Happiness is relative.

How each of us mold our versions of happiness will most likely depend on the various experiences we share continuously with ourselves and with people from different walks of life and the different cultural settings we find ourselves in, from time to time.

In the present, we are easily affected, influenced, and sometimes dictated in what we do by what we see in media, particularly, the commonalities in habits of people who society perceive are “happy”, without knowing that there is more to happiness than what meets the eye.

In the present, we are easily affected, influenced, and sometimes dictated in what we do by what we see in media, particularly, the commonalities in habits of people who society perceive are “happy”, without knowing that there is more to happiness than what meets the eye.

With that said, there is no one exact algorithm for being happy, but there is a multitude of ways we can do to make ourselves happy. To virtual assistants, take each of the following with a grain of salt:

1. Solving problems gives us happiness

There’s this popular book written by Mark Manson called “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” which made rounds online for the past few years for its relatability and the realizations it brought to its readers. One very enticing but easily overlooked concept introduced in the book is problem-solving, which the author argued is our way to be happy.

Happiness itself is a problem. According to Mark, “Happiness is a constant work-in-progress because solving problems is a constant work-in-progress–the solutions to today’s problems will lay the foundation for tomorrow’s problems, and so on.”

Virtual assistants can challenge themselves to learn a new skill to gain better strides at life and shots at happiness. This is also incredibly beneficial, career-wise.

It’s best that I let the author do more of the talking about this concept. You can buy his book online.

2. Take care of your body better. Exercise, eat “healthier” and stock up well on sleep

These are the simplest of habits that really guarantee health benefits, with mental health being the most overlooked out of these benefits. This is especially important for virtual assistants who are supposed to be very dynamic with tasks.

We already know how exercise can help in reducing stress and anxiety, aside from positive physiological effects. Any amount of physical activity assures benefits in increments. Whether you take morning walks or go to the gym for these benefits, there’s not that much of a difference regarding the psychological benefits these bring so long as it becomes a part of your daily or weekly routine and it makes you “happy”.

As for food, there’s nothing wrong with satisfying our cravings if it’s one of your “happy pills”. However, coupling it with diet control and eating healthier can improve our mood. 

Eating complex carbohydrates such as beans and vegetables that release serotonin provides the “feel-good” hormone to help us up and running. Eating less highly processed foods such as French fries and packaged chips not only improves our mood but decreases the risk of illnesses, too.

In a nutshell, research and employ a more balanced diet.

Lastly, getting adequate sleep is vital to maintaining good overall health, especially towards a better state of mind. We are more prone to stress, being absent-minded, and being forgetful when deprived of sleep, potentially leading to a losing sense of joy and interest in the things we usually love to do. With a daily minimum of 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, you can expect noticeable improvements in your health, especially mentally, after a few days to a week.

Some of us have been mostly reactive towards living a healthy life. Only when we succumb to an ailment, do we consider these practices nowadays. It’s becoming more of a cure than a means to something more purposeful. With the events happening to us today, happiness is almost fragile, and you can take a greater stride by living healthy right now.

3. Learn to let go of burdening minor tasks and habits

You have to learn to know when your hands are full. Remember that you are only human and that too much of everything will take a toll on you, jeopardizing your well-being.

Overthinking, for example, might stir too much of stuff and negativity in your life already. To cope with it, try removing or taking a break from some of the minor tasks and habits you have, like taking a social media hiatus, to get a better grip of what’s most troubling you at the moment. This might be easier said than done. In some cases, however, choices will need to be made.

If you’re a provider, remember that it sometimes has to be you first before anything else at life’s crossroads.

4. Create goals and don’t rush taking strides.

Our goals can bring about our happiness, but we are told to take it slow if we want to achieve them. Then again, there’s no straight path to happiness. It takes taking curves and doing it carefully to get to where you want to be.

In the film “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, “ many Spider-People animated using different techniques were in one scene. This particular scene that lasted for only about 15 seconds was technically demanding and laborious to create animators needing 2 months to get the scene right. The movie went on to rake in acclaim and awards, especially for its animation.

This story attests to how it pays to take lots of patience and consistency when you want something to come to fruition.

5. Acknowledge your lows and learn from them

We often think much about how things would’ve been better after we failed at doing a task or when we receive saddening news. However, we have to know that sometimes, it takes accepting our lows to move on and be happy.

Take every inch of frustration and sadness that you feel as a learning experience, thinking slowly about how you can avoid these experiences in the future, or if unavoidable, how to cope with these situations better in the future. The best VA professionals are really good with this as they face these situations in one way or another.

6. Laugh

A virtual assistant knows when to take a break. We all need a good laugh every once in a while to give ourselves relief from daily nuances and stress.

Do what you love to do, whether watching movies, socializing, or reading a good book. Take your happy pill wisely.

7. Practice humility and listen

There’s too much negativity nowadays that it feels like the only way is giving in to our anger, with our pride getting the best of us. This leaves our happiness to hang by a thread because of a potentially ensuing discord.

At this point, we might need to humble ourselves to see the conflict in the shoes of others and understand one another better in addressing the issue at hand. After all, we are social beings. To a certain extent, we are all connected, especially in today’s time.

Read more about Lifestyle on LFS Consulting.