Keys to happiness

Everyone in the world is connected by the desire to be happy. There are thousands of articles out there on how to achieve and preserve happiness, yet people are still seeking desperately that coveted secret to contentment. I talked about this in an article that I wrote last year. Unfortunately, I still don't have the answer. I have, however, compiled a list of five simple things that seem to consistently bring people joy, no matter who they are.

1. Appreciation.

We all have an innate need to feel that we matter and to have it confirmed by the people around us. From praise and encouragement from our parents or boss, to thoughtful gestures from a significant other, to an "I miss you" text from a friend we haven't seen in a while, we crave it. According to WEGO Health's website, "Teenagers who felt like they 'mattered' were less likely to engage in delinquent behavior."

Employees who feel appreciated are more likely to show up to work on time, work late, put in extra time outside of work, be less stressed make decisions in the company's interest, and waste less time doing remedial tasks, according to the website Virtual Tea Party. When we feel that we're leaving a mark on those around us we're happier, better, more productive people. It's proven.

2. Pride.

From scoring a touchdown to beating out other people for an internship, the intense self-satisfaction that comes with accomplishment makes us happy. Especially in the world today, where the standard keeps rising for beauty, intelligence, athletics, etc., it feels like a pretty daunting task to try and stand out. Our expectations for the ordinary person have risen, so to feel as though you might have surpassed the average Joe in some area of life is satisfying.

3. Good food.

This category may have some exceptions, but for the most part, a person's favorite dish makes him or her happy. When you want to do something nice for someone and you're too poor to take them anywhere, you make dinner, don't you?

Scientifically, there are foods that affect our physiology and make us physically happy, and others that provide happiness on a psychological level, according to the website TLC Family. Foods like fish, bananas, grapefruit, wheat bread, cherries, garlic, pumpkins, milk and chicken are proven to lift spirits (although I don't know who eats pumpkins), according to the website China Culture. Apart from the science, though, sitting down to a delicious meal - even if you're cold, lost and alone in the middle of nowhere - is bound to ignite pleasure. Imagine taking a bath full of blueberry mini muffins. How would that not make you happy? C'mon.

4. Beauty.

"A new series of studies shows that attractive people earn more money and marry better-looking spouses, and that economic benefits of being good-looking make them happier than their homely counterparts," according to TIME's website. I know people don't like to admit that looks matter, but they do, especially today, and there's nothing we can do about it. As David Hamermesh wrote for USA Today, "For a woman, it just matters to walk down the street being good-looking. It hurts to walk down the street being bad-looking . . . For a man, beauty's direct relation to happiness is not as great. It will give you a better-looking wife, a higher-earning wife and - most important - extra earnings." Even for the lot of us that aren't supermodel status, getting a pedicure, wearing makeup or just doing anything that makes us feel a bit more attractive makes us happier. Aside from personal beauty, beautiful landscapes, art and even pieces of jewelry stimulate happiness sensors. "It turns out that identifying and appreciating beauty in the everyday is a happiness strategy," according to the Association for Psychological Service "... It allows us to experience awe and wonder - to be elevated." And to feel elevated from the gritty world around us for even just a few moments a day - it brings a smile to our faces.

5. Comfort.

Everyone has an image in his or her mind of the most comfortable place on earth. Mine is on the biggest couch in my house, wearing my seductive furry socks and watching the Kardashians. We all need little havens of physical comfort.

But, the other aspect of comfort is mental. Mental comfort comes with feeling relaxed, stress-free, content. For example, unless you're the most outgoing person on earth, there's always going to be a situation where you don't know anybody and have to make friends, no matter how old you are. And it's usually lonely and awkward. But, once you've found your niche where people think your cat jokes are funny and you can be yourself, it's a sense of relief. Solving a problem or having your worries melt away initiates a clear mind, with space for happiness to settle and take root.

I can't speak for everyone. Still, I can observe and report, and because of my lengthy experience on this earth and my natural all-knowing nature, I am probably right. Happiness is not so distant and unreachable. It's right at our fingertips, hovering in the simplest of things like a heartfelt hug or a bath of mini muffins, we just need to reach out and grab it.