How Do You Stay Happy, OT?

By that I mean, what kinds of things do you find lasting happiness and fulfillment with? What do you look forward to every day or week?

I ask since I realize I'm still discontent. I realize that happiness isn't something that stands still and no one thing keeps us constantly happy - it's something we have to work at.

But I can't help looking at my trends with gaming and notice how much money and energy I waste buying stuff in search of enjoyment, and then turning around and selling it all.

Since October I've been raring to go for WoW Classic. But as I wait, and wait, I realize I am likely to get stressed out by other players in an online game, and I'm not sure the experience will be as nostalgic or cathartic as I'm hoping.

I bought Overwatch on PC, but immediately sucked at the game again since PC players are a lot better than the XBox ones. I bought a few other Blizzard games during a sale but have largely ignored them since.

I got a better PC, in part to be able to play Overwatch but also to have a better PC. I bought an XBox controller for some of the games on my PC. I decided to get a few games on Steam. But most of them crash on me, and I still just don't want to play most games on a PC.

Now I'm thinking about getting a Nintendo Switch again. And mostly for like 3 games right now.

I'm not sure why I'm like this. And I spent 3 years trying to date and meet ladies, but that never worked out. I felt like I might be happier again if I have someone to look forward to spending time with, but I mostly met people with problems that weren't serious, or serious people who I just wasn't compatible with.

After a lousy start to the year I was hoping to spend more time reading, but my schedule has been busy. I wish I could just take books I bought with me to places to read so I'm not stuck at home. There is not enough time on my short work breaks.

I was starting to toy with the idea of switching to day shift so I can be awake at normal hours, and go for walks and meet "day people" on my days off, since I would be awake then. But it is seeming the easier route to leave second shift and go to overnights. I would hate being stuck in my house with nowhere to go on my days off.

I'll probably be thinking about the Switch thing now, but I realize it will only bring me some content. I decided to get Hulu again for now, hoping that will keep my interest. I'll try to read my books more.

But I still feel discontent. And Idk how to change it.

How do you guys find and maintain your happiness?

Sorry to hear that. Some people have that gift of a free spirit. My coworker is crazy about a guy like that

Working actually makes me happy.

@plageus900:

It might not be something to believe but is people out there that try to take this away from people.

the thing that makes me happiest for the longest period of time is difficult outdoor trips. Usually, backcountry skiing in the winter and long hikes/mountaineering in the summer. I'm talking about trips where you get up at 5am and get home well after dark in a state of total exhaustion, or multi-day trips.

the preparation involved in these trips gives me something to think about before hand - need to have your gear sorted, figure out the route, the risks involved, and its a good motivator to stay physically fit. Then I go and do them and they can often be stressful and arduous at the time but once I get home after one of these trips and look at the pictures I feel very fulfilled, like i've put all my mental and physical energy into something and succeeded, and that general feeling of contentedness will typically last at least a few days but sometimes a couple weeks depending on the difficulty/duration of the trip. Then i'll start thinking about the next trip. I like to go on at least two of these excursions a month and for me that seems to be the secret to happiness.

of course, this isn't a realistic or useful solution to everyone, but it works for me.

I think the idea of 'type 1' and 'type 2' fun are worth considering though. Type 1 fun is something that is fun at the time, but doesn't provide lasting happiness or contentedness (for me, gaming generally falls into that category). Type 2 fun is something that might be tough at the time, but you look back on fondly and go 'i'm so glad I did that.' I think finding something that provides 'type 2' fun for you - something you want to do, but scares you a little or seems hard, is a good way to provide more lasting contentedness/happiness.

New experiences, relationships and long term accomplishments. If I make gaming a central aspect of my happiness then it loses its "magic". I get excited and happy with gaming when it comes in addition to/supplementary to the factors in my 1st sentence.

Exercise is also a great long term factor of happiness too b/c it influences how I generally feel.

What to make of people that try and get in way of others being happy? In my field of work it something I deal with almost every day. I see it even first hand among coworker. It jealousy? Hard to pin down that is certainly true.

I don't.

@Stranger_36:

Just to be nice to people can help. In my work a lot is seen but goal is to help people. Not everybody who I work with share this thought. I find people make drama in the personal life and it is seen first hand on daily basis. I know not everyone believe in karma bit it real for me. Even some who don’t believe it I see them first hand and not hard to see when someone do things very wrong. It why it a good thing to be a good person.

Complain a lot.

Nothing really it's almost unthinkable for me to be happy at all sleep gives me relief music gives me energy and gaming gives me escapism that's it .What I want is impossible so I can never be happy.

@warmblur:

Yikes really? It sound like a group of people I know.

I'll let you know when I figure out how to be happy. I am assuming you're talking about lasting happiness, not fleeting/temporary happiness?

Sleep is nice. Nothing better than a good night's sleep; 6+ hours is usually perfect for me, I find if I go to bed too early, I wake up at like 4AM or something haha.

Going to the gym also triggers an endorphin high and a feeling of accomplishment, but it's tough to motivate yourself to go; half the time I end up feeling shitty because I put it off :(

If your family is worth a damn, seeing them makes you happy.

Above all else: avoid drama. Seriously, the people that are the most dramatic often tend to be the most toxic or gossipy. That shit is way too easy to get pulled into, so just avoid it altogether.

On a similar note, avoid people that are not compatible with your personality. I'm not telling you to tell them to piss off, but just don't hang out with them.

Yeah, same. It's a nice distraction from my personal life, and the feeling of being productive and accomplishing stuff is nice.

Currently I can't think of anything that makes me truly happy. I don't feel miserable or sad either. You could say I'm somewhere in the middle. Perhaps finding a girlfriend and being in a relationship would change that as it's the one thing I'm missing.

The things that makes me happy and stay happy are:

• Helping out people while at work.
• Playing Video Games.
• Watching action movies to clear the mind of frustration such as work or family issues going on.
• Spending time with my daughter as we both enjoy playing video games.
• Coming to Gamespot makes me happy as well lol.
• Watching lots of Animes. (Even Hentai)
• I love to sleep.

@mrbojangles25:

There is toxic people that go out of your way too though. It not always avoidable. People who is full of poopoo deserve to be call out if that is only way for someone to have peace. It karma. It just how it is. I know this because I see at work

Clinical depression and permanent health issues have ruined everything for me. The last time I truly was happy was sometime in the 90's now I just feel expired.

@warmblur:

Careful for stress. Stress it cause of many issue. It might seem but I told a patient of mine who think he dying it turn out it mostly just stress. It also why I tell my coworker to just call guy she alway talk about nonstop. She get in his business and when you still aren’t very mature people not realize what their action might do to health of others. Stress cause strange thing too. Can cause skin problem, it directly relate to sleep pattern, if sleep pattern throw off too far it affect other thing. God forbid people actually try to cause stress. It why I tell her to just call him instead.

Another patient of mine is just a middle school kid being bullied. It different than typical because he not bully by his grade but by kid in grades years above. Believe me I talk to their parent actually and it shun out. It make me realize how self centered and ungiving many people can be.

So good luck but hopefully it not so bad

I understand what its like to have sadness.

I get emotional now then sad. I used to be sad but now I am just emotional.

Difference between emotional and sad. I guess sadness hurts inside and emotions just break you down emotionally.

Emotional is good I like emotions better then the negativity of being sad.

I can’t stand negativity. I blow it out and let the positive energy take over.

Thanks for the response but unfortunately it is that bad I don't want to go into detail but the damage is done the only positive thing I'm doing now is dieting.

@with_teeth26: I think your 'Type 1' and 'Type 2' fun is an assessment that is worth considering. Maybe working at something more challenging in my time off could be satisfying.

All I can really think of at the moment is I've wanted to try to drawing again and come up with a style for some characters. But your description about something more physical or adventure-worthy sounds intriguing, like a trip or something.

@XVision84: @mrbojangles25: Exercise could be helpful. I'm still not sure how comfortable I would be with going to a gym, but have considered it before. I've come across a few smaller gyms recently that might be an option. Otherwise, I would go for walks more often but the weather and my schedule can impact that.

I think the new experiences, relationships and long-term accomplishments could be a nice triad to keep in mind.

I mostly avoid other ppls' negativity and in fact don't have a whole lot of friends to keep in touch with. A lot of people I had known from my last job never really bothered with me all that much, and I guess some people just make better friends than others.

Well, I'm on my phone responding to this, and it's difficult to do. I'm also a little pressed for time. But I wanted to thank everyone for their honest responses, I read through them all.

Not being at work makes me happy. Going out for lunch and beers with the wife before we stroll the downtown always puts me in a good mood. Shopping for comic books is my #1 feel good activity. I can spend hours browsing comics.

@Ovirew: I don't seek happiness. I just try to not drive myself insane and whatever that drives me to do is what happens.

Not much to be unhappy about?

This is me in a nutshell too. Right now, I am pretty conflicted with my life. But I'm not depressed either. Gaming does bring me joy, but it's more escapism than anything. I think for me I can't search for happiness. When it happens it's one of those moments where I realise..."Yeah, everything has fallen into place." Just simple little things that bring me joy.

I find that if I was to search for happiness I'd probably feel even more conflicted.

Yeah. I set myself goal that I know I can reach. Work towards and when I reach them I up my goals.

Simple: Schadenfreude.

Alcohol, weed, and spending time with some homies.

Video games make me happy when I feel like I deserve to play, which means I gotta work hard at my goals and actually achieve things at life and give back to society somehow.

Women are just extra.

@jamesbickford: ugh, bots.

Okay /Thread.

@guerilla-man: You just put together how I feel most of the time. I feel sad on the inside but I never cry. I feel this sulky feeling to myself when I am sad. My head leans lower, I develop a slight frown and I lower my shoulders. It's a defeated feeling.

dam sorry to hear about that, I have a friend who is the same way all he does is work,

I look forward to work every day I love what I do and that's what matters,but when its time to come home and spend time with my s/o well that's a whole different story just cause hes a gamer and i'm barely coming back into the zone of gaming since its been years for me. over all I do my best to play video games with him and get back in the zone.

My coworker has amiibo collection. I say call her man instead. It just a piece of plastic dlc!

Life without animals would be hollow and dull. I'm happy dogs, rabbits, cats and all the other animals exist.

By Upgrading self and Hobbies.

This is a tricky topic. Ive been a professional musician for about 6 years and it can be tough. I find comfort in the little things: Food. Some decent exercise 5-6 times a week. Playing games. I hate to pull the old: "Believe in yourself, man!!" line, but you gotta go from A to B and B to C and just make small progress. After getting into decent shape, the whole dating game has been easier, too. But one step at a time!

@Shmiity: I was thinking that for musicians the music itself is the most joy.

Not when it's your job. Music isn't fun when you're good at it