By Amenah Charani
“With happiness, the more you have, the more everyone has.” What is happiness? Where does it come from? What harbors your own happiness? What helps this state of ‘happy’ come and not go?
Questions like these, along with the many more that humans naturally have about this emotion, are what fueled the creation of the documentary, “Happy”.
Directed by Roko Belic, the documentary takes its viewers from the Nambian deserts to villages in Okinawa, Japan to explore the diverse ways people across the world continuously create happiness.
From the science behind the chemical creation of happiness in one’s body, to the power co-housing communities in Denmark have on their residents, “Happy” focuses on sharing the stories and ways of life proven successful in reaching a state of happiness.
Due to it’s creation from a place of compassion, the documentary has the remarkable capability to touch hearts, uplift and inspire it’s viewers to explore what makes themselves happy and work to implement these ways into their everyday lives.
1. Play. In order to process the emotion of happiness, Dopamine is needed. Physical activities, along with being ‘in the zone’ doing something you enjoy, produce this exact chemical. Go play!
2. Escape from routines. With busy schedules and stress filling each day, it is important to change up your daily routine. Whether going into nature or just changing the routes you take, occasionally switching up your routine can help people accustom to larger changes throughout their lives. Switch it up!
3. Love. No matter your life path, surrounding yourself with people you love helps to create a net of positive support. As said in the documentary, social interactions can even produce almost as much dopamine as certain drugs. Spread the love!
4. Give to something bigger than yourself. With so much going on around us, it is easy to forget to give compassion and harbor a sense of community. When working towards creating your own happiness, helping others and giving back to the community creates a ripple of positivity. Pass it on!
5. Count your blessings. Though life can be full of hardships, it is important to take a step back and shift your attention from what you don’t have, to what you do have. Be thankful!
