have less to stress about and this makes it easier to socialize. It also makes it easier to be spontaneous and this helps with your self-esteem needs and with self-actualization.

While it is useful to minimize your smaller impulse buys, like the latte at Starbucks, this will generally have a smaller impact on your happiness. Fretting about every minor financial decision adds a great deal of stress.