The word happiness is generally used in the wider context of emotional or mental states, which include pleasant or positive feelings ranging from blissful contentment to extreme happiness. In addition, it is frequently used as a description of emotional well-being, life satisfaction, vibrant and well-Being. Sometimes, it is also associated with positive thinking. The happiness range can be significantly varied; it can be extremely positive, negative or neutral, or somewhere in between.
A research carried out by David Lanken, showed that happiness, as measured by interviews, predicted not only life satisfaction but was predictive of various other psychological outcomes including physical health, vitality, social connectedness and well being. The association was especially strong for emotional rather than intellectual factors. According to another research, conducted by Richard F. Easter, happiness is significantly linked to the quality of relationships, and also to the quality of personal security. A survey also indicated that well-lived individuals are more satisfied with their lives and their relationships, and they have high levels of trust in others.
It is believed by many that the quality of one’s relationships and life-satisfaction are closely linked to the level of happiness, and both are positively correlated with subjective well-being. In fact, a well-lived individual tends to be happier than an unhappy one. But happiness also has a link with financial well-being and life expectancy. It is important to note, however, that well-lived people tend to be healthy and physically fit, and do not die earlier than those who are not as happy as they want to be. Thus, happiness does not appear to be a simple subjective state, but it can be considered as a very important element of good health and quality of life.
Satisfaction, as defined by Eicheng et al., is having a great deal of fun, being in touch with reality, having realistic expectations, and having social support. These are the four aspects of happiness that most of us want to experience in our lives. Those who are not happy are usually characterized by negative thoughts, negative feelings, negative communication and negative social interactions. People who are happy do not experience negative thoughts, negative feelings and negative social interactions. xstt
Happiness and satisfaction differ from one person to another. For some people, satisfaction may only come if they have achieved success or have retired from their job. For other people, it may only come when they have found love, married an intelligent and satisfying partner and have children. Satisfaction and happiness are experienced differently by different people, and each person will report being completely satisfied with his/her life if he/she meets all his/her wants and needs. Satisfaction, on the other hand, is usually associated with high levels of positive emotions such as happiness, joy and love, and low levels of negative thoughts such as sadness, frustration, anger and jealousy. High levels of positive emotions and low levels of negative thoughts are therefore related to achieving happiness and satisfaction.
Some studies have shown that happiness and satisfaction with life also predicted longevity. This may be because people tend to live longer when they are happy and satisfied with life, and have higher life expectancy (a well-being score). In addition to this, people tend to remain healthy, and stay in good health if they have positive feelings and satisfaction with life. There are many different factors that affect your well-being and happiness. You should, therefore, consider seeking medical help if you are feeling down, depressed or anxious.