Happiness and Self-Care

Happiness is more than a feeling: it refers to human flourishing and fulfilment and includes finding meaning in what we do. This chapter encourages the reader to consider what personal happiness is to them. The definition of happiness is individual for each person but can be thought of as consisting of five main factors: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments. Happiness has genetic and environmental determinants. A survey of the history of concepts of happiness is offered, including the work of the Greek philosophers, Aristotle and Epicurus. Martin Seligman’s PERMA^TM model, common measures of happiness, recent studies of the biological bases of happiness, the concept of the hedonic treadmill, and the value of expectation management are introduced. Finally, self-care is emphasized to manage stress and enhance overall happiness.