Happiness, Redefined

The latest research (and our collective recent life) points to the fact that you may be most likely to find joy where you least expect it.

- Nicole Blades

IF THE PAST FEW YEARS HAVE TAUGHT US ANYTHING, it's that the typical avenues to happiness-travel, big gatherings, career achievements-aren't always readily accessible. But honestly (and here's where we go deep), it wouldn't matter if they were, thanks to a pesky thing called hedonic adaptation. That's the idea that after the initial euphoria from a new win in your life, the great mood it inspires fades over time, per researchers. It's also why winning the lottery or dating someone "out of your league" can't guarantee long-term happiness beyond the initial thrill. In that way, many of us learned we can be happier with less if we focus on the right things (read: the less-sparkly, counterintuitive stuff). And that's a good skill to have now and in the future. Curious where your elephant of happiness is hiding? Might be in your daily grind, in the way you think about your mortality, or even in your approach to positivity. Here, six unexpected ways to take the road less traveled to lasting bliss.

1 Learn to Balance What You Need to Do

With What You Want to Do

Make your future self proud without neglecting necessary R&R.