Most people seek a life filled with meaning, contentment, gratification, and pleasure. In moments of reflection, we may ponder what we can do to direct our lives away from anxiety, anger, stress, and depression but toward a state of fulfillment.

Psychotherapy is making strides in devising methods people can use to move to the next step, from unhappiness to true happiness. It shift the perspective from negative to the positive. There is a place for understanding and treating more negative life experiences, but in many cases, the focus should be on the positive.

There are some things we can do about our life circumstance to increase our level of personal happiness. International studies have found that people who are in committed relationships tend to be happier. People who are lucky enough to avoid negative events i.e. divorce, job loss, death of loved one. Those that are religious report higher levels of happiness. If you are blessed to live in a sunny area of the world you tend to be happier.

So what are some things that you can do to help increase your level of happiness. Understanding that happiness is an internal experience based on staying true to ones authentic self is a must. First of all identify your own personal strengths. Then examine how to incorporate these strengths in your daily life. The more true to your own personal strengths and beliefs the closer you can get to an authentically happy life.

* Excerpts of this blog are from our Emotional Wellness Matters Newsletter.

Conflict between people Licensed Psychologist is a fact of life – and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, a relationship with frequent conflict may be healthier than one with no observable conflict. Conflicts occur at all levels of interaction – at work, among friends, within families, and between relationship partners. When conflict occurs, the relationship may be weakened or strengthened.

Conflict is a critical event in the course of a relationship. Conflict can cause resentment, hostility
and perhaps the ending of the relationship. If it is handled well, however, conflict can be productive – leading to deeper understanding, mutual respect and closeness. Whether a relationship is healthy or unhealthy depends not so much on the number of conflicts between participants, but on how the conflicts are resolved.