What's the secret of happiness?

Question

Serious answers please - I have suffered on and off with depression all my life, and never seem to able to enjoy my life and be happy with what I've got. How does everyone else manage it?

Answer 1

Eat well, sleep well, exercise often, take a break from being adult from time to time. Do your own thing and don't worry about being criticised for it .If it isn't harming others then it's none of their damm business. Enjoy being in the elements as wind, rain, sunshine, snow and stormy weather all have a profound effect so far as energising you. Don't be consumed with nasty people: have faith that they'll get their comeuppances. Enjoy being creative: if you can't draw, paint or cook then buy a packet of seeds and watch them grow with a sense of pride. Have faith that you have those that respect and love you. Some **** told me I had no friends tonight but I know I make friends wherever I go. Don't watch the news. Don't compare yourself unfavourably with others. Spend a little of your money on foolish things that amuse you.

Answer 2

Hiya, there is no magical secret, i'm the same as you i've suffered from depression pretty much my entire life on and off, well and truly on at the moment !! However, on days when you aren't feeling too good, try to sit down and concentrate on the positive things that have happened in your life, I know this isn't easy to do, but even just trying will help. One other thing that does sometimes help is do something that makes you smile once a day, this could be reading a book, listening to music, watching your favourate film, anything that you know will put a smile on your face. There is a lot of good help out there, and a lot of people who know what you are going through and care about you. Yahoo Answers is one of the things I do to put a smile on my face, if I can help one person, then it's been worthwile. You're not alone with how you feel, and there will always be someone you can talk to, feel free to message me anytime you like, and i'll do my best to put a grin on your face !!

Answer 3

I have close family members who also suffer from debilitating depression. Talk about it. Find a good psychologist who can help you learn coping skills, relaxation skills, and find out what is the root cause of the depression: Environmental or Heredity, or a combination of both. Do not rely on your own "self will" to get better. Depression is a medical disorder that requires pharmacological (meds) and psychological (therapy)treatment. Do not be ashamed of your depressive disorder. You can't help it. It is a chemical imbalance or response to a traumatic experience. Either way, you are not at fault. Those people who tell you to get over it or pick yourself up and go on with your life, apparently have never suffered from this problem. It is treatable and you have a greater chance of getting better if you seek treatment as soon as possible. Most important, give your worries over to God and ask him to help you get through the toughest times. He is always there, even when no one else can or will listen. If you haven't already, seek Him and walk with Him daily. This has been my secret to not giving into the depression when otherwise I would. I rely on Him to get me through the daily struggles. So far, I have been blessed with not having the severe debilitating depression, but I know many others who have. Therapy, medication, and God seems to be an uplifting combination. Good Luck and God Bless

Answer 4

What brilliant answers you have already received, I think being content inside makes me happy, you don't need the huge things in life, or any major material possessions all you need is to find inner contentment and your there in your own peace, regardless of what that may be. You may find inner contentment in a god, or a shopping spree, or even your fridge, were all very different but life is just as easy or as hard as you can make it depending on how much pressure you put on yourself, so lighten up a little on yourself and just live each day as it comes, yesterdays gone, can't do much about that now, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet, still can't do much about that either, but today is right here and now so smile you'll feel a whole lot better for it.
Good luck love, you keep smiling and you'll be ok.

Answer 5

I do sympathise with your quest for happiness. It's easy to theorise about the happy/sad dichotomy but takes some real effort to practice what's necessary for happiness. In essence I would say that you find happiness by letting go of negative thinking habits. In Buddhist terms, the truth of happiness is in letting go, not grasping suffering. That beautiful and mysterious element which can "know" depression, is not attached to depression. Reflect deeply on this and you will understand the truth of non-suffering. The 'self' will always experience painful experiences as a human being. The mental/physical senses are always being impinged upon in some way or other as we all know but 'pain' is another thing than 'suffering'. There can be pain without suffering (completely or by degree). Google search for 'Dhamma Threads Amaravati' and discover the most beautiful natural methods of transcending depression. You CAN be happy ! Blessings to you.

Answer 6

I think one of the beginning stages of learning to enjoy your life is giving yourself some positive feedback from time to time. We are not the ones who judge our lives, that is best left up to others. When we sit down and look critically at our own lives, it's like looking in the mirror at a flaw that we have in our faces -- we know it the best because we are the ones that look at it all the time. Loving life has more to do with not sweating the stuff that won't kill us, than it does "enjoying what we have" to begin with.

Depression is a tough thing to go through. There are many people in this country who suffer from it, and I would have to say that the American idea of -- get it fast, best, and now -- has a lot to do with that. We are human, not gods. We have our ups and downs consistently, but that is okay.

I wish there was a simple answer for your question but it lies in what you believe is important and yourself. Seeking professional advice for something like this is the best advice that anyone can give. These are not easy times to live in sometimes, but they are not the worst either. To start, when someone tells you something positive, just accept it as a compliment if directed to you. That is how they view the world, and sometimes our own lives sound better from someone else's perspective rather than our own criticisms.

Hang in there!

Answer 7

Hello,

(ANS) The secret of happiness is there is no! secret to happiness it doesnt exsist. Its a total & utter illusion.

**Happiness doesnt involve any secrets.
**Happiness is NOT controlable.
**Happiness occurs spontanously when the conditions for it are right, & when the time is right.

**Happiness is Zen like, the more you chase after it the more is disappears over the horizon.

**Happiness is a state or being, a condition of exsistence, an experience.

**happiness ocurrs when there is an absence of pain, when there is no insecurity, no fear, no worrying, no anticipation of what might be.

**You can only fully experience real deep happiness if you are 100% totally in the "now" of each moment. That means your centred in the centre of yourself, your NOT thinking about your past and what could have been if only I had done X,Y or Z and your not think about whats too come in the future.

"Mindfullness" is a state of exsistence that cannot be expressed in words really but is achieved through a process of concentration meditation. I believe this is true happiness it arises from a lack of pain, desire, longing, it is a state of non attachment yet one which is fully grounded & centred.

IR

Answer 8

Body, mind and spirit.
Body: eating a very healthy diet without any sugars or junk. Mild (not vigorous) exercise regularly. People who have low blood sugar can become very depressed and fatigued easily. Balance is the key.
http://hypoglycemia.org/hypo_test.asp
Mind: keeping a positive attitude, doing even a few small things I enjoy each day- sometimes as simple as dancing around the house to a couple of songs I like. (this works to raise your endorphin levels)
http://www.recoverfromdepression.com/betaendorphins.htm
Spirit: I pray and listen to uplifting sermons with great music daily. Everyone has problems and feels down, but I just ask God to help me through it, and then thank him for giving me strength. Counting your blessings is a good way to see your life in a different light.
Take care.

Answer 9

hi depressed im sorry 2 hear u r not happy.but some things in life must bring some joy.i know its hard but some times u have 2 try.why dont u try some thing new joinin some kind of group or take up some thing u enjoyed before,even talkin 2 some one helps.listen i hope u feel better soon and find happines.good luck

Answer 10

I think that the secret to happiness is being able to see everything in its proper perspective. Of course, that's easier said than done, so cognitive behavioral therapy helps. I know, because I've dealt with depression for most of my life, as well.