There are three components to happiness, according to Dr. Sue Varma: spark, stability and significance.
The spark refers to the daily small pleasures, like a “small cup of coffee, the sunset, the hug, the friend group chat,” Varma, psychiatrist and author of “Practical Optimism,” said on TODAY.
Stability, she continued, is your sense of peace and wellbeing that keeps you grounded. And finally, significance refers to your purpose. “It’s about creating impact,” said Varma.
Without the last two components of happiness, however, the first, spark, doesn’t hold much weight.
Mental Health Tip of the Day: Don’t Invest Too Much in Your Day-to-Day Moods
Your daily spark will come and go, Varma said. “Sometimes you have a spark, sometimes you feel very alive, and things are novel to you, and sometimes they’re not.”
So, she advises not to investing too much in your daily moods. Like the weather, moods can change unexpectedly, but stability and significance, Varma said, are like the climate — they’re more enduring, so lean into them instead.
Why It Matters
Investing too much in your changing moods may lead to you lose sight of the bigger picture of the good things in your life, Varma said. After all, no one feels amazing all day, every day.
But you can still maintain a sense of happiness and optimism while acknowledging setbacks and future challenges, Varma said. In fact, embracing the fact that hardship is inevitable can help you grow and face obstacles head on.
It’s a mindset that’s at the center of what Varma calls “practical optimism.” The goal is “to marry a little bit of healthy skepticism with action,” she explained.
How to Get Started
To better handle the fluctuations of day-to-day moods, Varma recommends a few lifestyle tips:
Prioritize your sleep: Varma said practicing good sleep hygiene begins with your morning routine. Expose yourself to 10 minutes of bright sunlight first thing. Bonus points if you actually get outside. Move your body: Varma recommended 15 minutes of walking twice a day. No need to aim for 10,000 steps; just 5,000-7,000 can improve mood, she said. Create a reverse bucket list: Look back at what you’ve already accomplished. Ask yourself, “what are the things I’m grateful for?” said Varma. “What are the boxes that I’ve already checked off?”Compliment people: If you think something positive about someone, tell them, said Varma. “It’s just a little sprinkle of kindness,” she said.
TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.
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