Many people are willing to spend huge amounts of money to buy happiness from new experiences in distant places, yet they often forget a simple way to attain happiness: Focusing on and living in the present will lead you to true satisfaction.
Psychologists from Harvard University – Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert – conducted a study in 2010 to investigate the relationship between focus and happiness, aiming to answer the question: Does focusing help people feel happier?
To explore this, the researchers developed a mobile application. This app was used to periodically survey participants about their thoughts and activities. At random times during the day, participants’ phones would notify them and present a short questionnaire to gather information on their happiness levels, what they were doing at that moment, and whether they were thinking about what they were doing.
We are happiest when we focus on what we are doing.
Ultimately, the researchers analyzed data from 2,250 adults (58.8% male, 73.9% residing in the U.S., with an average age of 34) to draw conclusions.
The results of the study showed that we are happiest when we focus on what we are doing. While imagining good things may be better than thinking about negative possibilities, generally, not dwelling on random thoughts and focusing on the task at hand is the best remedy for the mind. For example, a person ironing clothes while contemplating how they should be ironed will feel better than someone who is ironing but is mentally wandering off to thoughts of a beach vacation.
So, does the activity we engage in affect our happiness? Most people likely believe that traveling the world makes one happier than just lying at home sleeping.
However, the answer here is that regardless of the activity you are doing, it doesn’t matter much. According to data from the Harvard study, the nature of the tasks you perform throughout the day doesn’t say much about your happiness level. Instead, the combination of thought and action is the best predictor of happiness.
The combination of thought and action is the best predictor of happiness.
The conclusions drawn from this study suggest a wonderful simple solution for everyone, regardless of age, gender, or economic status, to achieve happiness: Focus on what you are doing.
Like any other remedy, adhering to this principle is very different from simply knowing it’s good but not applying it. Of course, focusing on what one is doing is not easy, as our brains are constantly self-adjusting to adapt to various situations.
For example, during a tedious task that our bodies can perform instinctively, our brains automatically conjure up interesting alternative choices, causing our minds to “wander off.” There are even instances where, despite engaging in a very interesting task, our minds still do not fully concentrate on it.
Nonetheless, once we understand the principle of focus for happiness, people can train themselves to achieve it. We can learn how to meditate or strive to concentrate on what we are doing to realize that happiness lies deep within the mind of each individual.
