Happiness is a complex concepts and there are various elements that contribute and influence happiness. However if I should say what are the main principles about happiness, they would be: Reduce the impact of negative thoughts: focusing on what we are feeling in the present moment with our senses and letting go all the thoughts. learning how to react to thoughts in a way that allow us to behave coherently to our values.

When… then… you are experiencing negative thoughts, stress and anxiety - use cognitive defusion techniques like I notice I’m having a thought (see Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) - practice mindfulness - use reasoning and rationality to see if the negative thoughts are likely or not. you are setting a goal Break goals in smaller and more achievable goals and accept the errors you do not know how to behave review your values and goals and find what behaviour is aligned with your values.

Why pursuing happiness Because when we experience happiness, we feel good. Moreover what are the alternatives? Not acting or doing nothing. It is like to be dead. We have all the time to be dead during the lifetime of the universe. During our relatively short lifespan compared to the lifespan of the universe, it is better to try something different than to act as if we were dead. Simply acting without considering if what we do bring us happiness or not.

Signature strengths are one’s own positive characteristics that distinguish oneself. Researches suggest that using signature strengths in various ways each day contributes to higher well-being. Related Questions: Related Topics: What contributes to well-being References The Science of Well-Being | Yale University by Coursera

Happiness is subjective, therefore is hard to find a shared metric. Questionnaires that ask to answer specific questions and rate the happiness level is typically used in research. One of the most used questionnaire is Subective Happiness Scale. Related Questions: Related Topics: References Lyubomirsky, S., & Lepper, H. (1999). A measure of subjective happiness: Preliminary reliability and construct validation. Social Indicators Research, 46, 137-155. The original publication is available at www.

There are two main different views between philosopher and researchers. There is who claims that it is better to pursue eudaimonic happiness and who claims that it is better to pursue hedonic happiness. In the course Finding Purpose and Meaning In Life: Living for What Matters Most is claimed that it is better to pursue eudaimonic happiness because it enriches ourselves and others, while hedonic happiness is related only to our own pleasure.