The International Day of Happiness is upon us, yet many feel the pursuit of happiness can become an arduous task, rather than something to be embraced.
Established by the United Nations, the day intends to create a happier and kinder world, encouraging the implementation of simple daily practices.
Taking place on March 20, this year’s theme is ‘Be mindful. Be grateful. Be kind,’ but it’s often a lot easier said than done to chase after happiness and we can be often left feeling defeated or sad.
Victoria University Community Psychologist, Dr Peter Gill explains there’s a common view that people should for the most part, be happy, “and if we’re not happy, then we’re in a neutral space,” he said.
“The well-meaning call to ‘cheer up and appreciate the good things in life’ is also an opportunity to reflect on the concept and definition of happiness, public messaging of ideologies related to happiness, and their collective impact on wellbeing,
“If we’re lucky, most of our lives contain many moments of joy and happiness that happen as a result of having core needs met, feeling connected to others and our community, and authentically experiencing the emotional spectrum,”
“If we’re lucky, most of our lives contain many moments of joy and happiness that happen as a result of having core needs met, feeling connected to others and our community, and authentically experiencing the emotional spectrum. While we support social celebrations and calls to address disadvantage, discrimination, and poverty, we need to be careful not to disseminate a very limited and short-sighted view of happiness,”
Dr Gill raised that as a whole, we need to be careful not to spread and encourage a “Short-sighted view of happiness.”
VU’s Institute for Health and Sport Clinical Psychologist, Joe Losinno added that there must be a balance between emotions, rather than a standard.
“Emotions operate as juxtapositions, we can’t experience joy or happiness unless we experience its shadow emotions, which includes melancholy, sadness and other emotional states that help us heal from grief, life stressors and traumas. To deny those feelings, or to actively suppress them in the pursuit of happiness is potentially damaging,” he said.
