Key Takeaways
- We tend to have the wrong ideas about what makes us happy.
- It may seem counter-intuitive, but the current pandemic may help us to reconnect to true happiness.
- We’ve been forced to slow down and revisit pastimes that we previously thought we were too busy for – and we’re happier for it.
Over the past few months, you may have seen articles and news stories about how wildlife returned to areas where it hadn’t been seen in decades. People photographed wild animals in cities around the world – coyotes running through San Francisco, penguins waddling around Cape Town, and jellyfish in the canals of Venice, just to name a few. These stories have been a ray of sunshine and source of amusement in an otherwise stressful and difficult time.
This current phenomenon of nature brings to mind a recent article from AARP, Lessons in Finding Happiness During Hard Times. Lesson 2 of the article (Give up wrong ideas about happiness), is particularly interesting and relevant to our times.
The author points out that humans are bad at predicting what brings us happiness. Oftentimes, we think money and status will bring us happiness, so we focus our energies on working non-stop and comparing ourselves to others. Meanwhile, we’re missing the things that make us truly happy: human connection, physical activity, and savoring an enjoyable moment.
During this pandemic, you may have found yourself spending more time with your family, taking the time to bake bread from scratch, reconnecting with friends via Zoom, going for long walks, or finally finishing a book you’ve been meaning to read. As a result, you’ve likely found you’re spending less money – and you’re happier. (And if you have saved more money, you’re not alone – the savings rate in April of 2020 was 30%, up from 8% prior to COVID-19!)
It’s interesting that it took a horrible virus to show us this, but with more time on their hands, people are finding new ways to find happiness and realizing it doesn’t take money. In this respect, we’ve returned to simpler times, with the added bonus of cleaner air, cleaner water, and the time to spend with those around us, to reconnect with what truly makes us happy. Until next time, enjoy.
