International Day of Happiness: Origin, Meaning, & Why It’s Celebrated on March 20th
Our idea of happiness often comes from societal norms and expectations
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Are you happy? It’s a question that’s likely crossed your path more than once or that you’ve asked yourself. And if not, maybe it’s worth considering. And what better time to take a moment from your daily routine and reflect on where you stand than on Happiness Day. That’s right, there’s a special day on the calendar dedicated to something as essential to our life journey as happiness.
Before we dive into why we celebrate this feeling (no matter how profound it may be), perhaps we should explore what happiness truly entails: Is it a state? A feeling? A sensation? Or is it a goal? Or is it something we strive to achieve? From a young age, many of us have been taught that happiness is something to pursue in life, as if it were a treasure waiting to be unearthed or the ultimate level in a video game.
Young Miko / Instagram.
Happiness: What It Is, How to Achieve It & Why It’s So Difficult to Attain
But what happens when we do reach it? Does it mean we no longer have any life goals? Or, even worse, what if I’ve never experienced happiness? To shed some light on these questions, many experts endeavor to explain the true essence of this coveted state. That’s why professionals like Isabel Reoyo, psychologist, sexologist, and relationship therapist at Somos Estupendas, have sought to clarify these doubts.
“Everything we understand about happiness are concepts we’ve learned and absorbed socially. We aren’t born with a specific notion of happiness; rather, it’s something that develops within our minds based on the environment we grow up in. […] In our minds, there’s a heavily Westernized notion of what we need to achieve in order to be happy. Consequently, we’ve developed various expectations about what happiness entails,” Reoyo explains.
So, the thing is, our idea of happiness often comes from societal norms and expectations. But here’s the kicker: when we don’t meet those standards, we end up feeling pretty frustrated. Plus, when we talk about happiness, we tend to look at it from an outside perspective, like it’s something we can find in external things. But truth be told, happiness is an inside job, and it’s all about finding it within ourselves. With that in mind, Somos Estupendas lays out some key aspects of happiness that come from within:
Being in tune with our values and having a sense of purpose
Living authentically, aligning our actions with who we truly are
Finding inner peace (which doesn’t mean never feeling down)
Regularly reflecting on both our inner thoughts and external circumstances
Setting goals that resonate with our values, both short-term and long-term
The Origin of the International Day of Happiness
Alright, perhaps even with this definition, the term ‘happiness’ still seems distant, ambiguous, or unattainable to you. But the concept is complex, and achieving it requires effort and introspection on our part. That’s why the International Day of Happiness exists: to encourage us to reflect on our well-being.
Before you dismiss it as just another social media trend, it’s important to note that this day holds significance recognized by many countries. March 20th is marked on calendars worldwide because it was established by the United Nations. Its purpose is to promote human well-being and mental health care.
Although the International Day of Happiness hasn’t been marked on our calendars for too long —it was established fairly recently, in 2013.It originated from a proposal by the Kingdom of Bhutan, a country in the Himalayas that emphasizes measuring Gross National Happiness instead of just GDP. In fact, GNH is now used worldwide as an indicator of quality of life alongside Gross Domestic Product. How do they measure it? Through these 9 points:
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