Edith Carlisle

It seems like it should be an easy question – what makes you happy?

And yet, how easy is it really to answer that question? Depending on the day, I’m betting it might be a lot more difficult than you want it to be.

I came across this research-based quiz today about happiness, and it is lovely so I had to share. It covers briefly that researchers have defined two types of happiness: one focused on experiencing pleasure/avoiding pain and one focused on finding meaning. One isn’t better than the other, they’re both important to having a well-rounded, joyful life.

The quiz then gives a bunch of examples and tallies up the types of happiness you have in your life. But honestly, I took away some ideas for where I could find even more happiness and joy. On a weekly, monthly and annual basis I set aside time to check-in with how I’m doing and if I’m living in alignment with the intentions I’d set earlier. It’s so easy to fall into a trap of just doing the things rather than thinking about the things and this quiz helped me take a minute to pause and think about the good things in life, where they come from, and whether I might need a change or how to invite more joy in. It likely comes as no surprise that I tend to focus on finding and making meaning rather than the more hedonic pleasures. The intentions I’ve set for May actually focus more on the hedonic pleasures: the feeling of digging my hands into the soil and checking in with my body to find what feels good. But now I’m inspired to find more of this – a luscious meal or dessert, seeking out scents of blooming flowers and trees, maybe even a scrub or lighting a favourite candle.

When we break apart the components of something, we can see how things can be simple, even if they’re not easy. Finding joy and happiness can be just that.