How to Be Truly Happy, According to Neuroscience
We’re sure you’ve heard the phrase: “Money can’t buy you happiness.”
And we’re pretty sure you’ve had experiences that prove the contrary. Instances where you’ve spent money and got happiness in return: the surge of joy you get when you treat yourself to a glass of wine and a gourmet takeout; the glee of investing in a brand new laptop; the excitement of your ASOS order arriving through the mail.
All of these experiences undoubtedly prove that money can buy happiness.
But, as research shows, not for very long.
The science of happiness
What type of happiness does money get you? Philosophers and scientists call it hedonism. As defined by Harvard Health, hedonism is about “seeking pleasurable emotions and sensations by maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain.”
While hedonism is an important aspect of achieving happiness, it’s not the whole answer. In fact, neuroscientists have discovered a phenomenon known as the hedonistic treadmill. This is a dangerous phenomenon where we start to rely solely on pleasurable experiences to feel happy.
In essence, whenever we anticipate or experience something pleasurable, the dopamine in our brain spikes, releasing a wave of feel-good chemicals. However, soon after the pleasurable event, these mood-boosting chemicals dissipate, and we’re left feeling a little empty and flat.
Naturally, our brains want us to feel good again, so we feel compelled to seek out more pleasure-inducing experiences. This is what’s known as the hedonic treadmill: a cycle of short-term highs, followed by bouts of emptiness and disenchantment.
To balance out hedonistic pleasure, we need to connect with a more lasting, deeper sense of happiness. Scientists call this eudaimonia, which Harvard Health defines as “searching for meaning outside yourself, knowing your true self and acting in accordance with your virtues.” That definition is pretty close to self-actualization in Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
While hedonic happiness is all about straightforward enjoyment, eudaimonia is about unearthing contentment through the pursuit of personal growth, purpose and goodness. Striving for meaningful goals, taking an active role in your community and exploring your passions are all examples of eudaimonia in action.
5 steps to boost your eudaimonic happiness
Most of us are pretty good at tending to our hedonic needs. After all, it’s not hard to be persuaded to indulge in a couple of beers or switch on Netflix!
Achieving eudaimonia is more challenging. That’s because it doesn’t give our brains the same quick, feel-good release of happy chemicals that hedonism does.
Think of it this way. Pursuing a meaningful goal is probably going to require hard work, effort and getting out of your comfort zone, all of which can feel unpleasant. But in the long-term, working towards your goal will give you a sense of purpose and direction – a type of quiet, unwavering contentment.
Decades of research shows us that, to be truly happy, our lives need a healthy mix of hedonic pleasures and the quest for eudaimonic happiness.
So, with that in mind, here are five neuroscience-backed tips to invigorate your life with a little more eudaimonia.
1. Discover your personal values
Eudaimonic happiness emphasizes the importance of knowing yourself and living up to your ideals. To do that, you need to figure out your personal values.
Think of your personal values as an internal compass. They inform your actions and beliefs, your sense of right and wrong, and your aspirations and goals.
If you’re not sure what your personal values are, here are some examples to get you started.
- Altruism
- Freedom
- Creativity
- Courage
- Security
- Intelligence
- Balance
If you’d like a little more help in discovering your values, our free Enneagram test is a great way to uncover insights about your core beliefs.
2. Pursue your passions
We all have personal passions: activities that light us up and make us feel like our most authentic selves.
In the quest for eudaimonia, carving out time for these passions is vital. As the Handbook of Eudaimonic Well Being notes, achieving intrinsic happiness goes hand in hand with staying in touch with your true self – it’s a critical aspect of uncovering personal meaning and purpose.
So, whatever it is that lights you up and brings you joy, whether that’s photography, cooking, painting or sports, do your best to make regular time for it.
3. Create meaningful goals and strive for them consistently
Once you know your values and passions, it’s time to put them to good use by setting meaningful goals that speak to the core of who you are. These goals will give you a solid sense of direction and purpose, and help you to flourish as a person.
If you don’t currently have any goals, one helpful exercise to try is to visualize your ideal self a year from now. Notice how they behave, what they do, how they spend their time, and make note of any gaps between your current reality and your vision. After you’ve done that, you’ll have some rough ideas that you can use to inform your goals.
4. Practice compassion
Another foundational principle of eudaimonia is “doing good to feel good.” As Aristotle wrote thousands of years ago when he coined the concept of eudaimonia, “The wise man takes joy in doing favors for others. For it is a mark of superiority to confer a kindness; but it is a mark of inferiority to receive it.”
Fundamentally, Aristotle believed that contributing to the greater good, practicing compassion and being of service to others were all crucial to lasting happiness. Since then, countless studies have proved him right.
With that in mind, think of ways you can incorporate a little more kindness into your life. You could, for example, sign up to volunteer at a charity you care about, come up with a creative way to merge your passions with helping others, or commit to performing one random act of kindness each week.
Don’t forget your close relationships, either. Habits like expressing gratitude, being a source of comfort and cultivating empathy can all boost the strength of your relationships and your sense of eudaimonia in tandem.
5. Boost your self-awareness
Striving towards your goals, making value-based choices and appreciating your partner are all tickets to eudaimonia – but the road isn’t easy.
When we’re tired, stressed or motivation is low, staying on the path we’ve set for ourselves is challenging, and it can be all too tempting to put the pursuit of lasting happiness on hold.
Enter self-awareness to save the day. By learning to understand and manage your own thought patterns and emotional triggers, you can make decisions that align with your ideals.
If you’d like to boost your self-awareness, a great place to start is our 16 types test, which helps you to learn more about your innate personality traits, strengths and weaknesses and core motivations.
Above all, remember, the pursuit of eudaimonic happiness isn't a sprint but a marathon. Every step you take towards self-awareness, compassion and intrinsic goals brings you closer to a purposeful and fulfilling life.
